Quality Characteristics of Gluten-Free Noodles According to the Drying Method of Pregelatinized Rice Flour

Abstract

This study investigated the quality characteristics of gluten-free noodles produced by adding pregelatinized rice flour prepared using three different drying methods: hot air drying (HD), freeze drying (FD), and twin-screw extruder drying (ED). HD and FD samples were prepared by steam gelatinizing rice flour for 30 min and drying at 65 °C or freeze drying, respectively. The color of noodles with added pregelatinized rice flour showed a decrease in lightness (L*) and an increase in yellowness (b*) in the order of HD, FD, and ED. The texture characteristics showed that the experimental groups with added pregelatinized rice flour had higher hardness, and the ED-15 sample exhibited the highest values for springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. The tension profiles of cooked noodles were found to be in the order of wheat (0.312 N), ED-15 (0.158 N), FD-15 (0.145 N), and HD-15 (0.133 N). The cooking loss (turbidity) of the noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour ascended in the order of wheat (0.160), ED-15 (0.507), FD-15 (0.765), and HD-15 (1.172). Therefore, pregelatinized rice flour produced through twin-screw extrusion drying is deemed suitable for the production of gluten-free noodles. The results of this study show that gluten-free noodles can be made without gluten by using pregelatinized rice flour.

1. Introduction

Gluten, a protein composed of gliadin and glutenin, provides dough with crucial processing properties, including chewiness, extensibility, and elasticity [1]. Found abundantly in wheat flour, gluten proteins represent around 80–85% of the total wheat protein content [2,3,4] and significantly influence the textural properties of noodles by enhancing dough’s water absorption capacity, cohesiveness, viscosity, and elasticity [3]. Structurally, gluten is a polymer consisting of glutenin proteins, which form when wheat flour interacts with water. These glutenin proteins are connected via disulfide (S-S) bonds that lengthen and expand during noodle production, forming an elastic mesh, often referred to as the gluten network [5,6]. Therefore, gluten is an essential ingredient that plays a vital role in the production of processed foods. Hot air drying and freeze drying are widely utilized methods for food dehydration; however, freeze drying necessitates the use of costly equipment and consumes 15% more operational energy [7]. Extruded products can be mass-produced and have lower production costs than other manufactured products [8].

The role of gluten in enhancing the processing properties of wheat flour makes it crucial for the baking and noodle industries; however, it is also a major cause of celiac disease, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloating when consumed [9,10]. Efforts to reduce gluten content in foods are ongoing, with a focus on creating gluten-reduced or gluten-free alternatives and identifying substitutes with similar processing properties [11], including hydrocolloids [12], emulsifiers [13], and other proteins [14]. Among these potential substitutes, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a cellulose derivative recognized globally as safe, is under investigation for its ability to improve the volume and texture of flour dough through hydrogen bonding at hydroxyl sites, thereby enhancing gas retention and moisture absorption [15,16].

Due to its low sodium content, high digestibility, and hypoallergenic protein profile, rice flour is a promising substitute for wheat flour in gluten-free food development [17]. Despite these advantages, rice flour-based products generally have inferior processing properties compared to those made from wheat flour [18]. To improve these properties, gelatinized rice flour is produced through various processes, such as heat moisture treatment, twin-screw extrusion drying, and drum drying, to improve the viscosity and the processing properties of dough [19,20]. Various gluten-free rice flour products, including cakes [21], cookies [22], pasta [23], and muffins [24], have been developed and studied. Roger et al. [25] conducted a study on the characteristics of gluten-free rice pasta produced by incorporating mung bean protein and transglutaminase into moist-heat-treated rice flour. However, a fully functional substitute has yet to be developed for gluten. Among these products, noodles in particular have become increasingly popular in the Republic of Korea, with a 12.3% year-over-year sales increase in 2022 [26]. Therefore, this study focused on the production of gluten-free noodles using gelatinized rice flour prepared by different drying methods and investigated their quality characteristics.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Materials

