Impacts of gluten protein characteristics on the cracking behavior of dumpling wrappers during freeze-thaw cycles

This study investigated the influence mechanism of gluten protein characteristics on the cracking behavior of dumpling wrappers (DWs) during freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. The results demonstrated that FT cycles increased freezable water content, water loss, and cracking rates. Five wheat flour varieties showed variation in cracking rates. DWs with the lowest cracking rate exhibited optimal moisture status. Gluten protein and rheological analysis illustrated that wheat flours with higher proportions of SDS-soluble polymers and monomeric proteins exhibited superior tensile resistance, whereas those with elevated SDS-insoluble protein content showed enhanced shear resistance. The lower gliadin/glutenin ratio in wheat flours contributes to enhanced deformation resistance. Microstructural observations indicated that low-cracking DWs exhibited better integrity than high-cracking counterparts. This study demonstrated that variations in gluten protein characteristics (gliadin/glutenin ratio and molecular weight distribution) mediate FT-induced cracking by influencing water variation and rheological behavior. These findings provide theoretical guidance for developing crack-resistant wheat flour of DWs.