BAKING PERFORMANCE AND CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY OF RAW AND EXTRUDED COWPEA FLOUR BREADS

Cowpea flour was used to partially replace wheat flour in yeast bread, using automatic household‐type bread machines for mixing, proofing and baking. Loaves containing 15 or 30% extruded cowpea flour weighed more (683.4 g) than loaves from other treatments (641.1–652.6 g). The 100% wheat had the highest loaf volume (2.58 L) and the 30% extruded cowpea the lowest (1.64 L). Cowpea flour breads contained more protein (13.9–15.4%) than the 100% wheat (4.1% fat, 12.5% protein). Bread made with 15% extruded cowpea flour was not different (P < 0.05) from the all‐wheat control in sensory quality and acceptability. Hedonic ratings for the control and 15% extruded cowpea flour ranged from 6.6 (like slightly) to 7.4 (like moderately) for all sensory attributes. The least liked samples contained either 30% raw or 30% extruded cowpea flour, receiving ratings for all attributes ranging from 4.8 (disliked slightly) to 6.2 (liked slightly). Overall, 15% extruded cowpea flour demonstrated successful bread making performance without compromising sensory quality.