Effect of sodium carbonate on rheological, structural, and sensory properties of wheat dough and noodle

The effect of alkali on the rheological properties and microstructure of dough was investigated. Also, the color and sensory properties of alkali-added noodles were evaluated. The results showed that the dough quality indexes and tensile properties increased with the addition of alkali. The test results of frequency sweep, stress relaxation, and creep recovery showed that the elasticity, hardness, and recovery rate of the dough in the sample group were significantly improved compared with the control group. The microstructure of dough indicated that the appropriate alkali addition can increase the degree of internal interaction of gluten protein, make the interaction protein and starch to form a more compact structure. The sensory evaluation revealed that the palatability of noodles reached its maximum when the addition of alkali was 0.2%. It is concluded that a proper amount of the alkali addition can effectively improve the viscoelastic property and processability and enhance the noodle organoleptic properties. Novelty impact statement. Wheat noodles are a traditional staple food in China, while the wheat dough viscoelastic properties are crucial related to the quality characteristic of noodle products. As a food additive, alkaline salt has various beneficial effects on dough and noodle quality. However, most of the previous researches focused on the effect of sodium carbonate on protein cross-linking. Few previous researches focused on the rheological properties and microstructure of wheat dough and noodles. In this study, with the addition of sodium carbonate, the textural, dynamic rheological properties were analyzed by texture analyzer and rotary rheometer, respectively. Also, the microstructure of the dough gluten network was observed by laser confocal and optical microscope. The microstructure of dough indicated that the appropriate alkali addition can increase the degree of internal cross-linking of the gluten protein, make the interaction protein and starch form a more compact structure. The sensory evaluation revealed that the palatability of noodles reached its maximum when the addition of alkali was 0.2%. It is concluded that a proper amount of the alkali addition can effectively improve the viscoelastic property and processability and enhance the noodle organoleptic properties.