Quality attributes of reduced-sugar Iranian traditional sweet bread containing stevioside

The objective of this study was to investigate the suitability of stevioside, a natural low-calorie sweetener, as a replacement for sucrose in Iranian sweet bread. A sucrose containing sweet bread recipe was prepared as the control. Sucrose was replaced with stevioside at 0, 50 and 100% levels. The baked breads were evaluated for physical, chemical, textural and sensory analyses. Results indicated that the stevioside replacement had no significant effects (P < 0.05) on ash, fat and protein contents of sweet breads but the pH and moisture content increased significantly. Moreover L* and b* values of final product were increased whilst a* value was decreased. For 50% sucrose replacement, the appearance, colour, texture, flavour and overall acceptability were comparable to those of the control (sample with 0% stevioside) with an about 11% calorie markdown. This study provides information on how sugar substitution by stevioside affects the properties of the Iranian traditional sweet bread quality. Data reported on the physical, chemical, textural and sensory properties of sweet bread are important in the development of new low-calorie products.