Textural and staling characteristics of steamed bread prepared from soft flour added with inulin

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of inulin with different degree of polymerization on the properties of steamed bread made from soft flour. The type and substitution level of inulin had significant impacts on the quality of steamed bread. When 5.0% of flour was replaced by FS or FI, fresh steamed bread gained the highest score, possessing a lighter color, higher specific volume and softer texture. After inulin was added, tightly bound water migrated to loosely bound water and free water, which contributed to softness and delicious taste of fresh steamed bread. Inulin increased the staling rate of steamed bread during a short storage period (<1d), but during a long storage period ( <= 1d), it decreased the staling rate. Inulin interacts with starch by hydrogen bonds and alters water distribution between protein and starch, which finally affects storage characteristics of steamed bread.