Mechanistic Insights into the Influence of Wheat Flour Quality on the Cracking Behavior of Dumpling Wrappers During Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Abstract

This study investigated the influence mechanism of wheat flour quality on the cracking behaviour of dumpling wrappers (DWs) during freeze-thaw (FT) cycles. The results demonstrated that FT cycles increased cracking rate. At 4FT, the cracking rates of DWs made from five wheat flours were 100%, 80%, 40%, 20%, and 5%, respectively. DWs with the lowest cracking rate exhibited optimal moisture status. Gluten protein and rheological analysis illustrated that wheat flours with higher proportions of SDS-soluble polymers and monomeric proteins exhibited superior tensile resistance, whereas those with elevated SDS-insoluble protein content showed enhanced shear resistance. The lower gliadin/glutenin ratio in wheat flours contributes to enhanced deformation resistance, thereby reducing cracking rate. Microstructural observations indicated that low-cracking DWs exhibited better integrity than high-cracking counterparts. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that water variation and rheological properties were the critical factors influencing cracking. This study provides theoretical guidance for developing crack-resistant wheat flour of DWs.

Keywords: dumpling wrappers, freeze-thaw cycles, cracking rate, rheological