Suitability of Ontario‐Grown Hard and Soft Wheat Flour Blends for Noodle Making

This study evaluated the blending of flours made from an Ontario hard red winter wheat (HWF) and an Ontario soft red winter wheat (SWF) and compared it with a commercial standard noodle flour (control) made from Canadian Western Hard Red Spring wheat to assess the impact on white salted noodle‐making performance and texture of cooked noodles. Flour characteristics, gluten aggregation, and starch pasting properties were assessed with a farinograph, GlutoPeak tester, and Rapid Visco Analyzer, respectively. The machinability of dough was evaluated with an SMS/Kieffer rig attached to a TA.XT Plus texture analyzer. Tensile and bite tests of cooked noodles were also conducted. Blending HWF with standard noodle flour decreased gluten strength and dough extensibility linearly proportional to the blend ratio, whereas a curvilinear response from blending SWF with standard noodle flour was observed. HWF demonstrated more favorable pasting properties except for lower peak viscosity for noodle making than standard noodle flour. Below a 20% blend ratio with HWF, no significant changes were seen on dough extensibility, cooking loss, tensile properties, and bite testing parameters of cooked noodles. It can be concluded that blending HWF up to a 20% level caused no significant change in the processing properties of dough and cooked noodle quality. The results also showed that the GlutoPeak tester is a sensitive tool for evaluating gluten strength in wheat flour.     

Impact of Characteristics of Different Wheat Flours on the Quality of Frozen Cooked Noodles

In this study, the impact of characteristics (physicochemical, rheological, and pasting properties) of different wheat flours on the quality of frozen cooked noodles was investigated. In this sample set, results showed the cooking loss of noodles related negatively to flour swelling power. The water absorption of noodles related negatively to the dough stability time, the area, and the resistance to extension. The wheat flour with higher dough development time resulted in frozen cooked noodles with higher hardness, chewiness, and adhesiveness. Springiness of noodles correlated negatively to degree of softening. The tensile properties of frozen cooked noodles were influenced by rheological and pasting properties of wheat flours. The present study indicated high quality of frozen cooked noodles demanded wheat flours with high dough gluten strength, peak viscosity, and final viscosity and with low pasting temperature.     

Comparison of Asian Noodles from Some Hard White and Hard Red Wheat Flours

Asian noodles were prepared by an objective laboratory method that included adding optimum water to the dry ingredients, mixing the ingredients to homogeneous salt distribution, and sheeting of the dough under low shear stress. The lightness (L*) values of alkaline‐ and salt‐noodle doughs made from 65% extraction hard white wheat flours (except KS96HW115 flour at ≈70% extraction) were higher than those from 60% extraction hard red wheat flours (except Karl 92 flour at ≈70% extraction). A hard white spring wheat, ID377s, and a Kansas line of hard white winter wheat, KS96HW115, to be released in 2000, gave the highest L* values for dough sheets stored for 2 and 24 hr at 25°C. Cooking losses were 5–9 percentage points higher for alkaline noodles than salt noodles, but the cooking yields of the two types of Asian noodles were almost the same. Cooked alkaline noodles made from a high‐swelling flour (SP₉₃≈21 g/g) gave higher tensile strength than those made from several low‐swelling flours (SP₉₃ ≈15 g/g) with the same protein contents (≈12.5%). However, the cooked salt noodles gave the same tensile strength.     

不同品种小麦粉的粉质特性对速冻熟制面条品质的影响

为研究不同品种小麦粉与速冻熟制面条质构特性之间的关系,选取30种小麦制粉,用FOSS定氮仪、快速黏度仪、粉质仪和拉伸仪等测定面粉品质指标,制作速冻熟制面条,用质构仪测定质构特性。采用描述性统计、主成分和聚类分析方法对30种小麦面粉和速冻熟制面条的质构关系进行了分析。结果表明:不同品种小麦粉的湿面筋、糊化温度、弱化度、粉质质量指数与硬度呈极显著相关(P0.01);蛋白质、湿面筋、总淀粉含量、最终黏度、回生值、糊化温度、粉质吸水率、粉质曲线稳定时间、面团形成时间、弱化度、粉质质量指数、拉伸曲线面积、拉伸阻力、最大拉伸阻力与剪切力呈极显著相关(P0.01);小麦粉的粉质特性,除衰减值、峰值时间和延伸度外,均与拉伸力呈极显著相关(P0.01)。根据方差贡献率提取出可以反映原变量84.023%信息的5个因子,因子1主要反映面粉的粉质拉伸特性,因子2反映小麦粉糊化特性,因子3反映蛋白质特性,因子4和因子5共同反映小麦粉的淀粉特性。这些性状在小麦粉的评价方面起着重要作用,在加工中要注重对它们的选择。聚类分析将30种小麦粉分为4类,结果表明,不能仅凭小麦粉的指标数据和质构数据来选择制作速冻熟制面条的原料,还需考虑到感官评价的影响。该结论可为小麦粉在速冻熟制面条加工应用方面提供一定的理论参考。     