The rice flour used in this study was made from Samgwang rice harvested in the Republic of Korea in 2022 and was sourced from a local store. Based on preliminary research, the optimal addition ratio for gelatinized dried rice flour was set at 15% of the total flour weight [27]. Three batches of gelatinized rice flour were prepared using distinct methods following steam treatment: hot air drying (HD-15; hot-air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour), freeze drying (FD-15; freeze-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour), and high-pressure extrusion using rice flour with 18% moisture content (twin-screw extruder, ED-15; twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour). Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, CN10T, AnyAddy^R, Cheminex Co., Ltd., Seongnam, Republic of Korea), soybean powder (Hamyang-Nonghyup Co., Ltd., Hamyang-gun, Republic of Korea), and salt (Hanju Co., Ulsan, Republic of Korea) were then added to each batch of flour to produce gluten-free noodles.

2.2. Gelatinized Rice Flour Preparation

The gelatinization of rice flour was performed using a steam cooker (RCO-240CE, Rinnai Co., Ltd., Incheon, Republic of Korea). Samgwang rice flour and purified water were combined at a ratio of 1:5 and steamed for 30 min. The gelatinized rice flour was then dried to below 10% moisture content using a hot-air dryer set at 65 °C (HD; hot-air dryer, C-DF3, Changshin Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea) and a freeze dryer (FD; freeze dryer, LP10, IlshinBioBase Co., Ltd., Dongducheon, Republic of Korea). For the high-pressure extrusion batch, rice flour with a moisture content of 18% was extruded at 150 °C through a twin-screw extruder (ED; twin-screw extruder, TSE65/70, Sun food Co., Ltd., Namyangju, Republic of Korea). The flours were subsequently ground using a pulverizer and sieved through a 300-mesh standard sieve (No. 150; Chunggye, Seoul, Republic of Korea) to obtain the samples for analysis.

2.3. Production of Noodles with Pregelatinized Rice Flour

The production of noodles enriched with pregelatinized rice flour involved mixing 2% soybean flour, 1% HPMC, and 15% pregelatinized rice flour (HD-15, FD-15, ED-15) based on the weight of the rice flour. In a previous study, noodles were produced with the addition of pregelatinized rice flour in varying concentrations from 0% to 25%, with 15% identified as the optimal inclusion level [27]. A 3% salt solution (relative to rice flour weight) was prepared and then incorporated into the mixture (

Table 1. Formulas of rice noodles with different drying methods of pregelatinized rice flour.

Sample	Ingredients (g)						Water (g)
	Rice Flour	Wheat Flour	PR 1	Soybean Flour	HPMC 2	Salt
Wheat	-	100	-	2.0	1.0	3.0	37.3
Control	100	-	-	2.0	1.0	3.0	53.3
HD-15 3	85	-	15	2.0	1.0	3.0	46.7
FD-15	85	-	15	2.0	1.0	3.0	46.7
ED-15	85	-	15	2.0	1.0	3.0	43.3

¹ PR: pregelatinized rice flour. ² HPMC: hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. ³ HD-15: hot-air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; FD-15: freeze-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; ED-15: twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour.

). The combined ingredients were then added to a dough mixer (KMM020, Kenwood, Havant, UK) and kneaded at room temperature for 3 min. The resulting dough was processed through a noodle maker, producing noodles with a width of 3 mm and thickness of 2.4 mm. Rice flour noodles without pregelatinized rice flour (Control) lacked the binding strength necessary to form a cohesive sheet, and so a comparative analysis was conducted using a 100% wheat sample instead. Considering the difference in pregelatinized rice flour preparation, the ED-15% sample was produced with a 1.08% lower moisture content compared to the steamed sample.

2.4. Noodle Color Measurement and Visual Comparison

To evaluate noodle color before and after cooking, 2.4 mm thick sheets were measured with a colorimeter (Model CM-5, Minolta Co., Tokyo, Japan) prior to slitting. After calibration with a standard white plate, color values were recorded as Hunter values, L (lightness), a (redness), and b (yellowness). The color difference (ΔE) was calculated using the formula ΔE = $\sqrt{{\mathrm{L}}^2+{\mathrm{a}}^2+{\mathrm{b}}^2}$. For visual comparison, photographs of the noodles were taken against a black stainless steel plate backdrop.

