Effects of sodium chloride or salt substitutes on rheological properties and water-holding capacity of flour and hardness of noodles

•Salted dough showed higher storage modulus than loss modulus and tangent δ < 1.•NaCl and salt substitutes changed microstructure of dough.•Microstructure of noodles with salt substitute was more compact than noodles with NaCl.•The replacement of NaCl with salt substitutes yielded firmer noodles.•The properties of dough were sensitive enough to monitor qualities of noodles.