Measurement of Color,Gloss, and Translucency of White Salted Noodles: Effects of Water Addition and Vacuum Mixing

Sensory evaluation showed panelists could detect small differences in gloss and translucency in boiled white salted noodles (WSN) but sensory evaluation requires significant resources. Methods for the measurement of noodle gloss and translucency in boiled WSN were developed and the effects of hardness, protein, water addition, and vacuum mixing on these visual sensory characteristics and color (as measured by CIE L*, a*, and b*) were investigated. Noodles derived from hard wheats at low flour protein contents were more translucent than noodles from soft wheat flour at low protein. This trend changed at the highest flour protein contents observed. Translucency of the soft wheat noodles increased to levels equal to or exceeding the translucency of high protein hard wheat noodles. Translucency of all noodle varieties increased as flour protein increased. CIE L* decreased, a* increased, and b* increased when water addition to dough increased from 30 to 35%, but there was no further effect on color when water addition was increased to >35% for raw soft and hard WSN. Boiled noodle translucency was significantly increased when water addition to the dough was increased from 35 to 38% and when noodles made from soft wheat flour were mixed under vacuum. Vacuum mixing significantly increased gloss of boiled noodles made from soft wheat flours.     

Gluten Enhances Cooking,Textural, and Sensory Properties of Oat Noodles

Whole grain oats are widely regarded as conferring significant health benefits. Composite flour of whole grain oat flour, wheat flour, and tapioca starch in the ratio 1:1:0.16 was formulated to make oat noodles with the addition of gluten at various levels. The influence of gluten on pasting and gelling properties of composite flour, and on cooking, textural, and sensory properties of salted oat noodles was evaluated. Addition of gluten decreased the paste viscosity, reduced hardness and springiness of gel, reduced cooking yield, cooking loss, and broken ratio during cooking, and increased the tensile strength and firmness of cooked noodles. Scanning electron microscopy showed that gluten tightened the network of protein in the noodles by forming oriented fibrils. Addition of gluten had little effect on the color of raw and cooked oat noodles, which were somewhat yellow. Sensory evaluation indicated that addition of gluten could enhance the overall acceptability of cooked oat noodles. This study may stimulate further interest in using functional whole grain cereal ingredients in developing healthy staple foods.     

Flour Characteristics Related to Optimum Water Absorption of Noodle Dough for Making White Salted Noodles

Physicochemical properties of 34 wheat flours with various classes and different protein contents were related to optimum water absorption of noodle dough. Club and soft wheat flours generally exhibited higher water absorption (34–37%) of noodle dough than hard wheat flours (31–35%). Optimum water absorption of noodle dough in three hard wheat flours with five different protein contents was 33–37%. Optimum water absorption was negatively correlated with flour protein content and SDS sedimentation volume. Physical properties of flour, damaged starch content, NIRS hardness and water retention capacity, influenced optimum water absorption of noodle dough from club, soft and hard wheat flours. A prediction equation developed using protein content, water retention capacity and SDS sedimentation volume of flour provides a reliable estimation of the optimum absorption of noodle dough for making noodles.     

Cooking,Roasting, and Fermentation of Chickpeas,Lentils, Peas,and Soybeans for Fortification of Leavened Bread

The effects of cooking, roasting, and fermentation on the composition and protein properties of grain legumes and the characteristics of dough and bread incorporated with legume flours were determined to identify an appropriate pretreatment. Oligosaccharide content of legumes was reduced by 76.2–96.9% by fermentation, 44.0–64.0% by roasting, and 28.4–70.1% by cooking. Cooking and roasting decreased protein solubility but improved in vitro protein digestibility. Mixograph absorption of wheat and legume flour blends increased from 50–52% for raw legumes to 68–76, 62–64, and 74–80% for cooked, roasted, and fermented ones, respectively. Bread dough with cooked or roasted legume flour was less sticky than that with raw or fermented legume flour. Loaf volume of bread baked from wheat and raw or roasted legume flour blends with or without gluten addition was consistently highest for chickpeas, less for peas and lentils, and lowest for soybeans. Roasted legume flour exhibited more appealing aroma and greater loaf volume of bread than cooked legume flour, and it appears to be the most appropriate preprocessing method for incorporation into bread.     