2.5. Noodle Texture Measurement

The texture of cooked noodles was measured using a Texture Analyzer™ (TA-XT2, Stable Micro Systems, Godalming, Surrey, UK) in Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) mode. Measurements were repeated for each sample 5 times using a cylinder probe (P/35, 35 mm diameter), and the mean values were recorded. Cooked noodles were prepared by boiling in 100 °C water for 4 min, rinsing under cool running water for 1 min, and air drying at room temperature for 3 min to remove excess moisture before measurement. The cooking time was defined as the point when the interior color of the noodles matched the exterior. Using the same standard, the wheat sample was prepared similarly but was boiled for 12 min. Six strands of noodles, cut into 5 cm segments, were placed in parallel on a plate and compressed twice to 70% deformation to measure their textural properties: hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. Detailed measurement conditions are provided in

Table 2. Texture analyzer operating conditions for cooked noodles with different methods of drying pregelatinized rice flour.

Item	Condition
Test type	TPA test	Tensile strength test
Measurement type	Two bite compression	Return to start
Sample size	3.0 × 2.5 × 50 mm	3.0 × 2.5 × 300 mm
Probe	35 mm dia, circle	Spaghetti/noodle tensile rig
Test speed	5.0 mm/s	2.0 mm/s
Deformation	70%	120 mm
Trigger force	0.049 N	0.049 N

.

2.6. Noodle Extensibility Measurement

The extensibility of cooked noodles was also measured using the Texture Analyzer™ (TA-XT2, Stable Micro Systems, Godalming, Surrey, UK). Measurements were repeated for each sample 3 times using a noodle tensile rig and the mean values were recorded. Cooked noodles were prepared by boiling in 100 °C water for 4 min. Then, they were rinsed under cool running water for 1 min and air-dried at room temperature for 3 min to remove excess moisture before measurement. The wheat sample was prepared similarly but was boiled for 12 min. For the tensile rig setup, a single noodle strand was clamped at both ends at a length of 20 mm and stretched until breaking. The force required for breaking (N) and the distance extended before breaking (mm) were recorded. Detailed measurement conditions are provided in Table 2.

2.7. Cooking Properties of Noodles

The cooking properties of rice flour noodles were assessed by comparing weight differences before and after cooking using a modified version of the method by Jeong et al. [27]. For each measurement, 25 g of noodles was boiled in 500 mL of water for 4 min, rinsed under cool running water for 1 min, and left to stand at room temperature for 3 min before weighing. The wheat sample was prepared similarly but was boiled for 12 min. The volume of cooked noodles was measured by submerging them in a 250 mL graduated cylinder with 150 mL of distilled water and measuring the resulting volume increase. The water absorption rate of the cooked noodles was calculated using the following formula:

$$\mathrm{W}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{r} \mathrm{a}\mathrm{b}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{p}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{n} \mathrm{r}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{e}\left(\mathrm{\%}\right)={\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{t} \mathrm{a}\mathrm{f}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{r} \mathrm{c}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{k}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}-\mathrm{W}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{t} \mathrm{b}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{f}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{e} \mathrm{c}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{k}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}}{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{g}\mathrm{h}\mathrm{t} \mathrm{b}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{f}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{e} \mathrm{c}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{k}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{g}}}\times 100$$

2.8. Cooking Loss

To evaluate cooking loss, 25 g of noodles was boiled in 500 mL of water for either 4 or 12 min, with water added as needed to maintain a final volume of 500 mL. The turbidity of the cooking water was then measured at 675 nm using a UV-1080 spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Co., Kyoto, Japan) and recorded as optical density (O.D.).

2.9. Statistical Analysis

All experiments were conducted independently and repeated 3 times, while texture measurements were repeated 5 times. All values are expressed as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was determined via one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s multiple range test using SPSS 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Experimental differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Color and Appearance of Noodles

The color and appearance of noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour are presented in

Table 3. Hunter’s color values of cooked noodles with different drying methods of pregelatinized rice flour.

