White Bread Enrichment with Snakehead Fish Protein Hydrolysate: Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Sensory Evaluation

White bread enriched with snakehead fish (Channa striata) protein hydrolysate shows potential as a functional food to address chronic energy deficiency in pregnant women by providing essential amino acids and high-quality protein. This study aims to evaluate the effects of varying fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) concentrations on white bread’s yield, texture, color, nutritional composition, and sensory acceptance. A completely randomized design with four treatments (F0: 0%, F1: 1.5%, F2: 3%, F3: 4.5%) and three replications was applied. Fresh fish fillets were mixed with distilled water (1:1.5 w/v), heated at 85°C for 20min, and hydrolyzed using 0.5% papain (10.4 U/g) at 50°C, pH 7.0 for 90min. The supernatant obtained after centrifugation (4000 rpm, 4°C, 30min) was freeze-dried (– 80°C). The resulting snakehead fish protein hydrolysate was substituted into white bread formulation and evaluated for yield, nutritional value, sensory properties, texture, color, and amino acid profile. Results showed significant differences (P< 0.05) among treatments. Yield decreased with increasing FPH levels, showing the highest in F0 (92.06% ± 0.23) and lowest in F3 (86.76% ± 0.43). Protein, fat, and ash contents significantly increased (P< 0.05) with higher FPH. The best sensory acceptance occurred at 1.5% FPH (F1), with favorable taste, aroma, texture, and appearance. Texture hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess decreased as FPH increased, while lightness (L*) declined in F2 and F3. Overall, 1.5% FPH produced bread with improved nutrition and acceptable sensory quality.