Effect of resting time on water distribution and gluten formation of dough

The effect of resting time on water distribution, gluten network formation, molecular structures of protein, Texture characteristics and their interaction relationship were investigated. The results showed that, with the extension of resting time, the water uniformity gradually increased and tends to be stable at 60 min–120 min as well as the proportion of strongly bound water. The results of the confocal laser scanning microscopy and protein quantification analysis showed that the protein network distribution became denser and more homogeneous as the resting time increased. Protein molecular analysis showed that the prolonged resting time led to an increase in the α-helix, resulting in a more ordered secondary structure. Ionic and hydrogen bonds are strengthened, and hydrophobic interactions are weakened. In addition, the relaxation time (τ) and residual stress (E2) of the dough decrease with the extension of the resting time, which is conducive to the subsequent processing. PCA showed that there was a significant correlation between water uniformity, gluten protein structure and dough properties. Resting makes the water distribution of dough more even, which is conducive to the formation of gluten protein network structure and improves the processing characteristics of the dough.