Instant noodle manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for producing instant noodles which are well reconstituted in hot water and have excellent palate feeling.SOLUTION: A method for producing instant noodles includes: laminating an outer layer noodle strip prepared from dough of pH 6.0 or more on an inner layer noodle strip prepared from dough of pH 3.5-5.5 so as to prepare multilayer noodles having a laminated structure in which an inner layer is arranged between two outer layers; and pregelatinizing the multilayer noodles followed by frying in oil or drying. The dough of the inner layer noodle strip is prepared preferably by kneading a raw material powder with water at pH 3.5-5.5.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing instant noodles. [Background technology]

[0002] Techniques for improving the quality of noodles by adjusting the pH of noodle dough have been disclosed. Patent Document 1 describes multi-layer noodles comprising a layer A that is weakly acidic with a pH of 4.0 to 5.5 and a layer B that is weakly alkaline with a pH of 8.5 to 11.5, with layer A forming the outermost layer. Patent Document 2 describes multi-layer noodles comprising an inner layer containing kansui (water-based sachet water) in an amount to achieve a pH of 7.2 to 9.4, and an outer layer having a pH of 4.0 to 7.0. Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing multi-layer noodles having a multi-layer structure comprising layers A and B, in which layer A (the outermost layer) is prepared from a raw material flour containing 50 mass or more of wheat flour and an aqueous solution with a pH of 5.6 to 6.0, the aqueous solution containing 0.0001 to 0.1 mass parts in total of one or more selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts, phosphoric acid, and phosphate salts per 100 mass parts of the raw material flour, and the noodle dough for layer B has a pH of 7.0 or higher. Patent Document 4 describes how an outer layer noodle dough with a pH of 7.4 is prepared by kneading wheat flour and starch with kneading water containing sodium carbonate, salt, and alginic acid, while an inner layer noodle dough with a pH of 4.9 is prepared by kneading wheat flour and starch with kneading water containing salt and buffered lactic acid. These noodle strands are then used to produce noodle strands consisting of an outer layer / inner layer / outer layer, which are then steamed, cut, boiled in a lactic acid solution for 15 minutes, sealed in a pouch, and heat sterilized to produce long-life (LL) noodles that separate easily. Patent Document 5 describes how, in producing long-life (LL) noodles, rather than bonding together two noodle sheets with different pH values, two noodle sheets of the same composition are bonded together with an acid component applied to the bonding surface; as the acid component permeates from the inner layer to which the acid component is applied toward the outer layer, a pH gradient is created in which the pH is low in the inner layer of the noodle sheet and gradually increases toward the outer layer; and how, when this noodle sheet is gelatinized, the gradient of starch swelling can be fixed in accordance with the pH gradient; as a result, noodles can be obtained that have firmness and viscoelasticity and that do not become soggy when boiled, even if the pH of the entire noodle is adjusted to a low level.

[0003] Instant noodles are produced by gelatinizing fresh noodles, followed by frying in oil or drying using methods such as hot air, microwave heating, or freeze-drying, and are reconstituted for consumption by pouring hot water over the noodles and leaving them to stand for several minutes. Instant noodles are not only excellent in long-term storage stability, but are also highly convenient foods that can be eaten with simple preparation. Patent Document 6 describes how multi-layered noodle strands are produced so that any layer contains a noodle dough with an approximately neutral to weakly alkaline pH, prepared by adding alginic acid and / or an alginate salt and an alkaline agent to raw material flour, and the noodle strands are then gelatinized, followed by treatment with an acid solution to adjust the pH of the noodle strands to an acidic range, and then instant noodles are produced using standard methods such as frying, hot air drying, or freeze-drying, thereby producing instant noodles that are firm, viscoelastic, and smooth and do not easily spread when boiled water is added. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-154725 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-049425 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6600436 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-217722 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-322842 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-292528 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention provides instant noodles that are easily reconstituted with hot water and have a good texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a method for producing instant noodles, comprising: An outer layer noodle sheet prepared from dough having a pH of 6.0 or higher is laminated with an inner layer noodle sheet prepared from dough having a pH of 3.5 to 5.5 to prepare multi-layer noodles having a laminated structure in which an inner layer is disposed between two outer layers. The multi-layered noodles are gelatinized and then fried or dried to produce instant noodles. The present invention provides a method comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The instant noodles produced according to the present invention have good reconstitution with hot water and a favorable viscoelastic texture. Furthermore, the noodle dough for the instant noodles of the present invention has excellent secondary processability and is easy to roll and shape, making it easy to produce noodles and reducing dough loss during noodle production. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The instant noodles of the present invention are produced from multilayer noodles having a multilayer structure. The instant noodles of the present invention are produced by gelatinizing fresh multilayer noodles and frying or drying them according to a normal instant noodle production procedure.

