Transforming Traditional Flatbread (Bazlama) into a Functional Food with Very High Resistant Starch and Low Glycemic Impact

Abstract

This study investigated the reformulation of traditional Anatolian flatbread (bazlama), a staple food of the Mediterranean diet, into a functional product with enhanced nutritional quality. High-amylose refined (white) flour obtained from high-amylose Svevo (Svevo-HA) wheat and resistant starch produced via repeated autoclaving-cooling cycles were incorporated to increase resistant starch content and antioxidant capacity, reduce the predicted glycemic response, and evaluate the resulting changes in textural attributes. Six bazlama formulations were produced using white flours of normal Svevo, Svevo-HA, and recombined Svevo-HA flour containing resistant starch and gluten, with and without vital gluten supplementation. Color, texture profile, phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP), resistant starch content, and in vitro glycemic index (GI) were evaluated. Bazlama samples enriched with resistant starch exhibited significantly higher total antioxidant activity (113.7-174.7 mg Trolox equivalent/100 g dw) and resistant starch (9.1-10.3%) levels, along with reduced GI values (53.8-54 < 55), classifying them as low-GI foods. The results demonstrate that incorporating high-amylose wheat-derived resistant starch can successfully convert bazlama into a functional flatbread with improved health-promoting properties.