Enhancing High‐Oat Noodle Quality via Yeast Fermentation and Transglutaminase

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Oat core flour is rich in dietary fiber but lacks gluten proteins, limiting its addition in wheat noodles to under 30%. This study investigated the quality improvement effects of yeast fermentation combined with transglutaminase (TGase) treatment on noodles containing 35% oat core flour. Findings Yeast fermentation significantly improved cooking quality, decreasing the breakage rate to 4.44% and cooking loss to 3.81%. Combining fermentation with TGase further optimized texture, increasing hardness by 178 g and chewiness by 183 g·s. Mechanistically, fermentation formed a porous dough structure, increased gluten α‐helix content by 31%, and reduced free sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity. TGase further strengthened the gluten network by cross‐linking proteins. The combined treatment also increased protein hydrolysis and reduced starch digestibility, functionally enhancing the final β‐glucan and protein payloads. Conclusions The combined application of yeast fermentation and TGase effectively reinforces the gluten network physically and chemically. This combined treatment improves the overall cooking, textural, and nutritional properties of high‐oat‐content noodles. Significance and Novelty This study successfully increased the oat core flour content in noodles to 35%. It provides a novel technical solution and theoretical basis for the high‐value utilization of oat byproducts and the development of functional, low‐glycemic multigrain foods.