[0009] Types of instant noodles produced by the present invention include, but are not limited to, noodle strands such as Chinese noodles, udon, Japanese soba, pasta, etc. The shape of the instant noodles produced by the present invention is not particularly limited and may be, for example, noodle strands or noodle skins, but noodle strands are preferred.

[0010] The multilayer noodles used in the present invention can be produced from dough for the inner and outer layers by known methods. Preferably, the multilayer noodles are produced by laminating an inner layer noodle sheet and an outer layer noodle sheet to produce a multilayer noodle sheet, and then rolling the multilayer noodle sheet to produce noodles. More specifically, the inner layer noodle sheet is produced from the inner layer dough, and the outer layer noodle sheet is separately produced from the outer layer dough. The inner layer noodle sheet may be a single layer, or may have multiple layers prepared from doughs with different compositions. The inner layer noodle sheet is then sandwiched between the outer layer noodle sheets to produce a multilayer noodle sheet. By rolling the multilayer noodle sheet and producing noodles, multilayer noodles with a laminated structure including two outer layers (outermost layers) and an inner layer disposed between them can be produced.

[0011] The raw material flour for the outer and inner layers of the multi-layered noodles used in the present invention preferably contains cereal flour. Examples of such cereal flours include wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, waxy barley flour, buckwheat flour, soy flour, corn flour, oat flour, rye flour, and bran flour, with wheat flour, rice flour, barley flour, waxy barley flour, and buckwheat flour being preferred. These cereal flours can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The cereal flours may contain heat-treated flour such as pregelatinized flour, but are preferably non-heat-treated flour. The raw material flour for the outer and inner layers preferably contains 50% by mass or more of the cereal flour, more preferably 60% by mass or more, even more preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more of the cereal flour.

[0012] Preferably, the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers contains wheat flour. Preferably, the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers contains wheat flour in an amount of 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, even more preferably 70% by mass or more, even more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the raw material flour. Preferably, 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, even more preferably 95% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100% by mass of the cereal flour used in the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers is wheat flour. The wheat flour may be any wheat flour commonly used in the production of noodles, such as hard flour, semi-hard flour, all-purpose flour, soft flour, durum flour, and whole wheat flour, with hard flour, semi-hard flour, all-purpose flour, and durum flour being preferred. These wheat flours can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The particle size of the wheat flour is not particularly limited, and it may be, for example, semolina.

[0013] The raw material flour for the outer layer and the inner layer may contain starches, if necessary. Examples of such starches are not particularly limited, and include unmodified starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, and rice starch, as well as modified starches obtained by processing these starches (e.g., by cross-linking, phosphorylation, acetylation, etherification, oxidation, gelatinization, etc.). In the present invention, these unmodified starches and modified starches can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Preferably, the starch is potato starch or tapioca starch. Also preferably, the starch is modified starch. More preferably, the starch is modified potato starch or modified tapioca starch, and even more preferably, modified potato starch or modified tapioca starch that has been subjected to one or more processes selected from the group consisting of oxidation, acetylation, etherification, and cross-linking. When the raw material flour for the outer layer and the inner layer contains starches, the content of the starches is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, and preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, of the total amount of the raw material flour.

