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As an emerging physical technology, magnetic fields have been used to improve the quality of frozen and refrigerated foods. This study compared the effect of applying a static magnetic field (2 mT) at different stages of freezing and storage on the quality of frozen dough. Results suggested that the magnetic field significantly impacted frozen dough quality. It not only prevented the formation of ice crystals during the pre-freezing stage but also inhibited ice crystal growth during the following frozen storage. This effect helped to maintain the integrity of gluten proteins and their adhesion to starch granules by preventing the breakage of disulfide bonds and the depolymerization of gluten macromolecules. It was also observed that yeast inactivation and glutathione release were reduced, resulting in improved air retention and air production capacity of the dough. This, in turn, led to a more appealing volume and texture quality of the finished bread. • Magnetic field (MF) improved volume and texture quality of frozen wheat dough. • MF inhibited ice crystal formation and growth during pre-freezing and frozen storage. • MF prevented disulfide bond breakage and gluten macromolecule depolymerization. • Yeast inactivation and glutathione release were reduced under MF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]