Effects of whole wheat flour on frozen dough and steamed bread during freeze-thaw cycles

The research on Chinese steamed bread (CSB) with whole wheat flour (WWF) is limited and has not been discussed during freeze-thaw. This study investigated the effects of WWF addition on the dough and CSB quality during freeze-thaw cycles. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and dynamic rheological properties demonstrated that the WWF reduced the adverse changes of freeze-thaw treatment on the dough. Characteristics, texture, and cross section analysis of CSB showed that WWF (20%) could relatively maximize stability. To study the mechanism, arabinoxylan (AX) and water-extractable arabinoxylan (WEAX) from WWF were added to dough. Consistent with WWF, it was found that they could improve freeze-thaw tolerance of frozen dough and CSB. Meanwhile, WEAX (1.12%) could better increase quality and freeze-thaw tolerance of CSB. The results presented in the study indicate that the anti-freeze-thaw effects of WWF could be attributed to AX and WEAX.