[0014] In addition to cereal flours and starches, the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers may further contain other ingredients conventionally used in the production of noodles. These other ingredients include protein materials such as wheat protein (gluten), soy protein, milk protein, egg yolk powder, egg white powder, whole egg powder, and skim milk powder, as well as fats and oils, alkaline mineral water, calcined calcium, dietary fiber, salt, sugars, sweeteners, spices, seasonings, vitamins, minerals, nutritional fortifiers, colorants, flavorings, dextrin (including resistant dextrin), leavening agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, water retention agents, preservatives, enzymes, pH adjusters, and oxidation-reducing agents. The raw material flour used in the present invention may also contain a component that improves the noodle's loosening properties. Examples of such components that improve the loosening properties include egg white, alginate esters, alginic acid, alginates, emulsifiers, emulsified oils and fats, vegetable oils and fats, soybean hydrolysates, and dietary fiber. On the other hand, in the present invention, the raw material flour for the inner layer preferably does not contain an alginate ester, alginic acid, or alginate, and more preferably the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers does not contain an alginate ester, alginic acid, or alginate. The total content of these other components in the raw material flour for the outer and inner layers is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 0 to 15% by mass. The content of each of these other components in the raw material flour can be determined appropriately depending on the type of noodle desired.

[0015] The raw material flour compositions of the outer and inner layers may be the same or different, for example, the types and amounts of flours, starches, and other ingredients contained in the raw material flours of the outer and inner layers may be the same or different.

[0016] The outer layer dough and inner layer dough can be prepared by adding water to the raw material flour for the outer layer and inner layer, respectively, in accordance with conventional methods, and kneading the mixture. The water used to prepare the outer layer dough and inner layer dough can be kneading water typically used in the production of noodle dough, such as water, salt water, kansui (brine water), or an acidic aqueous solution. Multi-layered noodles are produced from the outer layer dough and inner layer dough. More specifically, in these multi-layered noodles, both sides of the outermost layer are composed of the outer layer dough, and the layer inside the outermost layer is composed of the inner layer dough.

[0017] From the viewpoint of improving the texture of instant noodles, the outer layer dough used in the present invention is a noodle dough with a pH of 6.0 or higher, preferably a pH of 7.0 to 11.5, and more preferably a pH of 8.0 to 11.5. The pH of the outer layer dough can be adjusted using an alkaline agent. Examples of alkaline agents include kansui (water-based mineral water), potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, potassium polyphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, potassium metaphosphate, sodium metaphosphate, tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, and trisodium phosphate, with kansui (water-based mineral water), potassium carbonate, and sodium carbonate being preferred. These alkaline agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The alkaline agent may be used in any form, such as a powder or an aqueous solution, when preparing the outer layer dough. Preferably, the outer layer dough is prepared by adding an aqueous solution containing the alkaline agent as kneading water to the raw material flour for the outer layer, and kneading the mixture. The amount of alkaline agent used can be appropriately adjusted so that the resulting outer layer dough has a pH within the desired range. The amount of kneading water used to prepare the outer layer dough is preferably 25 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 25 to 35 parts by mass, in terms of the water content of the kneading water, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour.

[0018] On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving the reconstitution properties and texture of instant noodles, the inner layer dough used in the present invention is a noodle dough with a pH of 3.5 to 5.5, preferably 3.5 to 5.0, and more preferably 4.0 to 4.5. As described above, the inner layer dough can be prepared by kneading raw material flour with a kneading water such as water, salt water, or an acidic aqueous solution. Alternatively, the pH of the inner layer dough can be adjusted using a pH adjuster such as an organic acid, an organic acid salt, phosphoric acid, or a phosphate salt. The pH adjuster may be used in any form, such as a powder or an aqueous solution, in preparing the inner layer dough. The amount of pH adjuster used can be appropriately adjusted so that the resulting inner layer dough has a pH within the desired range. By adjusting the pH of the inner layer dough to within the above range, the intra-dough network, including gluten, is weakened, which is thought to improve the water absorption of the inner layer portion when instant noodles are made, resulting in faster reconstitution. Preferably, the raw material flour, water, and pH adjuster are kneaded together so that the pH of the inner layer dough falls within the above range. This further improves the reconstitution properties of the resulting instant noodles. The amount of kneading water used to prepare the inner layer dough is preferably 25 to 50 parts by mass, and more preferably 30 to 45 parts by mass, in terms of water content, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour.

