Abstract
An experiment was set up to investigate the influence of ingredients such as moisture, gum and starch on the rheological properties of instant fried noodle dough. The noodle dough was formulated using a mixture of wheat flour (100%), 0–0.3% guar gum, 0–7.5% starch and 30–42% moisture. The rheological properties of noodle dough were influenced by the ingredients and their interactions. Increasing moisture content decreased Young's modulus (E) of dough samples. Addition of gum to dough at a lower moisture content of 30% increased E, decreased the energy at break (EB) and increased the storage modulus (G′) values. Interactions of starch and gum influenced changes in the rheological parameters at higher moisture contents. Increasing starch content in noodle dough with a lower gum concentration increased EB to a point beyond which further increase in starch concentration decreased EB. Gum and starch improved the binding and mechanical network in the dough. Insufficient water in the dough apparently reduced cohesion in the dough whereas excess water reduced the functionality of gum and starch. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry