Improving the quality of steamed stuffed bun wrappers during steaming: Insights into the synergistic effects of soluble soybean polysaccharide and lard

To mitigate quality deterioration of steamed stuffed bun wrappers, this study investigated the combined effects of soluble soybean polysaccharides (SSPS) and lard (LD) on steamed stuffed bun wrappers across three filling types (pork, cabbage-mushroom, and red bean paste). Multiscale characterization revealed that SSPS and LD significantly improved wrapper texture, reducing hardness by 53.0%. Mechanistically, these additives promoted the transformation of free sulfhydryl groups into disulfide bonds (with a 41.5% increase in disulfide content) and increased ordered β-sheet content, thereby strengthening gluten aggregation. Notably, pork-filled buns treated with SSPS-LD exhibited superior specific volume (reaching 1.41 mL/g) and structural stability compared to other variations. This enhancement was attributed to the migration of endogenous lipids from the filling, which interacted with the gluten-starch matrix to further stabilize the network. These findings highlight the importance of considering both dough formulation and filling component migration for optimizing fermented wheat products.