[0019] Preferably, the inner layer dough is prepared by kneading the above-mentioned raw material flour and water (kneading water) at a pH of 3.5 to 5.5. For example, the inner layer dough can be prepared by adding an acidic aqueous solution prepared to achieve the above pH conditions to the raw material flour for the inner layer and kneading the mixture. That is, the acidic aqueous solution is used as the kneading water for preparing the inner layer dough. The acidic aqueous solution preferably has a pH of 2 to 5.5. Preferably, the acidic aqueous solution contains one or more selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts, phosphoric acid, and phosphate salts. Preferably, the acidic aqueous solution is an aqueous solution of an organic acid and / or an organic acid salt. The total amount (on a dry matter basis) of the organic acid, organic acid salt, phosphoric acid, and phosphate salt contained in the acidic aqueous solution is preferably 0.03 to 3 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 1 part by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour for the inner layer.

[0020] Examples of the organic acid include at least one selected from the group consisting of monovalent to trivalent organic acids, such as citric acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, itaconic acid, phytic acid, and tartaric acid. Examples of the organic acid salt include at least one selected from the group consisting of citrate, malate, fumarate, gluconate, succinate, adipate, lactate, acetate, itaconate, phytate, and tartrate. Examples of the salt include sodium salt, potassium salt, magnesium salt, and calcium salt. The phosphoric acid and phosphate salt may be any edible salt, and examples of the phosphate salt include monophosphates such as trisodium phosphate and sodium monohydrogen phosphate, and polymerized or condensed phosphates such as pyrophosphate, polyphosphate, and metaphosphate.

[0021] The amount of the acidic aqueous solution used in preparing the inner layer dough can be adjusted appropriately depending on the amounts of organic acid, organic acid salt, phosphoric acid, and phosphate salt relative to the raw material flour, as specified above, the pH range of the aqueous solution, the composition of the raw material flour, the desired pH and water content of the noodle dough, etc. As described above, the amount of the acidic aqueous solution used is preferably 25 to 50 parts by mass, and more preferably 30 to 45 parts by mass, in terms of the water content of the aqueous solution, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour for the inner layer.

[0022] Throughout this specification, the pH of an aqueous solution refers to the pH value at a temperature of 25°C. Furthermore, throughout this specification, the pH of noodle dough refers to the pH (25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 1 g of noodle dough (which has not been prepared, cooked, or dried) in 10 mL of water. Throughout this specification, the pH of raw material flour refers to the pH (25°C) of a suspension obtained by suspending 1 g of raw material flour in 10 mL of water.

[0023] Preferably, the inner layer dough contains a fat or oil. Adding a fat or oil to the inner layer dough improves the rehydration properties and texture of instant noodles. The fat or oil may be any commonly used edible fat or oil, such as animal fats and oils, such as butter, beef tallow, and lard; vegetable fats and oils, such as salad oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, and olive oil; hydrogenated fats and oils; mixtures of these fats and oils; and flavor oils, such as olive oil, roasted sesame oil, roasted soybean oil, roasted rapeseed oil, almond oil, walnut oil, peanut oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia nut oil, green onion oil, garlic oil, chili oil, and butter flavor oil. These fats and oils can be used alone or in combination of two or more. These fats and oils can be included in the raw material flour as powdered fats or can be added to the raw material flour during dough preparation. The amount of the oil or fat in the inner layer dough is preferably 1 to 15 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the grain flour and starch contained in the raw material flour.

[0024] The resulting outer layer dough and inner layer dough can be rolled separately to produce an outer layer noodle sheet and an inner layer noodle sheet. Multilayer noodles can be produced by sandwiching the inner layer noodle sheet between the outer layer noodle sheets to produce a multilayer noodle sheet, which is then rolled and made into noodles. The multilayer noodles used in the present invention can be produced using the same procedures as conventional multilayer noodle production methods, except that both sides of the outermost layer are made from the outer layer dough and the layer inside the outermost layer is made from the inner layer dough. For example, means for rolling and making noodles include, but are not limited to, extrusion, rolling with a roll and slicing.

