Use of response surface methodology to investigate the effect of sodium chloride substitution with Salicornia ramosissima powder in common wheat dough and bread

Sodium chloride is known to influence several technological and sensory characteristics of bread. The high di-etary daily intake of sodium, however, raises concern because of serious health implications. In this study, response surface methodology was used to optimize the extent of sodium chloride reduction (0.6-1.2-1.8%) and its replacement with Salicornia ramosissima powder (0-50-100%) to achieve the best low-sodium wheat bread, while meeting dough quality standards. Mixing, viscoelastic, extensional, and fermentation properties of doughs, as well as specific volume, textural, and color features of breads were evaluated as response variables. After applying optimization criteria via desirability function, results evidenced that using 1.8% salt with a substitution ratio of 65.24% is the best combination to obtain both doughs with longer development times, high stability, better viscoelastic properties and similar fermentation capacity, and breads with higher specific volumes, softer and less chewy crumbs, but higher green tones, than those containing only sodium chloride.