Synergistic effects of enzyme combinations on improving the quality of frozen pastry Shaobing

Frozen storage adversely affects Shaobing dough quality by disrupting gluten network integrity and reducing water-holding capacity. To mitigate these detrimental effects, this study investigated the influence of an enzyme combination on the properties of frozen Shaobing dough and the quality of the final crispy layered pastry. An optimal formulation containing xylanase (20 mg/kg), glucose oxidase (20 mg/kg), and lipase (15 mg/kg) was found to effectively improve dough characteristics. The results indicated that the enzyme combination mitigated water migration, decreased the freezable water content, and reduced the free sulfhydryl content. The enzyme combination improved dough texture and baking performance relative to the blank control, reducing hardness by 8.07% and increasing springiness and cohesiveness by 3.41% and 5.94%, respectively. It also mitigated proofing-volume loss during frozen storage (33.4% vs. 29.6%). The enzyme-treated dough retained more moisture than the control after 14 and 28 days (by 1.44% and 1.54%, respectively) and yielded a higher specific volume (2.58 vs. 2.27 mL/g). Consequently, the enzyme-supplemented dough exhibited significantly increased elasticity and resulted in a final product with greater specific volume. These findings demonstrate that a targeted enzyme combination offers a practical strategy for improving the quality and extending the shelf life of frozen Shaobing products. • An optimized enzyme combination reduces quality deterioration in frozen Shaobing dough. • The enzyme-supplemented dough improves viscoelastic properties, texture, and fermentation. • The optimal ratio of xylanase: glucose oxidase: lipase was 2:2:1.5 (per 100 g flour).