Brownies are a type of bread characterized by their dark brown color and texture,
which is similar to cake but denser and more firm. The primary ingredient in
brownies is wheat flour; however, its availability in Indonesia is limited. This
issue can be addressed by utilizing local resources such as cassava. Cassava is a
staple crop with higher carbohydrate content compared to other tuber crops. The
abundant availability of cassava can be leveraged to replace or substitute wheat
flour in brownie production, specifically using MOCAF (modified cassava
flour). MOCAF flour offers several advantages, including high adhesive
properties, protein absorption capacity, solubility, and a higher carbohydrate
content compared to wheat flour. This study aimed to determine the effect of
substituting MOCAF flour and adding stevia leaf sweetener on the characteristics
of baked brownies. The research was conducted at the Applied Agrotechnology
Laboratory of FPP UMP and the Food Processing Engineering Laboratory of
UNSOED. The method employed was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD)
consisting of two factors: the first factor included four levels, and the second
factor included three levels, with each combination repeated three times. The
first factor was the variation in MOCAF and wheat flour ratios: M1: 30%
MOCAF, 70% wheat flour; M2: 40% MOCAF, 60% wheat flour; M3: 50%
MOCAF, 50% wheat flour; M4: 60% MOCAF, 40% wheat flour. The second
factor was the variation in the addition of stevia leaf sweetener: S1: 1.75 grams
per 75 grams of total flour; S2: 2.75 grams per 75 grams of total flour; S3: 3.75
grams per 75 grams of total flour. The variables tested included proximate
analysis (moisture content, ash content, fiber content, and expansion capacity)
and organoleptic tests (color, texture, aroma, taste, and overall preference). Data
analysis was conducted using ANOVA followed by the DMRT test at a 5%
significance level. The results revealed that flour substitution (M) significantly
affected fiber content and expansion capacity. The addition of stevia leaf
sweetener (S) also significantly affected fiber content and expansion capacity.
Interaction between the treatments (SxM)significantly affected moisture content,
ash content, fiber content, and expansion capacity. Organoleptic test results
indicated that the MOCAF substitution factor (M) and interaction between
treatments (SxM) significantly affected all organoleptic test variables. The best
proximate test results were obtained with the S3M4 treatment, which yielded
14.9% moisture content, 4.40% ash content, 40.00% fiber content, and 94%
expansion capacity. The organoleptic scores for this treatment were: color 5.2
(kind of like), texture 5.15 (kind of like), taste 5.25 (kind of like), aroma 5.30
(kind of like), and overall preference 5.1 (kind of like).