Mechanism of structural and functional changes of matcha bread dough during freezing storage

This study aimed to investigate the effects of freezing duration and matcha concentration on the rheological properties, moisture distribution, and multiscale structure of dough. The results indicated that both freezing and high concentrations of matcha (>= 1 %) significantly reduced the stiffness of the dough matrix, restricted its ability to expand during fermentation, and disrupted the structure of gluten protein. Furthermore, freezing induced moisture redistribution within the dough. Specifically, the water content in the 0 % matcha dough decreased by 1.5 %, indicating a weakening of protein-moisture interactions, disruption of disulfide bond conformations, and inhibition of disulfide bond aggregation in gluten proteins, thereby destabilizing the gluten network. Additionally, freezing negatively impacted yeast gas production capability, while matcha addition did not influence yeast activity. Moreover, low concentrations of matcha did not significantly impact the multiscale structure of the dough. This study provided crucial scientific insights for recipe optimization and quality control in bread production.