Gluten-free crackers and method of making the same

Abstract

Crackers are provided that are low-gluten or free of gluten and contain a combination of pregelatinized starch, concentrate non-gluten protein, and native starches. Despite the absence or low levels of gluten, the crackers have taste, texture, and other properties similar to crackers made with wheat flour.

Description

[0001] GLUTEN-FREE CRACKERS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

[0002] RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Number 63,709,934, filed on October 21, 2024, which is hereby incorporated as if fully set forth herein.

[0004] FIELD

[0005] The present disclosure relates to gluten-free food products made with starch-based wheat substitutes, and methods of making such products.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] Baked goods come in a variety of forms, with varying appearances, textures, flavors, and other characteristics. In particular, crackers, chips, and the like are provided in a variety of shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. Crackers and other wheat-based snacks vary in crunch, chewiness, flakiness, and other characteristics.

[0008] Many baked goods contain one or more types of glutens, a group of proteins that are the predominate proteins found in cereal grains. Glutens occur in wheat species, barley, and rye as well as in products derived from these grains. When mixed with water, the gluten protein forms a strong, cohesive dough that will retain gas during proofing and baking. The viscoelastic property provided by gluten protein is fundamental in making many traditional baked products. Glutens have viscoelastic and adhesive properties, which give dough its elasticity, helping it rise and keep its shape and often leaving the final product with a chewy texture. These properties have led to wide use of gluten in the food industry.

[0009] However, gluten can trigger adverse inflammatory, immunological, and autoimmune reactions in some people, including celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, dermatitis herpetiformis, gluten ataxia, and other disorders. Celiac disease in particular, has demanded increased attention in recent years. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects people of all ages. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products made from plants that contain gluten, the mucous membrane of the small intestine is damaged. Celiac disease affects people differently, and symptoms can range from diarrhea or abdominal pain to irritability or depression. The gluten protein content in bakery goods made from traditional flour far exceeds the maximum amount of gluten that a celiac person can tolerate at the standard consumption level. Therefore, the treatment for celiac disease is generally to follow a gluten-free diet, meaning that individuals with celiac disease avoid eating grains, bread, pizza, pasta, cereal, tortillas, and many other processed foods that contain gluten. Reducing or eliminating gluten levels in the diet can have a variety of benefits for individuals that suffer from gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, such as increasing energy levels, promoting healthy weight gain, reducing bloating, reducing joint pain, reducing frequency of headaches, reducing depression, assisting in lactose digestion, improving bone and skin health, and reducing hair loss. It is also believed that gluten-free products have a variety of health benefits even for individuals that do not suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, which has led to a trend of expanding gluten-free product offerings.

[0010] Over the last decade, the market for gluten -free products has expanded rapidly. For instance, from 2010 to 2022 the percentage of new cookies, snack bars, and salty snack launching that are gluten-free has more than doubled. Retail grocery chains now often devote an entire section of their stores to gluten-free products, with additional gluten-free products found in other aisles next to their gluten-containing counterparts. Many celebrities and athletes have also openly praised gluten-free diets, further increasing the market for food items made without wheat. However, despite their popularity, most commercially-available gluten-free food items fail to have the same taste and texture of products made with gluten. Commercially available gluten-free baked goods generally have a dense, crumbly, and sandy or granular texture, poor mouthfeel, inferior appearance, and a relatively short shelf life when compared to wheat-containing equivalent products. Some cracker-type products are made with a higher content of nuts and seeds rather than cereal or vegetable flours, and have a hard and brittle texture that is not comparable to wheat crackers and is marketed for well-being benefits rather than a straight replacement for more traditional snack crackers. Further, compared with dough made from traditional flour, gluten-free doughs generally have lower cohesiveness and elasticity. The available dough-based methods produce sticky dough which is problematic in manufacturing and results in poor-quality products. Some gluten-free processing methods rely on liquid batter rather than dough, and as a result are not suitable for manufacturing using traditional processing. Moreover, while numerous gluten-free formulations have been proposed for bread, available gluten-free alternatives for denser, crunchy foods like crackers are generally less acceptable. It would therefore be desirable to enable the manufacture of gluten-free products with organoleptic properties similar to those of traditional products.

[0011] SUMMARY

[0012] Crackers and other snack products may be provided that are free of gluten or that have reduced levels of gluten yet have taste, texture, and other properties similar to their traditional counterparts made with traditional wheat flour or a normal amount of gluten. As used herein, “free of gluten” or “gluten-free” refers to a cracker having no more than the maximum amount of gluten permissible under one or more definitions of gluten-free according to applicable standards or regulations. For instance, in the United States 20 ppm gluten or less is considered “gluten-free” per FDA regulations and products certified as “gluten-free” by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) must contain less than 10 ppm gluten. In some aspects, crackers are manufactured containing pre-gelatinized starch, such as pre-gelatinized waxy corn starch used in certain embodiments. In some forms, the baked good may include combinations of gluten-free flour, native starch, protein concentrate, and gums to yield a high strength matrix that imitates the properties of products made with traditional wheat flour. The ratio of native starch to gluten-free flour is generally high, such as about 5:1, 4:1, or 3:1. In some forms, pre-gelatinized starch is blended with other components to create a stronger network within a dough. Doughs for making such baked goods are also described herein. In some forms, light microscopy and confocal microscopy techniques are able to show differences in the matrix of gluten-free products made according to the invention in comparison to commercially-available gluten-free compositions. Products made in accordance with the invention have a formula that is closer to wheat in processability and texture than commercial gluten-free flour blends. Crackers are generally baked, but may be fried or cooked by other methods, such as extrusion.

