The University of Huddersfield and Puratos Limited KTP 24_25 R3

Bakers will soon be able to swap a wider range of healthy fibre ingredients into bread without turning the loaf into a brick. The problem is that dietary fibres—from oats, pulses, or grains—each behave differently in dough. They can weaken gluten, trap water unevenly, or ruin the crumb structure. Currently, developing a new bread improver that balances nutrition with texture requires endless trial-and-error batches in the test kitchen. This project builds mathematical models that predict exactly how different fibre blends will affect dough behaviour and final bread quality. Instead of baking hundreds of loaves to find a working recipe, the models will let formulators design complex improver mixtures on a computer first. If the models work, commercial bakeries could introduce breads with higher fibre content and more diverse natural ingredients—without sacrificing the softness, rise, or shelf life that consumers expect. The impact sits inside the supply chain: faster product development, reduced food waste from failed batches, and a broader range of healthier loaves reaching supermarket shelves. This is applied industrial research with a direct route to the factory floor.