ORIENTAL NOODLE DOUGH RHEOLOGY - RELATIONSHIP TO WATER-ABSORPTION, FORMULATION, AND WORK INPUT DURING DOUGH SHEETING

Flours from three Canadian wheat classes were processed into oriental noodles at four water absorptions, without additive or with 1% NaCl, 1 % kansui, or 1% NaOH. Noodles were prepared using an Ohtake noodle mak er equipped with pressure transducers and a data capture system to mea sure pressure exerted against the rolls during sheeting. Dynamic rheol ogical properties of the doughs were measured with a Bohlin VOR rheome ter 2.5 and 24 hr after processing. Rheological properties were contri buted to mainly by the elastic character of the doughs. Water absorpti on and formulation significantly affected the elastic modulus (G'). Th ese trends were consistent between wheat classes. Dough stiffness show ed an inverse relationship to water absorption. When compared to dough s prepared without additive, NaCl had little effect on dough stiffness . NaOH greatly increased dough stiffness; kansui showed an intermediat e effect. Doughs containing NaOH continued to increase in stiffness ov er 24 hr, indicating that the effect of pH may be time-dependent.