Cooperating countries: Indonesia, Austria

Coordinating institution: BOKU University

Project coordinator: Denisse Bender

Partner institution: Universitas Brawijaya

Project duration: 1 January 2026 - 31 December 2027

Budget: 39.970,00 €

Global food security is increasingly threatened by climate change, with rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions severely impacting staple cereal production (e.g., maize, wheat) in recent years. Enhancing crop biodiversity in staple foods like bread is crucial in addressing these challenges. One potential solution lies in the use of alternative ingredients. In tropical regions like Southeast Asia and temperate regions such as Austria, abundant yet underutilized starch sources (e.g., rice, cassava in Asia) and plant-based proteins (e.g., rice in Asia; soy and potato in both regions) present valuable opportunities for gluten-free (GF) baking. However, baking with GF cereals poses significant challenges due to the absence of gluten, which provides elasticity and stability in conventional wheat bread. While plant-based proteins offer a sustainable alternative to structuring agents such as egg albumin, their lower functionality often compromises GF bread quality. Research has shown that non-covalent interactions play a critical role in stabilizing GF bread during baking and are influenced by both starch and protein. Yet, their impact during pre-baking steps (e.g., kneading, fermentation) remains poorly understood.
To address this knowledge gap, this project will investigate how plant-based proteins interact with different starch sources to improve batter stability during mixing and fermentation. Additionally, it will assess their effects on the technological and nutritional quality of GF bread. By utilizing locally available plant-based proteins and starches, this research aims to enhance GF product quality while reducing dependence on single-crop sources and ultimately contribute to a more resilient food system.