Effects of Vacuum Mixing, Water Addition, and Mixing Time on the Quality of Fresh Chinese White Noodles and the Optimization of the Mixing Process

In this study, the effects of mixing process parameters (degree of vacuum, water addition, and mixing time under vacuum) on the cooking and sensory quality properties of Chinese white noodles were investigated by using one commercial‐scale noodle production line and one typical commercial wheat flour. Noodle appearance, firmness, elasticity, smoothness, and total quality scores were significantly improved as the degree of vacuum increased from 0 to 0.06 MPa, although lower sensory scores and larger cooking losses occurred when noodles were mixed at 0.08 MPa. Noodles with a water addition of 35% had the highest total score and the highest scores for each sensory factor. As mixing time increased, the sensory score of cooked noodles increased initially and then decreased. With a mixing time of 7 min, the sensory score was the highest and cooking loss was the lowest. The results of response surface methodology indicated that fresh noodle quality was most affected by the water addition, followed by vacuum degree. Added water was a more important source of variation for appearance, firmness, stickiness, smoothness, total score, and cooking loss than degree of vacuum and mixing time, whereas degree of vacuum was the predominant source of variation for color and elasticity. The interactions between the factors had little effect on sensory and cooking properties. The optimal mixing conditions were determined to be as follows: degree of vacuum, 0.06 MPa; added water, 35.6%; and mixing time, 7.25 min. Furthermore, vacuum mixing produced a more even, coherent, and closed microstructure for the sheeted dough than nonvacuum mixing.