Relationship Between Protein Characteristics and Instant Noodle Making Quality of Wheat Flour

We investigated the relationship between the protein content and quality of wheat flours and characteristics of noodle dough and instant noodles using 14 hard and soft wheat flours with various protein contents and three commercial flours for making noodles. Protein content of wheat flours exhibited negative relationships with the optimum water absorption of noodle dough and lightness (L*) of the instant noodle dough sheet. Protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of alcohol‐ and salt‐soluble protein of flour, also influenced optimum water absorption and yellow‐blueness (b*) of the noodle dough sheet. Wheat flours with high protein content (>13.6%) produced instant noodles with lower fat absorption, higher L*, lower b*, and firmer and more elastic texture than wheat flours with low protein content (<12.2%). L* and free lipid content of instant noodles were >76.8 and <20.8% in hard wheat flours of high SDS sedimentation volume (>36 mL) and low proportion of salt‐soluble protein (<12.5%), and <75.7 and >21.5% in soft wheat flours with low SDS sedimentation volume (<35 mL) and a high proportion of salt‐soluble protein (>15.0%). L* of instant noodles positively correlated with SDS sedimentation volume and negatively correlated with proportion of alcohol‐ and salt‐soluble protein of flour. These protein quality parameters also exhibited a significant relationship with b* of instant noodles. SDS sedimentation volume and proportion of salt‐soluble protein of flours also exhibited a significant relationship with free lipid content of instant noodles (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Protein quality parameters of wheat flour, as well as protein content, showed significant relationship with texture properties of cooked instant noodles.     

Refrigerated Storage of Yellow Alkaline Durum Noodles: Impact on Color and Texture

Durum wheat straight‐grade flour samples, representing the cultivars Commander and Strongfield, a composite cargo mixture of Canada Western Amber Durum cultivars and a Japanese commercial durum flour were used to make yellow alkaline noodles. A Canada Western Red Spring common wheat composite straight‐grade flour was included in the study for comparative purposes. Alkaline noodles were prepared using 1% w/w kansui reagent (sodium and potassium carbonates, 9:1) and stored for 1, 2, 3 and 7 days at 4°C to duplicate a normal convenience store operation. The raw noodle color of the durum alkaline noodles exhibited significantly better noodle brightness, L*, and yellowness, b*, as compared to noodles prepared from common wheat at all storage periods. The number of discolored specks in the durum flour based noodles was significantly lower as well as significantly lighter than those of common wheat at all time intervals. Noodles prepared from Commander, Strongfield, or the cargo composite flours displayed significantly lower water uptake during cooking than both the commercial durum flour and the common wheat noodles. The commercial durum flour noodles displayed the thinnest cooked noodles, while the common wheat flour noodles were the thickest. Evaluation of cooked noodle texture, immediately after production and subsequent storage of the raw noodles at 4°C for 1, 2 and 3 days before cooking showed a general increase in maximum cutting stress (MCS) with storage. Noodles prepared from Commander flour consistently display MCS values exceeding those of CWRS as well as the highest resistance to compression (RTC) and recovery (REC) measurements. The visual improvements in noodle brightness, enhanced yellowness, reduced speck numbers and darkness in combination with equivalent to improved cooked noodle texture attributes compared with common wheat flour suggests that durum flours are an ideal material for fresh, refrigerated yellow alkaline noodles.     

Characteristics of Noodles and Bread Prepared from Double‐Null Partial Waxy Wheat

Double‐null partial waxy wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flours were used for isolation of starch and preparation of white salted noodles and pan bread. Starch characteristics, textural properties of cooked noodles, and staling properties of bread during storage were determined and compared with those of wheat flours with regular amylose content. Starches isolated from double‐null partial waxy wheat flours contained 15.4–18.9% amylose and exhibited higher peak viscosity than starches of single‐null partial waxy and regular wheat flours, which contained 22.7–25.8% amylose. Despite higher protein content, double‐null partial waxy wheat flours, produced softer, more cohesive and less adhesive noodles than soft white wheat flours. With incorporation of partial waxy prime starches, noodles produced from reconstituted soft white wheat flours became softer, less adhesive, and more cohesive, indicating that partial waxy starches of low amylose content are responsible for the improvement of cooked white salted noodle texture. Partial waxy wheat flours with >15.1% protein produced bread of larger loaf volume and softer bread crumb even after storage than did the hard red spring wheat flour of 15.3% protein. Regardless of whether malt was used, bread baked from double‐null partial waxy wheat flours exhibited a slower firming rate during storage than bread baked from HRS wheat flour.     

