The effects of wheat germ coated with milk protein on dough rheology and Chinese steamed bread quality

The aim of this study was to alleviate the adverse effects of wheat germ (WG) addition on the quality of Chinese steamed bread (SB). WG was first coated with milk protein, and the effects of WG, WG and milk protein (WG + P), milk protein-coated WG (PCWG) additions on dough rheology and SB quality were investigated. The addition of WG to wheat flour significantly weakened the dough strength and decreased the quality of SB. However, the addition of 5% or 10% WG + P and PCWG resulted in a stronger dough and a higher-quality SB than the addition of WG. Compared with the dough with the WG + P addition, Mixolab results showed that the dough with the PCWG addition had a higher mixing stability and C2 value, a lower peak viscosity (C3 value), and a lower retrogradation degree (C5 value). An SB-making test revealed that, the SB with the PCWG addition exhibited a larger specific volume, higher lightness, lower hardness, higher consumer acceptability, and lower starch retrogradation degree after 24 h of storage than the SB with the WG + P addition. Hence, this study indicates that a stronger dough and higher-quality SB can be produced when using PCWG than when using WG or WG + P. • Wheat germ (WG) was coated by milk protein and 5% or 10% WG was added to wheat dough. • Protein-coating increased the gluten strength of WG enriched dough. • Protein-coating improved the quality of WG enriched steamed bread. • Protein-coating inhibited the starch staling in steamed bread enriched WG and stored at 4 °C for 24 h.