Sample 1		Hunter’s Color Value
		L	a	b	ΔE
Uncooked	Wheat	84.0 ± 0.47 c	0.35 ± 0.03 d	12.23 ± 0.17 d	84.9 ± 0.44 c
	Control	86.3 ± 4.39 d	0.15 ± 0.38 c	9.95 ± 4.10 c	86.9 ± 3.95 d
	HD-15 2	77.9 ± 0.37 b	−0.87 ± 0.01 b	8.48 ± 0.17 b	78.4 ± 0.37 b
	FD-15	77.9 ± 0.19 b	−1.11 ± 0.02 a	8.13 ± 0.14 ab	78.3 ± 0.18 b
	ED-15	74.5 ± 0.34 a	−1.10 ± 0.08 a	7.74 ± 0.46 a	74.9 ± 0.29 a
Cooked	Wheat	51.2 ± 0.52 b	−2.44 ± 0.02 a	−0.45 ± 0.02 a	51.3 ± 0.51 b
	Control	ND 3	ND	ND	ND
	HD-15	55.3 ± 0.45 c	−1.62 ± 0.05 c	4.01 ± 0.39 d	55.5 ± 0.43 c
	FD-15	59.2 ± 0.28 d	−1.94 ± 0.05 b	1.50 ± 0.33 c	59.2 ± 0.28 d
	ED-15	48.2 ± 0.29 a	−1.86 ± 0.05 b	0.64 ± 0.07 b	48.2 ± 0.29 a

¹ The values with different superscripts within a column are significantly different (p < 0.05), as measured by Duncan’s multiple range test. ² HD-15: hot air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; FD-15: freeze-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; ED-15: twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour. ³ ND: not detectable.

and Figure 1. The lightness (L* value) of uncooked noodles was highest for the control at 86.3, which was made solely with rice flour, followed by wheat at 84.0, both HD-15 and FD-15 at 77.9, and ED-15, with the lowest value, at 74.5. This reduction in lightness could be attributed to the high-heat treatment used during gelatinization, which likely diminished the natural whiteness of the rice flour [28]. In terms of yellowness (b* value), the wheat sample displayed the highest value at 12.2, followed by the control at 9.95, HD-15 at 8.48, FD-15 at 8.13, and ED-15 at 7.74. The higher yellowness of the wheat sample was likely a result of the natural color of wheat flour, a trend also reflected in photographs of the noodles (Figure 1). After cooking, the lightness values were as follows: wheat (51.2), control (ND; not detectable), HD-15 (55.3), FD-15 (59.2), and ED-15 (48.2). This reduction in lightness is consistent with previous findings showing that cooking generally reduces noodle lightness [27]. The control sample, which contained no pregelatinized rice flour, disintegrated during cooking and could not be measured. This disintegration was likely due to the absence of a binding agent, such as gluten, which is essential for maintaining dough elasticity [29]. The lightness, redness, and yellowness values of the hot-air-dried (HD), freeze-dried (FD), and extruded (ED) gelatinized rice flours differed depending on the processing method used. The addition of pregelatinized rice flour was essential in the formation of the noodle sheets.

3.2. Textural Properties of Noodles

Table 4. Textural profiles of noodles with different drying methods of pregelatinized rice flour.

Sample 1	TPA
	Hardness (N)	Springiness	Cohesiveness	Gumminess (N)	Chewiness (N·mm)	Adhesiveness (N·mm)
Wheat	84.6 ± 4.36 a	0.015 ± 0.004 a	0.023 ± 0.005 a	1.611 ± 0.05 a	0.021 ± 0.007 a	−1.76 ± 0.91 d
HD-15 2	94.01 ± 3.39 b	0.025 ± 0.010 a	0.018 ± 0.001 a	2.020 ± 0.24 a	0.038 ± 0.005 a	−7.25 ± 0.96 b
FD-15	117.3 ± 1.67 d	0.021 ± 0.004 a	0.021 ± 0.001 a	2.304 ± 0.17 a	0.055 ± 0.002 a	−18.2 ± 1.02 a
ED-15	100.8 ± 0.51 c	0.067 ± 0.005 b	0.063 ± 0.007 b	6.330 ± 0.67 b	0.406 ± 0.108 b	−4.73 ± 1.45 c

