BackgroundIn this study, different proportions of soybean flour and gluten flour were used to partially replace wheat flour for the fermentation of PXDB (Pixian Douban)‐Meju. The aim was to study the effects of soybean flour/gluten flour on the quality improvement of PXDB.ResultsComparing with the control group (CT), the amino acid nitrogen was improved by 3.8%, 5.6%, and 9.4% in the substitution degree of 12.5% (soybean flour, H2), 7.5% (gluten flour, G2), and 10% (gluten flour, G3). The mixture of wheat flour and gluten flour (G2, G3) could both raise the contents of organic acids and free amino acids. GC×GC‐MS results showed that the amount of key aroma substances increased about sixfold compared to the CT group (194.61 g/kg), achieving 1283.67, 1113.883 and 1160.19 g/kg for H2, G2 and G3 groups, respectively. Moreover, there were more favorable accumulation of aldehydes and pyrazines in all the substitution groups. Quantitative descriptive analysis indicated that the G3 sample presented the best organoleptic quality with reddish‐brown color and more mellow aroma than the control sample.ConclusionIn conclusion, the fermentation of G3 resulted in a higher quality of PXDB‐Meju, showing that partial substitute of wheat flour with gluten was facilitated for improving the quality of PXDB.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.