Abstract:To elucidate the effects of mixing time (5~25 min) and heating temperature (70 ℃ and 90 ℃) on the structural evolution of concentrated wheat flour gels (30 wt.% and 45 wt.%), rheological behavior, multiscale starch structures, protein characteristics, and microstructure were systematically investigated. At 70 ℃, prolonged mixing significantly increased (P<0.05) the storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), critical strain (γc), and yield stress (γy) of 30 wt.% gels. These changes were accompanied by an increase in gelatinization temperature, enhanced gluten aggregation, and an elevation in starch crystallinity from 14.81% to 16.23%. Conversely, for 45 wt.% gels, mixing led to a reduction in viscoelastic moduli. The densification of gluten fibers hindered the alignment of starch molecular chains, resulting in a decrease in crystallinity from 19.21% to 16.02% and suppression of molecular rearrangement during cooling. At 90 ℃, the gelatinization endothermic peak disappeared in the 30 wt.% gel system. In the 45 wt.% system, mixing strengthened the encapsulation effect of the gluten network, reducing the gelatinization peak temperature (Tp) by approximately 5.01%. However, high-temperature treatment induced degradation of the gluten network, releasing soluble proteins and weakening gluten aggregation. Based on these results, two structural models were proposed. In the 30 wt.% gel system, amylose constituted the continuous phase, with swollen starch granules and protein particles forming the dispersed phase, and mixing reinforced the gel structure. In contrast, the 45 wt.% gel system exhibited a dual continuous phase composed of a gluten network and amylose, with residual starch granules as the dispersed phase, where mixing weakened gel strength. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the structural evolution of concentrated wheat flour gels and offer theoretical guidance for quality regulation and processing optimization of wheat-based food products.