Dear Author,
Review of the manuscript: “Role of dough viscoelastic properties and rice variety in the
thermal expansion and the quality of unconventional rice-based bread: case of steamed-cooked “Ablo” ”. This study aimed to describe the impact of precooked and starch characteristics on dough and bread quality. In general, the authors met all the goals set in this work. I have some questions for the authors that should be taken into considerations:

Physicochemical characteristic of rice and doughs

Page 6, Line 29. Based on the GL equation, what was the citation?

Experimental strategy
Page 8, Line 3-20. The procedures of pre-cooking as performed in this study was not clarify explain.
Why the first study was conducted using the Sahel 208 rice variety? The confused phase “To do so, one-fourth of the rice flour (62.5 g) was mixed with 189 g of cold water and the mixture was precooked ….various levels of gelatinization” whereas totally 250 g the rice flour of Ablo making process was used. Please clarify written.

Page 9-10, Line 33-47 and Line 8-36. Strain amplitude sweep tests and Oscillatory tests with temperature ramps, the reference or citation should be added.

Statistical analyses
Page 11, Line 26-36. The S.D. value less than 10% in all case is not true in all response, e.g. there was various firmness value when measured at least four times which was not enough to get 10% in S.D. How can we control S.D. within 10%? Some measurement is needed to clarify e.g. the repeat or replication measurement. By the way, the data concerned was needed to compare means using the statistic analysis. Please clarify written?

Result and discussion
Page 12, Line 16-30. What is the reason why the author select Sahel 208 rice variety for oscillatory strain amplitude sweep test? Why the GL at 2.9 % for kneaded and the proofed dough was fixed for the study?

Page 13, Line 6-15. For the phrase “Beyond this critical strain, the behavior of the dough became non-linear ……………..below 50% and viscous-like for higher strain amplitudes” As for the data of strain amplitude below 50%, what is the citation? Besides that, due to the author select Sahel 208 rice variety for this study. How about the other rice variety, can we apply the result?

Page 13 ,Line 53-60. For the phrase “To minimize, as much as possible, these difficulties, sugar ….. (reduction of the residual stress incurred during kneading)” Why sugar was selected to add for reduction of stress? The other ingredients interaction might be affected by the pasting and rheology properties. The amount of 10 g sugar add-in might be affected by its quality. Please clarify written.

Page 15, Line 29-31. See the pharse.. “Results highlighted that higher GL increased significantly dough solid-like behaviour (higher G’) ….the firmness of the ablo (R2= 0.476 and α > 0.05)”. What is happening regarding the correlation between firmness and expansions? Please clarify written. How about the other rice variety, can we apply the result?

Page 16-18, Line 35- 60. Lack of supporting evidence or citation when discussing the effect of rice variety on properties of doughs and steamed ablo quality. It was difficult to clarify and understand when to read. To provide the discussion evidence is useful information for the reader.

Page 19, Line 19. What was the unconventional and conventional bread in the manuscript’s definition? Based on the Ablo bread as made and the ingredient as mentioned in ingredient material section, it was gluten bread type, thus the wheat flour (32.5 g) or other ingredients might be an effect on dough and product properties as well. So, how this finding can apply to investigate the rheology properties and the quality of the other free gluten-bread? Please clarify written.

Fig 3 : What is happening regarding the changing of dough expansion and storage modulus after 70oC ?
Regarding three rice varieties, Sahel 208 had increased dough expansion value, RMC rice flour had increased storage modulus, whereas R64 rice flour exhibited an intermediate effect. Please more clarify explain.

It was clarified explained and corrected as mentioned.