Kefir Enriched with Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Leaves Extract as a New Ingredient during a Gluten-Free Bread-Making Process

This work is focused on the preparation of an innovative gluten-free (GF) bread with remarkable softness and antioxidant features over time. To overcome technological inconveniences related to removal gluten from bread, kefir beverage fortified vegetable extracts employed as a functional ingredient in bread-making process. In this context, carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) leaves represent outstanding source active molecules are proposed enrich milk-based beverages. Different extraction strategies were evaluated, process was improved select solvent (water, ethanol, or hydroalcoholic solution) methodology (Soxhlet ultrasound-assisted extraction) able guarantee best performances terms yield capacity. For addition, two varieties (Selvatica Amele) employed. Functional GF obtained by partially replacing water enriched kefir, prepared, final product characterized its rheological properties. The shows compositional parameters