Evaluation of Physicochemical Characterization of Wheat Flour Dough and Digestibility of White Salt Noodles With Different Resting Temperatures.

The study examined the effects of resting temperatures (4-80°C) on the gelatinization characteristics, starch crystallinity, and spatial conformation of gluten proteins in wheat flour dough. Additionally, the cooking performance and digestibility of white salted noodles were evaluated. Resting at 4°C had minimal effects on starch crystal structure, while higher temperatures (65-80°C) caused significant changes in gelatinization behavior and crystallinity, resulting in a more compact gel structure. Concurrently, noodles exhibited enhanced hardness and chewiness, accompanied by decreased water absorption (WA) and increased cooking loss (CL). Elevated resting temperatures also reduced the proportion of β-sheet structures in gluten, thereby impairing the elasticity and extensibility of noodles. Hydrolysis kinetics revealed that low-temperature resting (4°C) facilitated the conversion of slowly digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) into rapidly digestible starch (RDS). In contrast, high-temperature resting (80°C) notably elevated the RDS (52.50%) and SDS (16.78%) contents. Moreover, differences in starch digestibility attributable to resting temperatures diminished following cooking, which significantly increased RDS levels while reducing SDS and RS contents. High-temperature resting also contributed to the production of noodles characterized by lower kinetic constants (k) and reduced RDS content. These findings provide valuable insights for the optimization of low-moisture wheat flour products, particularly traditional noodles.