Impact of Egg Components on Model Pasta Dough Rheology, Microstructure, and Mechanical Dough Rolling Energy

Pasta is a widely consumed food usually made from durum wheat semolina. During production of pasta, dough kneading is the first step and varying degrees of deformation are applied to the dough. These deformations are related to the rheological properties of the pasta dough, which are affected by its ingredients.

In this study, three types of model pasta dough were prepared using water, whole eggs or egg yolks. To evaluate their properties, linear, nonlinear by large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) and extensional rheological tests were conducted. The energy required during dough rolling was linked to the rheological properties of the dough samples.

The results showed that the energy required during rolling is strongly correlated with crossover strain, oscillatory viscoelastic moduli, creep recovery compliances and extensional consistency coefficient. The addition of whole egg and egg yolk increased the rigidity of the model dough (plain: 6.32 kPa, whole egg: 28.48 kPa and yolk: 117.05 kPa Young's modulus). The work done during rolling increased with the addition of egg (plain: 15.19 J, whole egg: 27.14 J and yolk: 33.02 J). After rolling, samples were cut, cooked, and their microstructure was evaluated. The effect of the addition of an egg on the microstructure of samples was observed as a lipid-coated, smoother surface and strong formation of a protein network.

This study provides a comprehensive rheological characterisation of model pasta dough formulated with a whole egg or egg yolk using linear, nonlinear, and extensional tests. By linking these rheological properties to the mechanical energy required during rolling, the study introduces a novel approach to quantitatively predict processing behaviour from fundamental dough mechanics. The findings also highlight how egg yolk significantly enhances dough rigidity and alters microstructure, contributing to improved understanding of ingredient-function relationships in pasta formulation.