[0025] The multilayered noodles used in the present invention may have a layer structure of three or more layers, including two outer layers (outermost layers) and one or more inner layers between them. For example, the multilayered noodles may be three-layered noodles, including two outer layers and one inner layer, or may be four or more layers, including two outer layers and two or more inner layers. Preferably, the multilayered noodles are three-layered noodles. When the multilayered noodles have two or more inner layers, each layer may be prepared from a different dough within the composition and pH range of the inner layer dough described above.

[0026] The thickness of each of the two outer layers in the multi-layered noodles is preferably 16 to 40%, and more preferably 25 to 35%, of the total thickness of the multi-layered noodles. If the outer layers are too thin or too thick, the texture of the instant noodles may not be sufficiently improved. Preferably, the multi-layered noodles are noodle strands that, when fresh, have a thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, more preferably 0.7 to 1.8 mm, and even more preferably 1 to 1.5 mm. The thickness of the noodle strand refers to the length of the longest side or major axis of the cross section of the noodle strand (the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis).

[0027] In the instant noodles manufacturing method according to the present invention, the resulting raw multilayered noodles are subjected to a gelatinization process using standard methods such as boiling and steaming. The resulting gelatinized noodles are then fried in oil using standard methods to produce fried instant noodles. Meanwhile, the resulting gelatinized noodles are dried using standard methods such as hot air, microwave heating, or freeze-drying to produce non-fried instant noodles. Preferably, the instant noodles manufactured by the present invention are fried instant noodles. For example, the gelatinized noodles can be divided into individual portions and deep-fried at 140 to 150°C for 1 to 3 minutes to produce fried instant noodles. Alternatively, for example, the gelatinized noodles can be divided into individual portions and deep-fried at 70 to 150°C for 1 to 120 minutes to produce non-fried instant noodles.

[0028] The obtained instant noodles can be reconstituted so that they are ready to eat by contacting them with (preferably immersing them in) hot water. The temperature of the hot water used to reconstitute the noodles is preferably 65°C or higher, more preferably 85°C or higher, and even more preferably 90°C or higher. For example, the instant noodles can be boiled in boiling water. Alternatively, the instant noodles can be placed in a container and hot water can be poured over them and allowed to stand. Alternatively, water or hot water can be poured over the instant noodles placed in a container and heated in a microwave oven. The contact time with hot water for reconstituting the noodles can be set appropriately depending on the type, shape, and amount of the noodles, the preferences of the consumer, etc. [Example]

[0029] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0030] [Raw materials] Wheat flour (semi-strong flour, Nisshin Flour Milling) Modified starch (oxidized potato starch: Stabilose 1000, Matsutani Chemical)

[0031] [Test 1] Non-fried instant Chinese noodles 1) Manufacturing of single-layer noodles Kneading water was added to the raw material flour according to the composition shown in Table 1, and the mixture was kneaded in a noodle mixer to prepare dough. The resulting dough was rolled and combined using a noodle roll to produce a noodle band, which was then cut using a cutting blade (#16 square) to produce noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm).

[0032] 2) Manufacturing of multi-layered noodles Outer layer: Kneading water was added to the raw material flour according to the composition shown in Table 1, and the mixture was kneaded in a noodle mixer to prepare dough. The resulting dough was rolled out to obtain a noodle sheet for the outer layer with a thickness of 1.65 mm. Inner layer: Dough was prepared by adding mixing water to the raw material flour according to the composition shown in Table 1 and kneading in a noodle mixer. The resulting dough was rolled out to obtain a noodle sheet for the inner layer with a thickness of 3.3 mm. An inner layer noodle sheet was placed between two outer layer noodle sheets, and the resulting layers were rolled out to produce a three-layer noodle sheet with an outer layer to inner layer thickness ratio of 1 / 2 / 1. The resulting noodle sheet was cut using a cutting blade (#16 square) to produce three-layer noodle strands (noodle thickness 1.5 mm).

[0033] 3) Instant noodle manufacturing The noodle strands obtained in 1) or 2) were steamed for 3 minutes (steam pressure: approximately 3 kPa), then divided into individual portions and dried with hot air at 90°C for 20 minutes to produce non-fried instant Chinese noodles.

