Components and physicochemical properties of mill streams: Effects on freeze-thaw stability and quality of frozen steamed bread dough

This study investigated the influence of five mill streams on the freeze-thaw (FT) stability of dough and steamed bread quality. The 1M2 stream (1st reduction) exhibited the longest stability time (7.24 min), maximum dough height (36.1 mm), and the highest specific volume (1.93 mL/g) of steamed bread. The 1S stream (1st sizing) had the highest water-extractable arabinoxylan content (0.62 %), which contributed to frozen dough stability and maintained a high specific volume (1.85 mL/g) throughout FT treatment. In contrast, the 3M stream (3rd reduction) showed the shortest stability time (5.83 min) and lowest specific volume (1.39 mL/g). Protein subunit and rheological analyses revealed that higher gliadin content in the 1M2 and 1S streams promoted dough extensibility, facilitating expansion during fermentation and steaming. These results demonstrate the key role of mill stream characteristics in determining dough FT stability and provide valuable insights for the use of specific mill streams in frozen dough.