Abstract: Steamed bread is one of the traditional Chinese staple foods, with a history of over 1 700 years. With the continuous improvement of people’s quality of life, a more abundant variety of steamed bread has been made, and the demand for flavor has become more and more important. Consumers are attracted by steamed bread with pleasant flavor, so there are higher requirements for industrial yeast fermented steamed bread. There are many factors that influence the flavor formation of steamed bread, including the type of leavening agent, raw materials and processing technology. Different starters significantly affect the flavor formation of steamed bread due to the different types and numbers of microorganisms they contain. The major factors affecting the flavor of steamed bread are reviewed to provide a reference for theoretical studies of steamed bread flavor and provide practical guidance for the development of steamed bread with better flavor suitable for industrial production.

Key words: steamed bread; flavor; fermentation starter; microbial flora; raw materials of fermented foods; fermentation process