Protein Quality of Wheat Desirable for Making Fresh White Salted Noodles and Its Influences on Processing and Texture of Noodles

Protein characteristics of wheat flours from various wheat classes, and of commercial flours for making noodles, were evaluated to determine the effects of protein content and quality on processing and textural properties of white salted noodles, as well as to identify protein quality required for making white salted noodles. SDS sedimentation volume based on constant protein weight, mixograph mixing time, and proportions of salt‐ and alcohol‐soluble protein of three commercial flours for making noodles were more similar to those of hard wheat than to soft wheat flours. SDS sedimentation volume of commercial flours for making noodles based on constant protein weight ranged from 38.5 to 40.0 mL and was higher than those of most soft wheat flours. Mixograph mixing time and proportion of salt‐soluble protein of hard and commercial flours for making noodles were >145 sec and mostly <13.8%, respectively, while those of club and soft wheat flours were < 95 sec and >15.0%. Both protein content and protein quality, as determined by SDS sedimentation volume based on constant protein weight, mixograph mixing time, proportion of salt‐soluble protein, and score of HMW‐GS compositions correlated with optimum water absorption of noodle dough and hardness of cooked white salted noodles.     

Significance of Amylose Content of Wheat Starch on Processing and Textural Properties of Instant Noodles

The effect of amylose content of starch on processing and textural properties of instant noodles was determined using waxy, partial waxy, and regular wheat flours and reconstituted flours with starches of various amylose content (3.0–26.5). Optimum water absorption of instant noodle dough increased with the decrease of amylose content. Instant noodles prepared from waxy and reconstituted wheat flours with ≤12.4% amylose content exhibited thicker strands and higher free lipids content than wheat flours with ≥17.1% amylose content. Instant noodles of ≤12.4% amylose content of starch exhibited numerous bubbles on the surface and stuck together during frying. Lightness of instant noodles increased from 77.3 to 81.4 with the increase of amylose content of starch in reconstituted flours. Cooking time of instant noodles was 4.0–8.0 min in wheat flours and 6.0–12.0 min in reconstituted flours, and constantly increased with the increase in amylose content of starch. Hardness of cooked instant noodles positively correlated with amylose content of starch. Reconstituted flours with ≤12.4% amylose content of starch were higher in cohesiveness than those of wheat flours of wild‐type and partial waxy starches and reconstituted flours with ≥17.1% amylose content. Instant fried noodles prepared from double null partial waxy wheat flour exhibited shorter cooking time, softer texture, and higher fat absorption (1.2%) but similar color and appearance compared with noodles prepared from wheat flour of wild‐type starch.     

Relationship Between Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Flour,Wheat Protein Composition,and Textural Properties of Cooked Chinese White Salted Noodles

Physicochemical properties and protein composition of 39 selected wheat flour samples were evaluated and correlated with the textural properties of Chinese hard‐bite white salted noodles. Flour samples were analyzed for their protein and wet gluten contents, sedimentation volume, starch pasting properties, and dough mixing properties by farinograph and extensigraph. Molecular weight distribution of wheat flour proteins was determined with size‐exclusion (SE) HPLC, SDS‐PAGE, and acid‐PAGE. Textural properties of Chinese hard‐bite white salted noodles were determined through texture profile analysis (TPA). Hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked noodles were found to be related to the dough mixing properties. Both protein content and protein composition were found to be related to TPA parameters of noodles. The amount of total flour protein was positively correlated to hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of noodles. The absolute amounts of different peak proteins obtained from SE‐HPLC data showed positive correlations with the hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness of noodles. The proportions of these peak proteins were, however, not significantly related to texture parameters. The proportions of low‐molecular‐weight glutenins/gliadins and albumins/globulins, as observed from SDS‐PAGE, were correlated positively and negatively, respectively, to the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked noodles. Among the alcohol‐soluble proteins (from acid‐PAGE data), β‐gliadins showed strong correlations with the texture properties of cooked noodles. For the selected flour samples, the total protein content of flour had a stronger relationship with the noodle texture properties than did the relative proportion of different protein subgroups. Prediction equations were developed for TPA parameters of cooked noodles with SE‐HPLC and rapid visco analysis data of the 30 flour samples, and it was found that about 75% of the variability in noodle hardness, gumminess, and chewiness values could be explained by protein composition and flour pasting properties combined together. About 50% of the variations in cohesiveness and springiness were accounted for by these prediction equations.     

