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ABSTRACT
We investigated the relationship between the protein content and quality of wheat flours and characteristics of noodle dough and instant noodles using 14 hard and soft wheat flours with various protein contents and three commercial Hours for making noodles. Protein content of wheat flours exhibited negative relationships with the optimum water absorption of noodle dough and lightness (L*) of the instant noodle dough sheet. Protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of alcohol- and salt-soluble protein of flour, also influenced optimum water absorption and yellow-blueness (b*) of the noodle dough sheet. Wheat flours with high protein content (>13.6%) produced instant noodles with lower fat absorption, higher L*, lower b*, and firmer and more clastic texture than wheat flours with low protein content (<12.2%). L* and free lipid content of instant noodles were >76.8 and <20.8% in hard wheat flours of high SDS sedimentation volume (>36 mL) and low proportion of salt-soluble protein (<12.5%), and <75.7 and >21.5% in soft wheat flours with low SDS sedimentation volume (<35 mL) and a high proportion of sail-soluble protein (>15.0%). L* of instant noodles positively correlated with SDS sedimentation volume and negatively correlated with proportion of alcohol- and salt-soluble protein of flour. These protein quality parameters also exhibited a significant relationship with b* of instant noodles. SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of salt-soluble protein of flours also exhibited a significant relationship with free lipid content of instant noodles (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Protein quality parameters of wheat flour, as well as protein content, showed significant relationship with texture properties of cooked instant noodles.
Instant noodles have a distinctive flavor and texture due to unique processing, steaming, and frying, and to the residual oil in the noodles (Rho et al 1986). Instant noodles should have a porous spongy structure as well as pregelatinized starch through the steaming process (Wu et al 1998). During the frying process, many tiny holes are created as water is quickly dehydrated and replaced by oil on the surface of the noodles, serving as channel for water during cooking (Hou 2001). Frying and steaming processes can enable quick serving compared with other types of noodles, and the processes are important in governing the quality of instant...