Abstract: In this study, glutinous rice was fermented by traditional Chinese starter culture (Qu in Chinese) and used in bread making. The quality of bread and dough was evaluated through rheological analysis, biochemical analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy and sensory evaluation. The quality of bread with fermented glutinous rice was compared with that of common wheat bread, and it was improved by enzyme addition. The results showed higher contents of free sulfhydryl and extractable α-amino nitrogen in dough with fermented glutinous rice than control dough, suggesting that fermented glutinous rice had a detrimental effect on the formation of gluten network in dough, declining the cohesiveness and elasticity of the resulting bread and decreasing the sensory score for taste. However, fermented glutinous rice resulted in bread with more attractive flavor and better color. Addition of enzyme combinations enhanced the structure of the gluten network and significantly improved the quality of bread with fermented glutinous rice, making it much more popular than common wheat bread.

Key words: fermented glutinous rice, gluten network, bread quality, enzyme