Influence of different polysaccharides and wobbling processing on the quality of steamed noodles with wheat starch (Niangpi)

Niangpi (cold skin noodles) with northwestern characteristics is one of the traditional foods in China. To promote the development of traditional food, the current study was designed to improve the formulation and production process of Niangpi. A single factor, Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the appropriate amount of polysaccharides (including potato starch, konjac flour, and sodium alginate) and their influence on instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) and sensory evaluation of Niangpi. The effect of different wobbling times (0s, 70s, 140s, 220s) on sensory evaluation, microstructure, face rate, and TPA of Niangpi was explored. The optimum level of potato starch, konjac flour, and sodium alginate determined by the single factor test and RSM was 1.0, 0.15, and 0.03% and 1.24, 0.16, and 0.03%, respectively. The quality of Niangpi was the best at 220 s wobbling time. The wobbling time increased the pore structure and hierarchy of Niangpi, and presented a strongly positive correlation with the hardness, gumminess, and a strongly negative correlation with adhesiveness, chewiness, and cohesiveness. The obtained results revealed that both the optimized formulation and production process not only simplified the preparation but also improved the quality and sensory characteristics of Niangpi.