Investigation of starch functionality and digestibility in white wheat bread produced from a recipe containing added maltogenic amylase or amylomaltase

•Enzymatic starch modification impacts bread nutritional and organoleptic properties.•Modification by maltogenic amylase lowers bread crumb firming rate.•Modification by maltogenic amylase lowers starch digestibility.•Modification by amylomaltase lowers bread crumb firming rate.•Modification by amylomaltase has no impact on starch digestibility. In the crumb of fresh white wheat bread, starch is fully gelatinized. Its molecular and three-dimensional structure are major factors limiting the rate of its digestion. The aim of this study was to in situ modify starch during bread making with starch-modifying enzymes (maltogenic amylase and amylomaltase) and to investigate the impact thereof on bread characteristics, starch retrogradation and digestibility. Maltogenic amylase treatment increased the relative content of short amylopectin chains (degree of polymerization ≤ 8). This resulted in lower starch retrogradation and crumb firmness upon storage, and reduced extent (up to 18%) of in vitro starch digestion for fresh and stored breads. Amylomaltase only modestly shortened amylose chains and had no measurable impact on amylopectin structure. Modification with this enzyme led to slower bread crumb firming but did not influence starch digestibility.