Effects of Commercial Yeast on the Quality of Frozen Dough and Steamed Bread in Different Regions of China

This study delved into the impact of various commercial yeast strains from different geographic regions on the quality attributes of dough and steamed bread. The investigation encompassed aspects such as fermentation dynamics, texture profiles, and overall quality features of frozen dough and steamed bread products. Eighteen distinct commercial yeast strains were utilized to prepare dough samples. The findings revealed minimal disparity in the color and height-to-diameter ratio of the resulting steamed bread across all samples. However, frozen doughs formulated with commercial yeast sourced from the southern regions of China exhibited enhanced CO2 production, heightened freezing resilience, a more pronounced gluten network structure, increased flexibility, and reduced presence of weakly bound water that contributes to ice crystal formation within the dough matrix. Each yeast strain exhibited a CO2 production volume exceeding 900 mL. Notably, the strains sourced from the southern region of China displayed the most superior freeze-tolerance rate (mean 0.84), surpassing those originating from central China (0.81) and northern China (0.74). Textural analyses unveiled that frozen dough steamed bread produced with yeast strains from the northern region exhibited diminished pliability and chewiness. This comprehensive study serves as a valuable resource for the judicious selection of commercial yeast strains in the realm of industrial frozen dough and steamed bread production.