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The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of wheat flour treated with lab‐scale superheated steam on the batter characteristics and cake quality. Superheated steam treatment (SST) significantly decreased the density and viscosity of cake batter, indicating that the treated samples contained more air bubbles in the batter system. This result also was confirmed by a light microscope. Following SST, treated samples exhibited a lower apparent viscosity compared to native samples, decreasing both the consistency index and flow behavior index. Meanwhile, SST increased the storage modulus (G′), while it decreased both the loss modulus (G′′) and loss tangent (tanδ). These changes in the batter properties influenced the quality of the final cake products. After baking the batters, the treated samples produced cakes with less baking loss and higher volume and quality compared to the native samples. The internal texture exhibited higher porosity and cell density, increasing from 22.9% and 50.3 cells/cm2 (untreated flour) to 35.6% and 65.1 cells/cm2 (flour treated at 150 °C for 4 min), respectively. In addition, SST significantly decreased the hardness of the cake, thereby endowing the final products with a softer texture. The results of the present work may be useful for improving the commercial production of high‐quality cakes. Practical applications: This research provides a new technique to produce high‐quality cakes. In this work, superheated steam treatment (SST) was found to change the physical characteristics of the cake batter, adding more air bubbles and improving the internal structure of the cake. The results show that SST has great prospects for being incorporated into grain processing methods to improve the quality of the final products. The lab‐scale superheated steam processing technique proposed herein features a shorter processing period compared to conventional thermal processing methods, taking mere minutes, and thereby shortening the overall workflow. This work expands the potential applications of superheated steam technology in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Flour heat treatment is commonly used to improve dough and bread quality. This study creatively proposed applying partial preheated dough (PPHD) to frozen dough and evaluated bread characteristics and its internal mechanism systematically. Findings: Results suggested that moderate PPHD level presented higher specific volume, softer hardness, more appealing brown crust color and more uniform texture of frozen dough bread. Moisture status analysis showed that PPHD restricted the mobility of overall water molecules and the migration from bound water to semi‐bound water. DSC and RVA results suggested that the inter‐ and intramolecular association of starch granules, leading to abundant formation of hydrogen bonds, strengthened the gluten matrix network. Besides, gelatinized starch granules in PPHD served as a paste to promote the cross‐linking of starch and gluten, which was observed by SEM. Conclusions: Partial preheated dough inhibited ice recrystallization by restricting water migration and formed a highly networked starch–gluten structure that delayed its destruction during freezing. Significance and novelty: This study demonstrated obvious improvement of PPHD on frozen dough quality and further explained the mechanism systematically. Moreover, the method was innovative, simple, and easy to operate, so it could help to promote the development of the frozen dough industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using rare metal nitrate-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes as the absorber and polyvinyl chloride as the matrix, the microwave electromagnetic and absorbing properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride composites were studied. The complex permittivity of the composites doped with different rare metal nitrate decreased in the frequency region of 8.2–12.4 GHz. The minimum reflection loss of rare metal nitrate-doped multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride composites decreased and shifted slightly to the higher frequency region, and the absorption bandwidth (<−10 dB or >90%) increased in the frequency range of 8–18 GHz compared to multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride composites. The reflection loss (<−10 dB) of 0.2 wt% La(NO3)3-doped multi-walled carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride composites is the widest from the absorption bandwidth (maximum is 5.12 GHz). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effect of superheated steam treatment on the physicochemical properties of wheat flour and quality characteristics of cake were investigated. Superheated steam treatment significantly increased the swelling power, viscosities and gelatinization temperature, but reduced the gelatinization enthalpy (p < 0.05), compared with native wheat flour. However, the dough made from the treated flour was harder to form. Moreover, superheated steam treatment significantly increased the value of falling number. Cake quality was affected by the changes in the physicochemical properties of wheat flour. Results showed that superheated steam treatment significantly decreased the hardness of cake from 1465 g (native flour) to 377 g (150 °C, 1 min), and increased the specific volume of cake from 3.12 mL/g (native flour) to 3.9 mL/g (150 °C, 1 min). The present study suggests that superheated steam treatment has great potential as a flour modification technology for cake quality improvement. • Physicochemical properties of wheat flour treated with superheated steam were studied. • Superheated steam treatment weakened the gluten strength of dough. • Superheated steam treatment promoted the functional properties of wheat flour. • Wheat flour superheated steam treatment could improve cake quality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of yolk plasma and granules on the properties of dough and bread was investigated by using the control bread without shortening. The separate addition of shortening, yolk, plasma all improved the height and cell density of bread, and the yolk gave the maximum elevation. Any samples did not affect the gassing power of dough. For dough properties, the addition of yolk and plasma resulted in larger final dough expansion volume, longer rupture time, larger resistance, elastic modulus, and yield stress. Shortening increased the dough extension and decreased the elastic modulus and yield stress. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that some apoproteins in low-density lipoproteins from plasma were bound to glutenin to fortify the strength of gluten network in dough. Thus, yolk, especially apolipoprotein from plasma fraction, could improve the bread quality-height and hardness. Image 1 • Yolk and its plasma fraction elevated height of bread and softened initial crumb as a replacer of shortening. • Yolk and plasma improved cell density and mean cell area of crumb. • Yolk and plasma increased dough resistance, elasticity and gas retention capacity. • Apoprotein in low-density lipoprotein from plasma was bound to glutenin in dough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavourzyme is a commercial peptidase, mainly with exopeptidase activity. In this study, effects of Flavourzyme addition (0–0.16 g/100 g) on properties of wheat dough and bread were systematically studied. Bread with a low concentration (0.01–0.08 g/100 g) of Flavourzyme addition had a large specific volume and soft texture with a uniform cell structure. The optimal Flavourzyme content was 0.04 g/100 g and the specific volume increased from 3.9 mL/g to 4.4 mL/g, the hardness decreased from 21.7 N to 13.3 N. The gas production capacity of yeast increased with low concentrations of Flavourzyme addition, promoting dough expansion. Flavourzyme had a clear hydrolysis effect on wheat gluten in dough and caused the depolymerization and unfolding of gluten structure, thus decreasing the strength and viscoelasticity of dough. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results further revealed that a low concentration of Flavourzyme had a slight effect on gluten. However, the gluten structure became discontinuous and open, which made the dough easily collapsed during fermentation, resulting in poor bread quality with high Flavourzyme content. The positive effects of appropriate amount of Flavourzyme addition on dough and bread properties indicated the potential of Flavourzyme as a bread improver by substituting chemical additives. • Moderate amount of Flavourzyme addition improved the quality of bread significantly. • The optimal addition of Flavourzyme is 0.04 g/100 g (based on wheat flour). • Dough expansion was enhanced with moderate Flavourzyme addition. • Moderate Flavourzyme addition did not cause obvious damage to gluten network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]