A Strategy Using Hydrocolloids and Sourdough to Improve the Quality of Frozen Pre-Baked Waffles for Efficient Microwave Reheating

Microwave enables rapid food reheating to edible temperatures within short timeframes. However, frozen pre-baked waffles often undergo severe texture hardening and moisture loss during microwave processing, with limited effective mitigation strategies currently available. This study investigated the physical quality improvement of reheated waffles using 20% sourdough (SD) and four hydrocolloids at concentrations of 0.1%–0.5%: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), guar gum (GG), xanthan gum (XG), and high-acyl gellan gum (HG). Results demonstrated that 0.5% HG achieved optimal improvement among hydrocolloids, reducing hardness by 42.02%, increasing specific volume by 33.97%, and decreasing moisture loss by 24.89% relative to controls. Comparatively, 20% SD reduced hardness by 54.13%, increased specific volume by 69.99%, and lowered moisture loss by 38.00%. By contrasting the cryoprotective mechanisms of hydrocolloids versus SD throughout refrigerated storage and microwave reheating, this study identifies the most efficacious additives and concentrations, providing a practical solution for enhancing reheating quality in frozen cereal-based products.