Quality Characteristics of Fresh and Dried White Salted Noodles Enriched with Flour from Hull‐less Barley Genotypes of Diverse Amylose Content

Fresh and dried white salted noodles (WSN) were prepared by incorporating up to 40% flour from hull‐less barley (HB) genotypes with normal amylose, waxy, zero amylose waxy (ZAW), and high amylose (HA) starch into a 60% extraction Canada Prairie Spring White (cv. AC Vista) wheat flour. The HB flours, depending on genotype, contained four to six times the concentration of β‐glucan of the wheat flour, offering potential health benefits. The HB‐enriched noodles were made with conventional equipment without difficulty. Noodles containing 40% HB flour required less work input during sheeting, probably due to higher optimum water absorption and weakening of the dough due to dilution of wheat gluten. The addition of HB flour had a negative impact on WSN color and appearance, as evident from decreased brightness, increased redness, and more visible specking. The impact of HB flour on cooked WSN texture varied by starch type. Enrichment with HA or normal starch HB flour produced WSN with bite and chewiness values equivalent to or superior to the wheat flour control. Addition of waxy and ZAW HB flour resulted in WSN with lower values for bite and chewiness. The diversity of HB starch types allows tailoring of WSN texture to satisfy specific markets. HB flour also has potential as an ingredient in novel noodle products targeting health‐conscious consumers who associate darker colored cereal‐based foods with superior nutritional composition.     

Effects of Starch Amylose Content of Wheat on Textural Properties of White Salted Noodles

White salted noodles were prepared through reconstitution of fractionated flour components with blends of waxy and regular wheat starches to determine the effects of amylose content on textural properties of white salted noodles without interference of protein variation. As the proportion of waxy wheat starch increased from 0 to 52% in starch blends, there were increases in peak viscosity from 210 to 640 BU and decreases in peak temperature from 95.5 to 70.0°C. Water retention capacity of waxy wheat starches (80–81%) was much higher than that of regular wheat starch (55–62%). As the waxy wheat starch ratio increased in the starch blends, there were consistent decreases in hardness of cooked noodles prepared from reconstituted flours, no changes in springiness and increases in cohesiveness. White salted noodles produced from blends of regular and waxy wheat flours became softer as the proportion of waxy wheat flour increased, even when protein content of flour blends increased. Amylose content of starch correlated positively with hardness and negatively with cohesiveness of cooked white salted noodles. Protein content of flour blends correlated negatively with hardness of cooked noodles, which were prepared from blends of regular (10.5% protein) and waxy wheat flours (> 16.4% protein).     

Two Metal Ions Improve Brightness in Wheat-Dough Products and Affect Aqueous Dispersion of Gluten

Zinc and aluminum ions at 0.05% of wheat flour, dry basis (7.4 and 18.5 mmol/100 g, respectively), improved the brightness of raw and dried spaghetti and salt and alkaline noodles. They also retarded bacteria and yeast and mold growth in salt noodles held at 25°C for two days as determined by total plate counts. Neither metal ion caused a change in noodle cooking quality, but they imparted a slight aftertaste in cooked noodles. Wheat flour dough mixed with 0.05% zinc or 0.025% aluminum ion (fwb), when kneaded in aqueous 0.1% calcium chloride, gave gluten with increased brightness. Zinc and aluminum ions appear to complex with enzymic browning chromophores in wheat dough and gluten and change their spectral properties. Zinc and aluminum ions affected the dispersion of gluten in water at pH ~5.0 and facilitated its spray-drying, but they were not detrimental to baking quality. Citric and tartaric acids at 5 mmol/100 g of gluten (db) gave wet gluten with pH ~4.5, which improved its brightness and water dispersibility.     

Effects of Wheat Starch and Gluten on Tortilla Texture

Wheat starches were isolated from three wheat flours. Two vital wheat glutens, one from a commercial source and another one isolated from straight-grade flour, were combined with wheat starches to form reconstituted flours with a protein level of 10%. Several characteristics of tortillas made with the hot-press method were measured. No significant difference (P < 0.05) occurred in texture of tortillas made with hard wheat gluten and soft wheat gluten. Wheat starches did not have any significant (P < 0.05) effect on tortilla stretchability or foldability. Analysis of variance confirmed that wheat starch and gluten had limited effects on tortilla texture. The possible reasons were that the solubles of wheat flour were not included, and the shortening in the tortilla formula interfered with the interaction of gluten and starch.     