¹ The values with different superscripts within a column are significantly different (p < 0.05) when assessed by Duncan’s multiple range test. ² HD-15: hot-air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; FD-15: freeze-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; ED-15: twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour.

presents the textural properties of noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour. The hardness values were as follows: wheat (84.6 N), HD-15 (94.01 N), FD-15 (117.3 N), and ED-15 (100.8 N). These results showed that samples made with pregelatinized rice flour exhibited higher hardness values than the wheat sample. This finding aligns with previous studies, which reported that noodles made with rice flour tend to have higher hardness values than those made with 100% wheat flour [30]. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness of noodles made with wheat and hot-air-dried (HD-15) and freeze-dried (FD-15) pregelatinized rice flour. However, noodles made with extruded pregelatinized rice flour (ED-15) generally exhibited higher values for these textural properties. This is consistent with the study results reported by Seetapan et al. [31], showing that the high-temperature and short-duration extrusion processing of pregelatinized rice flour improved noodle properties by destroying starch granules and crystalline structures. Hot-air drying involves drying at relatively high temperatures, which quickly removes moisture while partially damaging the crystalline structure of starch and weakening intermolecular hydrogen bonds, resulting in a reduction in the smoothness of starch particles [32,33,34]. In contrast, freeze drying preserves the starch structure better by removing moisture through sublimation in a vacuum, but it does not enhance viscosity [34,35]. Due to these differences, extruded pregelatinized rice flour (ED-15) exhibited superior textural qualities compared to the other samples, suggesting that extrusion is the optimal method for producing pregelatinized rice flour for gluten-free noodles.

3.3. Extensibility of Noodles

The extensibility of noodles with added wheat flour and pregelatinized rice flour is presented in

Table 5. Tension profiles of cooked noodles with different drying methods of pregelatinized rice flour.

Sample 1	Tension
	Force (N)	Distance (mm)
Wheat	0.312 ± 0.018 c	−65.6 ± 7.58 a
HD-15 2	0.133 ± 0.004 a	−15.3 ± 0.20 d
FD-15	0.145 ± 0.002 ab	−17.1 ± 0.26 c
ED-15	0.158 ± 0.005 b	−18.0 ± 0.51 b

¹ The values with different superscripts within a column are significantly different (p < 0.05) when assessed by Duncan’s multiple range test. ² HD-15: hot-air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; FD-15: freezing-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour; ED-15: twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour.

. The tensile strength of the noodles was measured as follows: we recorded values of 0.321 N for wheat, 0.133 N for HD-15, 0.145 N for FD-15, and 0.158 N for ED-15. According to Ahmed et al. [36], wheat contains protein fractions such as gliadin and glutenin, which enhance a person’s ability to form dough by forming disulfide bonds during dough preparation. This was reflected in the results, where wheat exhibited the highest extensibility. Among the noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour, the extruded sample (ED-15) showed the highest extensibility. This was consistent with the study results reported by Clerici et al. [37], showing that gelatinized rice flour produced through extrusion forms numerous hydrogen bonds due to starch gelatinization, creating a three-dimensional network that can retain gases and expand. Chi et al. [35] reported that drying processes can damage both the surface and internal structure of starch granules, which in turn affects functional properties such as pasting, gelatinization, and retrogradation. Among the various drying methods, hot-air drying, which involves relatively high temperatures, leads to lower levels of water absorption and reduced gelatinization, thus decreasing noodle extensibility. On the other hand, freeze drying increases the porosity of the starch structure, enhancing water absorption but resulting in lower gelatinization functionality compared to extrusion [38,39]. Consequently, extrusion appears to be the most suitable method for producing gluten-free products using gelatinized rice flour.

