Substitution of Wheat Flour with Modified Highland Barley Flour Affects Properties and Quality of Wheat Flour, Dough, and Noodles

Highland barley (HB) is nutritionally rich but its low gluten content limits its use in wheat-based staple products. This study systematically compared the effects of substituting wheat flour with superfine grinding modified highland barley flour (SG-HBF) or ultrasonically modified highland barley flour (US-HBF) at 10–30% ratios on the properties and quality of wheat flour, dough, and noodles. Results showed that SG-HBF reduced the peak viscosity, breakdown, and setback value of the blended flour, enhanced its thermal stability and anti-aging properties; whereas, US-HBF significantly increased the viscosity. Noodles maintained good sensory and cooking quality when SG-HBF ≤ 15% or US-HBF ≤ 20%. Beyond these thresholds, the cooking loss increased sharply and overall acceptability declined. At the same substitution ratio, SG-HBF outperformed US-HBF in terms of water distribution, cooking loss, and sensory scores, offering better processing efficiency, while US-HBF provides higher springiness and lower broken rate, suitable for products requiring noodle integrity. This study provides a reference for the application of modified HBF in wheat-based products.