LAUSR

BACKGROUND Pea protein powder lacks gliadin and glutenin, which prevents the formation of network structure. At the same time, it has beany taste, thus limiting its application in steamed bread production. The organic acids and exopolysaccharides produced through lactic acid bacteria fermentation show potential to replace traditional steamed bread improvers such as emulsifiers and thickeners. This study investigated the synergistic effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lp90 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LRa05 co-fermented with yeast with respect to improving the properties of pea protein dough, as well as their impacts on the storage stability and flavor profile of pea protein steamed bread. RESULTS The result shows that Lp90 has the highest acid production capacity, significantly enhancing the viscoelastic properties of pea protein dough. The dough co-fermented with Lp90 and yeast exhibited a higher β-sheet content (57.22%) and lower crystallinity (12.16%), indicating that co-fermentation contributed to the formation of gluten network structure and could effectively inhibit starch recrystallization. In addition, the steamed bread with Lp90 co-fermented with yeast exhibited a superior microstructure, and the lowest moisture loss coupled with the slowest aging rate during storage. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis further examined the flavor compounds in the steamed bread, and the results show that two types of lactic acid bacteria fermentation significantly reduced the levels of volatile aroma compounds with a 'beany' odor, such as (E)-2-nonenal, 1-octen-3-ol, (E)-2-octenal, and 1-hexanol. CONCLUSION The present study found that fermentation with Lp90 and LRa05 had positive impact on the quality and flavor of pea steamed bread. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.