Enhancing water retention and mechanisms of citrus and soya bean dietary fibres in pre-fermented frozen dough

In recent years, the production of prepared and frozen foods has increased with economic development. However, during freezing, moisture migration forms ice crystals that damage food structure and reduce quality. This study investigates moisture migration changes in pre-fermented dough during frozen storage and effectiveness of Citrus fibre (CF) and Soya dietary fibre (SDF) on quality improvement. Pre-fermented frozen dough properties were evaluated at different freezing storage days with CF and SDF. Results showed frozen storage reduced water retention, converting deeply bound water to weakly bound and free water. Freezable water content increased significantly from 53% (fresh) to 56.95% (60d-control), forming disruptive ice crystals in gluten protein structure. SDF had superior water flow restriction compared to CF, preventing large ice crystal accumulation, enhancing water-holding capacity, and maintaining gluten protein structure. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for improving quality and industrial applications of pre-fermented frozen dough.