ABSTRACT
The effects of wheat protein and starch on yellow-alkaline noodles have not been fully clarified. Twenty-four hard winter wheats with varying protein, hot-water swelling power (SP95), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were milled into long-patent and short-patent flours. Protein, SP95, and PPO activity in the 48 flours were 8.2–12.9%, 16.2–24.1 g/g, and 80–157 ΔA480/mg of protein/min, respectively. Lightness of raw noodles declined with increasing protein and PPO levels but yellowness decreased and then increased. Tensile force to break the cooked noodles was positively correlated with SP95 and protein. Compression (50%) force of noodles made from flour with high SP95 ≈21 g/g, averaged ≈20% below those made from low SP95 ≈17 g/g of flour. Compression force was measured in the long dimension of a single noodle strand using a rectangular probe. The instrumental measurements suggest that alkaline noodles made from a single-null partial-waxy wheat with medium SP95 ≈19.9 g/g will have a tender bite and a cohesive texture compared with those from a low SP95 wheat with a hard bite and fracturable texture. Furthermore, alkaline noodles from a double-null partial-waxy wheat with high SP95 will have an extra soft bite unless flour protein is above ≈12.5%. Hard-white, dual-purpose wheat should have a low level of PPO and, depending on the preferred noodle-eating texture, a low to medium SP95 level. Such wheats with medium protein levels (11–12%) are well suited for alkaline noodles because of improved color and surface smoothness, whereas the same wheats with 12–13% protein are well suited for bread. Wheats with medium SP95 also reduce cooking loss and increase cooked yield.
