Dough and Baking Quality of Hexaploid Triticum turgidum–Aegilops Synthetics with D, M, C, and U Genomes on a Double-Null Glu-1 Background

The introgression of entire Aegilops genomes offers a valuable approach to broadening wheat's genetic diversity. To assess its impact on dough and baking quality, this study evaluated 13 hexaploid synthetics 9 STD (AABBDD), 2 STU (AABBUU), 1 STM (AABBMM), 1 STC (AABBCC) derived from Triticum turgidum and diploid Aegilops species (genomes D, U, M, C). All lines exclusively expressed Aegilops-derived Glu-1 subunits. The STU, STM, and STC lines demonstrated superior processing quality─including higher protein content, sedimentation value, and improved gluten properties─compared to most STD lines. Paradoxically, these traits did not translate to better end-use quality. STU lines, despite strong dough properties, yielded the poorest biscuits and lowest-volume bread. In contrast, STM 10 maintained balanced glutenin ratios and soft wheat characteristics, resulting in superior bread- and biscuit-making performance. While certain Aegilops genomes improve processing traits, their effect on end-product quality is complex and genotype-specific, highlighting STM 10 as a promising resource.