Metabolomic insights into the effect of chickpea protein hydrolysate on the freeze-thaw tolerance of industrial yeasts.

The use of frozen dough is an intensive food-processing practice that contributes to the development of chain operations in the bakery industry. However, the fermentation activity of yeasts in frozen dough can be severely damaged by freeze-thaw stress, thereby degrading the final bread quality. In this study, chickpea protein hydrolysate significantly improved the quality of steamed bread made from frozen dough while enhancing the yeast survival rate and maintaining yeast cell structural integrity under freeze-thaw stress.