Consumption of whole grain barley foods reduces blood cholesterol and glycemic index, and promotes
weight loss by increasing satiety. However, barley has only been marginally exploited by the baking
industry, due to its deteriorating effect on bread quality. The use of sourdough can be a strategy to
improve the quality of barley bread. In this study, two sourdoughs, made with sole hull-less barley flour
or with a mixture of 50 g/100 g barley and 50 g/100 g wheat flours, were characterized from a microbiological
and technological point of view, in comparison with a sole wheat flour sourdough. Chemicalphysical
and sensory analyses of the resulting breads were carried out during 6 days storage. The total
titratable acidity, phytate and b-glucan content of the different types of flour, sourdough, dough and
bread were also evaluated. Overall, the results showed that the barley sourdoughs investigated could be
used to obtain barley bread with enhanced nutritional value. Furthermore, despite the lower specific
volume and denser crumb of barley breads with respect to wheat bread, no significant differences were
seen in the degree of liking among the three breads after baking and during shelf-life, thus confirming
the possibility for successful exploitation of barley flour in the baking industry.