Journal of Agriculture and Food Science

Objective To investigate the effects of key process parameters of dough mixing and fermentation on the specific volume, uniformity, and stability of steamed buns, providing a theoretical basis and process guidance for stabilizing steamed bun quality in industrial production. Methods Using medium-gluten wheat flour as the main raw material, the effects of different water additions (45%, 48%, 51%), fermentation times (60, 90, 120 min), and their interactions were systematically studied. The flour properties and fermentation activity of the dough were measured, and the specific volume, specific volume uniformity (expressed as coefficient of variation, CV), and textural properties of the steamed buns were evaluated using texture analysis and image processing techniques. Results The study showed that water addition and fermentation time had significant effects on the specific volume and uniformity of steamed buns (P<0.05). Under suitable process conditions (48% water addition, 90 min fermentation time), the steamed buns had the highest specific volume (2.65 mL/g), and the specific volume uniformity within the same batch was the best (CV<3.5%). Insufficient or excessive water addition, and insufficient or excessive fermentation time, all led to a decrease in specific volume and poor uniformity. Conclusion Optimizing the dough mixing and fermentation process parameters can effectively improve the specific volume of steamed buns and significantly enhance their uniformity and stability. These findings are of great significance for the precise control of industrial-scale steamed bun production.

Process optimization; Specific volume of steamed buns; Uniformity; Processing stability; Industrial-scale production