[0034] 4) Evaluation The non-fried instant noodles (noodle mass: 65 g) obtained in 3) were placed in a container, and approximately 330 mL of hot water (90°C) was poured into it. The lid was then placed on the container and allowed to rehydrate for 3 minutes. The rehydrated noodles were subjected to a sensory evaluation by 10 trained panelists using the following evaluation criteria for reconstitution (remaining core, gritty texture) and texture (viscoelasticity), and the average score was calculated. The noodles of Comparative Example 1-1 were used as a control. The secondary processability of the noodle dough was evaluated as follows: if 8 or more of the 10 panelists judged that the noodle dough could be rolled without any problems, it was given a good rating; if 7 or fewer panelists judged that the noodle dough could be rolled without any problems, it was given a bad rating. The results are shown in Table 1. <Evaluation criteria> (Reconstitution: core remains, dry feeling) 5 points: Very superior to the control. 4 points: Superior to control. 3 points: Slightly better than the control. 2 points: Equivalent to the control (core remains and is slightly crumbly). 1 point: Inferior to control. (Texture: viscoelastic) 5 points: Has very good viscoelasticity compared to the control. 4 points: Has better viscoelasticity than the control. 3 points: Slightly better viscoelasticity than the control. 2 points: Equivalent to the control (slightly inferior in viscoelasticity). 1 point: Poor viscoelasticity compared to the control.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] [Test 2] Non-fried instant Chinese noodles Three-layer noodle strands were produced using the same procedure as in Test 1, except that the thickness ratio between the outer layer and the inner layer was changed as shown in Table 2 (noodle thickness: 1.5 mm). These were then used to produce non-fried instant Chinese noodles, and the reconstituted noodles were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their rehydration and texture. Comparative Example 1-1 was used as a control. The results are shown in Table 2. There were no problems with the secondary processability of the noodle dough.

[0037] [Table 2]

[0038] [Test 3] Non-fried instant Chinese noodles Using the composition shown in Table 3 and the same procedure as in Test 1, single-layer noodle strands and three-layer noodle strands (thickness ratio 1 / 2 / 1) were produced (both noodle thicknesses of 1.5 mm). Non-fried instant Chinese noodles were produced using the resulting noodle strands, and the reconstituted noodles were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their rehydration with hot water and texture. Comparative Example 3-1 was used as a control. The secondary processability of the noodle dough was also evaluated in the same manner as in Test 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0039] [Table 3]

[0040] [Test 4] Fried instant Chinese noodles Using the composition shown in Table 4 and the same procedure as in Test 1, single-layer noodle strands and three-layer noodle strands (thickness ratio 1 / 2 / 1) were produced (both noodle thicknesses of 1.5 mm). The resulting noodle strands were steamed for 2.5 minutes (steaming pressure 5-8 kPa), then divided into individual portions and fried (150°C) for 2 minutes to produce fried instant Chinese noodles. Using the same procedure as in Test 1, the reconstituted noodles were subjected to a sensory evaluation of their rehydration and texture. Comparative Example 4-1 was used as a control. The results are shown in Table 4. There were no problems with the secondary processability of the noodle dough.

[0041] [Table 4]

Claims

1. A method for producing instant noodles, comprising: An outer layer noodle sheet prepared from a dough having a pH of 6.0 to 11.5 is laminated with an inner layer noodle sheet prepared from a dough having a pH of 3.5 to 5.5 to prepare multi-layer noodles having a laminated structure in which an inner layer is disposed between two outer layers; The multi-layered noodles are gelatinized and then fried or dried to produce instant noodles. Including, the thickness of each of the two outer layers is 16 to 40% of the total thickness of the multi-layered noodles; the raw material flours for the outer layer and the inner layer contain 50% by mass or more of wheat flour and 10% by mass or more of starches; method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dough for the inner layer noodle sheet is prepared by kneading raw material flour and water at a pH of 3.5 to 5.

5.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner layer contains a fat or oil.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the multi-layered noodles are three-layered noodles.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the instant noodles are fried instant noodles.

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