The purpose of this study is to identify major factors affecting the manufacture and quality of steamed bread, consumed in Southeast Asia including China, Japan, and Korea. Hence, flours of 11 Korean wheat cultivars were used to evaluate quality attributes of two different styles of steamed bread, Korean style steamed bread (KSSB) and northern-style Chinese steamed bread (NSCSB). KSSB prepared more ingredients and higher optimum water absorption of dough than NSCSB because Korean consumers prefer white and glossy surface and soft crumb. KSSB showed lower height, larger diameter and volume of steamed bread, higher stress relaxation, and softer texture of crumb than NSCSB. The correlation between flour characteristics and quality of steamed bread was different in KSSB and NSCSB. About 90% of variability in the height and volume of KSSB could be predicted from protein content, mixing tolerance of Mixograph, average particle size of flour, final viscosity and solvent retention capacity. Protein content and quality parameters also could explain the variation of steamed bread height in NSCSB. Korean wheat carrying Glu-A3c allele produced higher volume of steamed bread (704.7 mL) than Glu-A3d allele (645.8 mL) in KSSB, although there was no significant difference in volume of NSCSB by glutenin compositions. Glu-D1d and Glu-A3c alleles had softer texture of crumb than Glu-D1f and Glu-A3d alleles in KSSB, Glu-B3i allele also showed lower hardness of crumb than their counterpart allele in NSCSB. Hard wheat showed higher height and volume of steamed bread, and lower stress relaxation and hardness of crumb than soft wheat in KSSB.
