The evidenced relevance of dietary fibers (DF) as functional ingredients shifted the research focus towards their incorporation into gluten-free (GF) bread, aiming to attain the DF contents required for the manifestation of health benefits. Numerous studies addressing the inclusion of DF from diverse sources rendered useful information regarding the role of DF in GF batter’s rheological properties, as well as the end product’s technological and nutritional qualities. The presented comprehensive review aspires to provide insight into the changes in fiber-enriched GF batter’s fundamental rheological properties, and technological, sensory, and nutritional GF bread quality from the insoluble and soluble DF (IDF and SDF) perspective. Different mechanisms for understanding IDF and SDF action on GF batter and bread were discussed. In general, IDF and SDF can enhance, but also diminish, the properties of GF batter and bread, depending on their addition level and the presence of available water in the GF system. However, it was seen that SDF addition provides a more homogenous GF batter structure, leading to bread with higher volumes and softer crumb, compared to IDF. The sensory properties of fiber-enriched GF breads were acceptable in most cases when the inclusion level was up to 7 g/100 g, regardless of the fiber type, enabling the labeling of the bread as a source of fiber.
The recognized contribution of antioxidant compounds to overall health maintenance and spotted deficiencies in celiac patients’ diets has driven more intensive research regarding antioxidant compounds’ inclusion in gluten-free bread (GFB) production during the last decade. The presented review gathered information that provided insights into plant-based antioxidant sources which are applicable in GFB production through the resulting changes in the technological, sensory, and nutritional quality of the resulting antioxidant-enriched GFB. The influence of the bread-making process on the antioxidant compounds’ content alteration and applied methods for their quantification in GFB matrices were also discussed, together with strategies for enhancing the antioxidant compounds’ content, their bioaccessibility, and their bioavailability, highlighting the existing contradictions and constraints. The addition of plant-based antioxidant compounds generally improved the antioxidant content and activity of GFB, without a profound detrimental effect on its technological quality and sensory acceptability, and with the extent of the improvement being dependent on the source richness and the amount added. The determination of a pertinent amount and source of plant-based antioxidant material that will result in the production of GFB with desirable nutritional, sensory, and technological quality, as well as biological activity, remains a challenge to be combated by elucidation of the potential mechanism of action and by the standardization of quantification methods for antioxidant compounds.