Leveraging Natural Fermentation: A Tailored Poolish Dough Technique for Enhancing the Quality, Texture, and Shelf‐Life of Arabic Flatbread

In conventional practice, the Poolish preferment is typically equal weights (1:1) of flour and water fermented with commercial yeast for 24 h. However, this investigation employs the preparation of Poolish preferments subjected to four fermentation durations (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) using the backslopping technique and incorporating them into the Arabic bread recipe at different levels (20%, 30%, and 40%) as a substitution for commercial yeast to systematically evaluate their effects on the textural attributes and vitamin retention of Arabic flatbread. Poolish addition altered amylose and amylopectin ratios and increased the amylopectin content, optimized the rheological properties, yielded a softer texture, and extended the shelf life of the produced bread. Vitamin analysis of Poolish bread samples showed that B1 and B6 were less stable than B3 and B9 due to their heat/acid sensitivity. The investigation found that the 24‐h Poolish, incorporated at 20% and 30% substitution levels, offered the optimal balance between high B‐vitamin retention and improved technological performance. The findings highlight the importance of integrating Poolish dough (PD) into the Arabic bread industry, as it boosts nutritional value and improves staling resistance.