# The Effect of Inulin Addition on Rice Dough and Bread Characteristics
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Effect of Inulin on Sensory Characteristics of Bread  
Some of the sensory characteristics did not exhibit a normal distribution. Therefore, a Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to the sensory evaluation results, and the results were expressed as median values.  
The crust and crumb color were similar in all breads (Figure 2a-f), and the evaluation of these parameters was not influenced by the content of inulin. Differences in crumb and crust color were not observed, as the content of short-chain inulin, which accelerates the Maillard reaction rate and forms a more appealing crust color [10], was not present in substantial amounts in the tested inulin. The panelists had divergent views on the color of the crust and crumb. One group found the pale color unattractive and tended to score it lower (1, 2, or 3 points). Conversely, other panelists found this color appealing and scored it with 7, 8, or 9 points. This resulted in a median value of 4-5 (Table 3). There was no tendency among the panelists to form separate groups with opposing views on any other parameter.  
The evaluation of the other sensory characteristics generally rose with an increasing portion of inulin, reaching its maximum in the samples with 30% added inulin (Table 3). The panelists favored the bread with 30% added inulin. The overall acceptability of this sample lays between 7 (like moderately) and 8 (like very much). The panelists liked moderately (7) the crumb appearance and color, liked slightly (6) the crumb hardness and pore size and uniformity, and liked very much (8) the flavor intensity of this bread. Even if the presence  
Figure 2: Crumbs of bread prepared from rice flour with added inulin: (**a**) 0%; (**b**) 5%; (**c**) 10%; (**d**) 20%; (**e**) 30%; and (**f**) 40%.  
of inulin was detected by the panelists in this bread, they found it pleasing and described its presence as \"an evidence of healthy food\". The panelists favored the bread containing 30% added inulin, which is in general agreement with the results of other tests, in which the samples with 30% added inulin were preferred as well. Even though the composition of the breads was not determined in this study, it can be assumed that the content of fiber in the bread with 30% added inulin was approximately 18 g/100 g. The average per capita bread consumption in Czech Republic is 136 g per day [44], which would equate to a daily intake of 23 g of inulin. This is close to the recommended intake of 25-30 g per day from food [45].  
The evaluation of the bread with 40% added inulin was even lower than that of the bread without added inulin. The panelists strongly disliked the hard crumb (2), small pores (2), and flavor intensity (2), and they moderately disliked the flavor's aftertaste (3). The small pores in this bread were surrounded by a thick dough layer (Figure 2f), which was perceived as hard crumbs. The characteristics of the breadcrumb can be explained by the low dough viscosity during baking and the delay in starch gelatinization (Figure 1). The dough viscosity required for the accumulation of an appropriate amount of leavening gas was probably reached when the yeast activity had already been retarded by high temperatures. Moreover, the intensity of flavor recognized in the bread with 40% inulin was too strong, thereby decreasing the evaluation of this bread.