3.4. Cooking Loss and Cooking Properties of Noodles

The cooking loss and cooking properties of noodles with added wheat flour and pregelatinized rice flour are shown in

Table 6. Cooking characteristics of noodles with different drying methods of pregelatinized rice flour.

Sample 1	Cooked Noodle			Cooking Water
	Weight (g)	Volume (mL)	Water Absorption (%)	Turbidity (675 nm)
Wheat	60.7 ± 1.15 d	210.7 ± 1.15 c	142.2 ± 4.95 c	0.160 ± 0.02 a
HD-15 2	39.1 ± 0.50 b	182.7 ± 1.15 a	52.6 ± 2.30 ab	1.172 ± 0.07 d
FD-15	37.1 ± 0.53 a	185.5 ± 0.87 b	47.1 ± 2.38 a	0.765 ± 0.04 c
ED-15	38.9 ± 0.24 b	184.2 ± 0.29 ab	53.3 ± 0.57 b	0.507 ± 0.09 b

¹ The values with different superscripts within a column are significantly different (p < 0.05) by Duncan’s multiple range test. ² HD-15; hot-air-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour, FD-15; freeze-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour, ED-15; twin-screw extruder-dried 15% pregelatinized rice flour.

. Cooking loss, which refers to weight or volume loss during noodle cooking, can be measured by turbidity [27,40]. The turbidity values for the samples were as follows: wheat (0.160), HD-15 (1.172), FD-15 (0.765), and ED-15 (0.507). The addition of pregelatinized rice flour resulted in increased cooking losses, with turbidity values observed in the descending order from extrusion (ED), freeze drying (FD), and hot-air drying (HD). This increase in turbidity suggests that the absence of gluten in rice flour reduced the dough-forming ability, causing starch to leach out during noodle formation and resulting in higher turbidity. These findings are consistent with previous research by Jeong et al. [40], which also observed increased turbidity when rice flour replaced wheat flour. In terms of cooking properties, noodles with added pregelatinized rice flour (HD-15, FD-15, ED-15) exhibited lower weights, volumes, and water absorption rates compared to the wheat sample, which recorded values of 60.7, 210.7, and 142.2, respectively. This reduction was likely due to the absence of gluten, a key component that enhances dough formation. Among the rice flour samples, ED-15 demonstrated the lowest cooking loss, making it the most suitable choice for gluten-free noodle production. Tie et al. [41] reported that the extrusion of cereal samples increased the water solubility index and water absorption index compared to freeze drying, which was similar to the results of this study. In this study, the ED-15 sample was identified as the most suitable based on its physicochemical properties. While additional sensory evaluation studies could further support this finding, they were not included in the present study. The incorporation of pregelatinized rice flour into wheat flour could facilitate the production of gluten-free noodles by replacing wheat flour with rice flour.

4. Conclusions

This study focused on the preparation of gluten-free noodles by incorporating pregelatinized rice flour, produced through three different methods, and analyzed the quality characteristics of the resulting noodles. Color analysis revealed that noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour showed a decrease in lightness and an increase in yellowness in the order of hot-air drying, freeze drying, and extrusion samples. Texture analysis revealed an increase in hardness across all samples made with pregelatinized rice flour, with the extrusion sample (ED-15) showing the highest levels of springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. The tension profiles of cooked noodles were in the order of wheat (0.312 N), ED-15 (0.158 N), FD-15 (0.145 N), and HD-15 (0.133 N). The cooking loss of the noodles made with pregelatinized rice flour was lowest in the order of wheat (0.160), ED-15 (0.507), FD-15 (0.765), and HD-15 (1.172). Based on these results, the addition of 15% extruded pregelatinized rice flour was the most suitable method for the production of gluten-free noodles. The results of this study suggest that pregelatinized rice flour can effectively form gluten-free noodle sheets, positioning it as a viable ingredient for gluten-free noodle production. These findings have promising implications for the gluten-free processed food industry. However, while gluten-free noodle production using pregelatinized rice flour is feasible, its physicochemical properties are not yet sufficient to completely replace wheat flour.