Improvements of dried noodles qualities using two-stage resting: Explanation from macro and micro perspectives

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of two-stage resting (dough crumbs and dough sheets resting) on the quality of dried noodles. An improvement mechanism was explored according to the texture of dough sheets, gluten network, and microstructure of cooked noodles. After two-stage resting, the extensibility of dough sheets, the contents of glutenin macro polymer (GMP), and disulfide bonds (S-S) increased significantly (p < .05), whereas the content of sulphydryl group (-SH) significantly declined. From the perspective of microstructure, the average length and width of dough sheets protein experienced a significant reduction (p < .05); however, the branching rate, the number of protein lines, and the total length of the protein lines significantly increased (p < .05). Furthermore, the average network line length and width of cooked noodles were significantly reduced as the branching rate rose (p < .05); meanwhile, the number of holes significantly increased while the average area significantly decreased (p < .05). Overall, the two-stage resting has improved the quality of dried noodles and contributed to a more uniform and compact gluten network distribution.