BACKGROUNDRecently, frozen dough has become more popular because of its ability to be quickly transformed into freshly baked foods. During the storage and transport process, frozen dough can suffer some degree of damage caused by ice crystallization and recrystallization. Adding polysaccharides to frozen dough is a good way to solve this problem. Tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) has excellent ice crystal steady ability and has also been widely used in frozen foods. However, there is no study on the use of TSP in frozen dough.RESULTSTSP can stabilize the bound water content, inhibit the freezable water content, and increase elasticity. However, the dough with different structures of TSP added was less firm after 30 days of freezing compared to the dough without TSP, and the porosity and stomatal density of the prepared steamed bread gradually decreased. The addition of TSP reduced gluten deterioration during the freezing process, thus decreasing the collapse and uneven porosity of the steamed bread.CONCLUSIONSThe results could provide new insights into the structure of TSP and its effect on the quality characteristics of frozen dough. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.