Effects of water content and resting on rheology and the gluten network formation of Chinese traditional handmade hollow dried noodle dough

Chinese traditional handmade hollow dried noodle (HHDN) is a popular wheat-based food among the Chinese people due to its easy cooking qualities and smooth texture, which are significantly correlated with the rheological characteristics of HHDN dough. The effects of water content (55, 60, and 65%) and resting time (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) on the rheology and gluten network formation of the HHDN dough were investigated. The modulus during stress relaxation reduced from 8.62 Pa to 2.30 Pa as the water content increased from 55% to 65%. With resting time increased from 0 min to 120 min, the extensibility of the 60% water content dough increased from 64.33 mm to 152.67 mm. With the water content decreased and resting time increased, the glutenin macropolymer (GMP) content increased and the free sulfhydryl content decreased. The microstructure study of the dough showed that extending the resting time was beneficial to the formation of the gluten network. The covalent interactions promote the formation of the gluten network and change the rheological properties of the dough. The dough with 60% water content and 60 min resting would result in the desired quality of the dough, ultimately improving the quality of the noodles.