Improving the quality of steamed rice bread using micro-cellulose as fillers: Effect of particle size

In this study, micro-cellulose (15–250 μm) was selected as fillers to replace rice flour for the preparation of steamed rice bread, a type of traditional gluten-free bread in China. The effects of particle size, surface charge, and hydrophobicity on the textural properties of the steamed rice bread were investigated. The results showed that the 2 % substitution of rice flour with micro-cellulose significantly increased the chewiness of the steamed rice bread. The particle size of micro-cellulose was positively correlated with hardness and negatively correlated with specific volume. The surface charge of micro-cellulose was positively correlated with crumb structure and negatively correlated with springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience. When the micro-cellulose content ranged from 3 to 5 %, the steamed rice bread achieved optimal quality, and the specific volume was improved from 1.62 mL/g to 1.83–1.87 mL/g. Notably, micro-cellulose with a size of 15 μm served as an active filler for rice paste and significantly increased its viscosity, enhancing gas retention capacity. At a high concentration (5–7 %), all the micro-celluloses acted as active fillers in starch gel, increasing the Young’s modulus. This study provides an effective method for improving the quality of gluten-free bread through the addition of colloidal particles.