Impact of Different Blending Temperatures on Whole Corn Flour, Whole Corn Dough, and Whole Corn Chinese Steamed Pancake Quality Characteristics

In this study, whole corn flour, whole corn dough, and whole corn Chinese steamed pancake were used as research objects to systematically investigated the impact of different blending temperature on the quality attributes of them. Thermodynamic parameters and swelling force under different temperatures were employed to characterize whole corn flour. The appearance, rheology, and microstructure of whole corn dough were analyzed, and the whole corn Chinese steamed pancake quality with different blending temperature was comprehensively assessed through the texture profile, water distribution, aging rate, digestibility, and sensory evaluation analysis. Results showed that the swelling force of whole corn flour increased from 3.71±0.14 to 12.30±0.32 with the increase of the blending temperature (temperature: 20 ℃ to 100 ℃, and temperature gradient: 10 ℃). The viscoelasticity, intermolecular interaction degree, and compatibility between protein and starch of whole corn dough were enhanced, and the adhesion between whole corn dough and mold was reduced. The digestibility rate of whole corn Chinese steamed pancake increased, and hardness, elasticity, chewability, free water content, and aging rate of whole corn Chinese steamed pancake notably decreased from 6742.51±254.72 g, 0.45±0.01, 1207.80±110.81, 1.15%±0.13%, and 2669.47±160.54 g/d to 3561.39±330.75 g, 0.34±0.01, 336.25±45.87, 0.07%±0.03%, and 1040.92±244.58 g/d, respectively. The score of sensory evaluation increased from 66.37±6.30 to 72.93±4.98. When the blending temperature was between 80 and 100 ℃, the whole corn dough and mold had almost no adhesion, accompanied by a significant reduce in hardness, chewability, aging rate, and free water content and a marked increase in digestibility rate and sensory evaluation score (P<0.05). Those results implied that with an increase in blending temperature, it could effectively compensate for the increasing adhesive strength of mold, hardness, chewing and aging rate of whole corn Chinese steamed pancake at low temperature, the whole corn Chinese steamed pancake had higher sensory scores. The blending temperature in the range of 80 to 100 ℃ was suitable for the processing of whole corn Chinese steamed pancake. This study provides methods and ideas for improving the availability of corn resources in staple food, selecting suitable blending temperature during processing, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the high-value application of low-value cash crops in Northeast China.