Comparison of Asian noodles from some hard white and hard red wheat flours

Asian noodles were prepared by an objective laboratory method that included adding optimum water to the dry ingredients, mixing the ingredients to hom ogeneous salt distribution, and sheeting of the dough under low shear stres s. The lightness (L*) values of alkaline- and salt-noodle doughs made from 65% extraction hard white wheat flours (except KS96HW115 flour at approxima te to 70% extraction) were higher than those from 60% extraction hard red w heat flours (except Karl 92 flour at approximate to 70% extraction). A hard white spring wheat, ID377s, and a Kansas line of hard white winter wheat, KS96HW115, to be released in 2000, gave the highest L* values for dough she ets stored for 2 and 24 hr at 25 degreesC. Cooking losses were 5-9 percenta ge points higher for alkaline noodles than salt noodles, but the cooking yi elds of the two types of Asian noodles were almost the same. Cooked alkalin e noodles made from a high-swelling flour (SP93 approximate to 21 g/g) gave higher tensile strength than those made from several low-swelling flours ( SP93 approximate to 15 g/g) with the same protein contents (approximate to 12.5%). However, the cooked salt noodles gave the same tensile strength.