Influence of gluten quality and mixing time on the rheological and structural properties of starch-gluten dough

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of different wheat gluten strengths on the rheological and structural properties of starch-gluten model dough. Medium-strength gluten (AK58G) wheat starch was mixed with three types of gluten: high-strength gluten (ZM366), medium-strength gluten (AK58), and low-strength gluten (ZM103). The results showed that dough strength decreased at the optimal mixing stage but increased during under-mixing and over-mixing stages as gluten strength increased. As mixing time increased, the network structure of the starch-gluten dough became unstable, leading to a gradual decrease in overall dough strength. The low-strength gluten (ZM103G) dough exhibited the lowest GMP content and the highest sulfhydryl (SH) content. As mixing time increased, the dough's ability to stretch and maintain its shape decreased along with GMP content, while SH content slightly increased. The strength of high-strength gluten (ZM366G) and medium-strength gluten (AK58G) dough models was reduced by the synergistic effects of non-covalent and covalent linkages, while hydrophobic interactions predominantly affected the stability of the low-strength gluten (ZM103G) dough structure. Overall, the study highlights the importance of using high-strength gluten for enhanced dough viscoelasticity and underscores the need to regulate mixing duration to avoid diminishing dough stability.