Using gluten in broomcorn millet steamed bread: Effects on structural characteristics and quality

Broomcorn millet (BM), a drought-resistant crop, is limited in terms of its product development by gluten deficiency. We systematically investigated how strong (SG), medium strong (MS), and medium (MG) gluten supplementation improves dough properties and steamed bread quality in BM. Compared with that of the BM, the specific volume of steamed bread in the BM-SG/MS/MG samples increased by an average of 53.49%, whereas the hardness decreased by 21.22%. At the same gluten addition ratio, the BM-SG dough had the highest hydrogen bonds, covalent bond contents, and A 22 values, effectively promoting tight gluten-starch binding. Among them, BM-SG25/35 and BM-MS35 had better gluten network structures and viscoelastic behavior, resulting in steamed bread with a higher specific volume and springiness. Gluten improves the quality of BM steamed bread by strengthening molecular interactions, refining the gluten network structure, and optimizing the water distribution. This study confirms the effectiveness of gluten in enhancing BM dough quality, offering insights for BM-based food development. • Gluten addition significantly improved the broomcorn millet steamed bread quality. • Broomcorn millet-strong gluten showed better gluten network connectivity. • Hydrogen and covalent bonds enhanced broomcorn millet dough formation.