Effects of Polydextrose on Rheological and Fermentation Properties of Frozen Dough and Quality of Chinese Steamed Bread

Abstract This study investigates the effects of polydextrose on the rheological and fermentation properties of frozen dough and the quality of Chinese steamed bread (CSB). Dough is frozen by spiral tunnel freezing and stored at −18 °C for 49 days, and CSB is produced using the frozen dough. Results show that the gas producing capacity, gas holding capacity, and viscoelasticity of the frozen dough decrease as the frozen storage time progresses. However, these properties improve in the frozen dough added with polydextrose. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis shows that the melting enthalpy (ΔHm) of the frozen dough enhanced after storage. By contrast, the ΔHm of the frozen dough added with polydextrose decreases after storage, indicating high water holding capacity and homogeneous, small ice crystal structure of the frozen dough. Moreover, the addition of polydextrose reduces the hardness and porosity of CSB, which improves the quality of the bread. Thus, adding polydextrose can improve the rheological and fermentation properties of frozen dough and the quality of CSB.