Functional roles of mashed potatoes in shaping dough rheology and bread storage stability

This study systematically investigated the influence of mashed potato incorporation on the rheological, microstructural, and quality attributes of wheat dough and bread. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, encompassing dough rheology, texture profile, moisture distribution, and microstructure, alongside evaluations of bread specific volume, color, textural properties, sensory quality, and storage stability. The addition of mashed potato significantly altered dough properties, reducing hardness from 34.41 N to 22.26 N and decreasing viscoelasticity, primarily due to gluten dilution and modified water binding. Consequently, bread specific volume declined from 2.49 mL/g to 1.66 mL/g. However, enhanced Maillard reactions led to improved crust color brightness and overall sensory acceptability. Notably, incorporating 20% or more mashed potato effectively inhibited starch retrogradation during storage at 4 °C. The findings indicate that a 20% addition level offers an optimal balance between quality improvement and structural integrity, whereas 30% represents the upper limit beyond which significant weakening of the bread structure occurs. • Mashed potatoes soften dough via increased moisture and altered gluten network. • Bread color improves but specific volume decreases with mashed potato addition. • Potato enhances starch thermal stability and inhibits storage retrogradation. • About 20% addition balances quality and stability, while 30% is an upper limit. • Mashed potatoes enrich bread nutrition, modifying rheology and microstructure .