Protein Synergy in Gluten‐Free Systems: Structural Transformation of Rice Flour Dough and Quality Enhancement of Steamed Buns

ABSTRACT

In the field of food processing engineering, gluten‐free foods are of great significance for preventing gluten‐induced allergic reactions and ensuring the health of people with allergies. This study, from an engineering process perspective, used a mixture of zein and pea protein to replace gluten protein and mixed it with rice flour to prepare gluten‐free dough. In terms of the control of the dough fermentation process, the influence of the added amount of the mixed protein on the fermentation rate was precisely studied. The results showed that when the added amount of the mixed protein was 15%, the fermentation rate reached the fastest, at 0.29 mL/min. This data provided key parameters for the optimization of the fermentation process. From the analysis of engineering material properties, the rheological characteristics of the dough before and after fermentation were deeply determined. The results showed that the prepared dough had a good viscoelastic structure, which was crucial for subsequent processing operations and product shaping. At the molecular level of engineering analysis, the measurement of free thiol content and intermolecular interaction forces revealed that the electrostatic attraction weakened during the dough fermentation process, while the hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulfide bonds increased. Infrared spectroscopy analysis further confirmed that more covalent bonds were formed in the dough, providing a theoretical basis for the structural stability and performance improvement of the dough. The quality assessment of the final product showed that the steamed buns produced had the lowest hardness of 341.2 g, and the elasticity and resilience reached the maximum value. This indicates that the gluten‐free buns prepared under this process have the best quality. This study provides a feasible process optimization scheme and theoretical support for the industrial production of gluten‐free foods, helping to improve the quality of gluten‐free products and providing more options for the health diet management of people with celiac disease.