Effects of Particle Size and Starch Damage of Flour and Alkaline Reagent on Yellow Alkaline Noodle Characteristics

A hard white spring wheat was milled to yield three patent flours with different starch damage levels by manipulating reduction grinding conditions, and each flour was sieved to give three different particle sizes (85–110, 110–132, 132–183 μm). Raw alkaline noodles were prepared using either 1% w/w kansui (sodium and potassium carbonates in 9:1 ratio) or 1% w/w sodium hydroxide. Noodles prepared with sodium hydroxide were significantly brighter, less red, and more yellow than those made with kansui. Differences in noodle color among flour treatments were evident but were attributable to differences in flour refinement rather to than particle size or starch damage. Noodles were rested for 1 hr after processing before cooking. Alkaline reagent was the main factor associated with cooking loss, being ≈50% greater for sodium hydroxide noodles because of higher pH compared with kansui noodles. Cooked sodium hydroxide noodles were thicker than kansui noodles, and cooked strands for both noodle types became thicker as starch damage increased and as particle size became coarser. Instrumental assessment of cooked noodle texture showed that maximum cutting stress (MCS), resistance to compression (RTC), recovery (REC), stress relaxation time (SRT), chewiness (CHE), and springiness (SPR) were influenced by the type of alkaline reagent. Flour particle size and starch damage also influenced noodle texture but the magnitude of the effects and the trends were dependent on alkaline reagent. MCS of kansui noodles was much greater than for sodium hydroxide noodles. MCS of kansui noodles increased as starch damage increased but, in contrast, MCS of sodium hydroxide noodles decreased with increasing starch damage. REC of kansui noodles increased with increasing starch damage and decreased with larger particle size, whereas for sodium hydroxide noodles REC decreased with increasing starch damage and declined dramatically with larger particle size. Kansui noodles exhibited significantly shorter SRT than sodium hydroxide noodles. SRT of kansui noodles was only moderately affected by starch damage and particle size, whereas for sodium hydroxide noodles, SRT became much shorter as flour became coarser and starch damage became higher. CHE of kansui noodles was greater than for sodium hydroxide noodles. CHE of kansui noodles increased as starch damage increased. In contrast, CHE of sodium hydroxide noodles decreased as starch damage increased and also decreased as flour became coarser. SPR of both noodle types decreased as flour became coarser and starch damage became greater. On the basis of these experiments, flour of smaller particle size is an asset to the cooking quality of sodium hydroxide noodles, but high starch damage is to be avoided. For kansui noodles, the impact of flour particle size on cooked noodle texture was less evident and low starch damage, rather than high starch damage, was an asset.     

Alkaline‐Carbonate Noodles from Hard Winter Wheat Flours Varying in Protein,Swelling Power,and Polyphenol Oxidase Activity

The effects of wheat protein and starch on yellow‐alkaline noodles have not been fully clarified. Twenty‐four hard winter wheats with varying protein, hot‐water swelling power (SP₉₅), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity were milled into long‐patent and short‐patent flours. Protein, SP₉₅, and PPO activity in the 48 flours were 8.2–12.9%, 16.2–24.1 g/g, and 80–157 ΔA₄₈₀/mg of protein/min, respectively. Lightness of raw noodles declined with increasing protein and PPO levels but yellowness decreased and then increased. Tensile force to break the cooked noodles was positively correlated with SP₉₅ and protein. Compression (50%) force of noodles made from flour with high SP₉₅ ≈21 g/g, averaged ≈20% below those made from low SP₉₅ ≈17 g/g of flour. Compression force was measured in the long dimension of a single noodle strand using a rectangular probe. The instrumental measurements suggest that alkaline noodles made from a single‐null partial‐waxy wheat with medium SP₉₅ ≈19.9 g/g will have a tender bite and a cohesive texture compared with those from a low SP₉₅ wheat with a hard bite and fracturable texture. Furthermore, alkaline noodles from a double‐null partial‐waxy wheat with high SP₉₅ will have an extra soft bite unless flour protein is above ≈12.5%. Hard‐white, dual‐purpose wheat should have a low level of PPO and, depending on the preferred noodle‐eating texture, a low to medium SP₉₅ level. Such wheats with medium protein levels (11–12%) are well suited for alkaline noodles because of improved color and surface smoothness, whereas the same wheats with 12–13% protein are well suited for bread. Wheats with medium SP₉₅ also reduce cooking loss and increase cooked yield.