Background and objectivesConsumption of Chinese steamed bread (CSB) and noodles made from whole grain wheat flour (WWF) is encouraged due to their important nutritional elements in the outer seed layers that benefit human health. However, the use of WWF is limited because of the poor processing quality and less attractive product properties of dark color, rough texture and coarse crumb structure. Three Chinese wheat cultivars, Zhongmai 895, Yumai 49, and Zhoumai 27, were used to investigate the potentials of bran hydration and autoclaving treatments for the improvement of WWF functionality in making CSB and noodles.FindingsBran particle size, hydration, and autoclaving treatment of WWF significantly affected the quality of dough, CSB, and noodles made from it. Farinograph water absorption and stability of WWFs with fine bran were larger than those with coarse bran. WWFs with coarse bran compared with fine bran exhibited inferior color and higher water retention capacity (WRC), and produced CSB with better texture and crumb structure and noodles with less smoothness and poor appearance. Prehydration of bran decreased dough water absorption and increased dough stability. WWFs containing bran hydrated to 40% moisture content produced CSB with the best texture and crumb structure, and the highest total score. Bran hydration merely induced negative effects on smoothness of noodles made with fine bran. Autoclaving of bran significantly improved texture and crumb structure of CSB made from WWFs with bran hydrated to 40% moisture. Autoclaved bran with 20% moisture contributed to higher total score of CSB. However, bran hydration and autoclaving resulted in darker color of noodle sheet made from WWFs.ConclusionsHydration and autoclaving of bran could be an effective way to improve the processing quality of CSB made from WWFs, but there was little improvement in eating quality of noodles made from WWFs.Significance and noveltyThis is the first research to show that hydration and autoclaving of bran could be an effective way to improve the processing quality of CSB made from WWFs. These results provide useful information for the incorporation of wheat bran to make fiber‐rich CSB.