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Fig. 1 is a flow diagram showing a method of manufacturing a cracker according to the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a graph showing peak force relative to the amount of pregelatinized starch and mixing time. Figs. 3-5 demonstrate perceived texture based on various combinations of ingredients.

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Creating a gluten-free or reduced-gluten cracker with a texture similar to gluten-containing crackers is difficult because texture is a complex feature influenced by the interaction of ingredients and processing conditions which generates structural features and characteristics that provide sensory impressions to the consumer. Compensating for a change in formulation in order to arrive at an identical or near-identical textural impression may require numerous different adjustments to both formulation and processing steps. It has now been shown that crackers can be prepared without gluten and still maintain the desired light, airy, and / or flaky texture of crackers containing gluten. Such a dough provides a final, baked product that can be made to have a desirable taste, texture, appearance, and baking properties similar to products made with significant amounts of gluten. In some forms, such a cracker can generally comprise gluten-free flour, fat, and pre-gelatinized starch. The cracker may also have one or more surface treatments before or after baking. In some forms, dough is fried rather than baked to provide a finished cracker.

[0018] Generally, a cracker can be prepared that imitates the texture of a comparable wheat-based cracker by replacing the functionality of gluten by combining one or more gluten-free flours and / or starches, one or more pre-gelatinized starches, one or more proteins, and one or more gums or other hydrocolloids. In wheat flour, functionality is associated with its starch and gluten components, with a well-developed protein network that binds and surrounds the starch, providing the dough its elasticity and cohesiveness. A gluten-free formula can utilize ingredients such as proteins, pre-gelatinized starches, and gums to replace the network of gluten protein and starch. Further, in wheat-based products, mixing plays a critical role to develop gluten networks, allowing various dough lamination techniques to be utilized (such as both sweep-sheet and cut-sheet lamination techniques). The available lamination techniques with gluten-free doughs are generally more limited, making it difficult to achieve the same textures as a standard cracker, such as the flaky texture found in certain wheat-based crackers. It has been found that use of pre-gelatinized waxy starch which contains very little to no amylose and is high in amylopectin, in combination with non-gluten proteins and viscosifying hydrocolloids (hydrocolloids with significant thickening ability), such as high molecular weight hydrocolloids, surprisingly provides more robust doughs which exhibit improved sheeting, elasticity, and cohesiveness and are less fragile than gluten-free doughs lacking this combination of ingredients. Additionally, the gluten-free dough that is produced by using these ingredients, has the added benefit of not sticking while it is being processed and is subject to less drying and tearing than prior gluten-free cracker formulas. Nevertheless, use of the ingredients must be controlled. For instance, high levels of pre-gelatinized starch can contribute to increased hardness, and at certain levels reduce the desirability of texture in the finished product.

[0019] The pregelatinized (pre-gel) starch may comprise, for instance, about 2.5-6.5 wt. % of the dough and 4-7 wt. % of the finished cracker. In some preferred forms, the pregelatinized starch is a pre-gel corn starch, such as pre-gel waxy maize starch. In some forms, the pregelatinized starch may be a pre-gel tapioca starch, or other types of pre-gel starch such as waxy rice or waxy potato pre-gel starches. In some forms, combinations of the foregoing pre-gel starches may also be used. The pre-gelatinized starch preferably comprises long chain branches, such as pre-gel waxy maize starch, which also contain amylopectin and little to no amylose. Without limiting the invention, pre-gel waxy maize starches are believed by the inventors to stabilize bubbles during dough expansion. Long chain branched starches occupy a smaller volume, and thus provide lower viscosity, relative to linear starches, which is believed to confer dough with properties for forming and shaping similar to dough containing gluten. This also provides the dough with sufficient strength to pull away the web scrap after cutting, and to expand during baking, resulting in a final product with a structure close to wheat-based crackers. After baking, the dough has a light, airy, flaky, texture with a tender crispy bite similar to gluten-containing crackers. Additionally, the dough will have extensibility similar to that of a dough that contains gluten, and when baked into crackers has similar strength to that of crackers made with gluten.

[0020] Non-gluten proteins may contribute to a strong network that mimics the properties of gluten-containing products, thereby conferring resistance to breakage during manufacturing, handling, and transportation. References herein to protein content refer to the amount of added protein concentrate or isolate, and do not include protein from flour or other ingredients. In some preferred forms, the protein is derived from soy, faba beans, or whey. The added non-gluten protein concentrate content may comprise, for instance, about 1-6.0 wt. % of the dough, and more preferably 1.5-5 wt. %. After baking, the non-gluten protein concentrate is about 1-5 wt. % of the finished cracker, and more preferably 2-5% or 4-5 wt. %. Non-gluten proteins impart beneficial properties, including the ability to distribute and stabilize ungelatinized starch granules through their emulsifying capacity. These proteins help to maintain optimal dough viscosity and offer extensibility favorable to forming and shaping of the dough into laminated structures. The addition of proteins also assists in the formation, stabilization, and expansion of gas bubbles during baking. Soy proteins and other proteins with strong crosslinking properties are used in some embodiments, and can contribute to the desired final texture. However, use of a combination of pregelatinized waxy starch and non-gluten proteins permits incorporation of proteins without strong crosslinking ability while still maintaining adequate textural properties such as crispiness and flakiness. Proteins, including protein concentrates, can optimize rheological properties such as texture, sheetability, and blistering. In particular, it was found that faba bean concentrate has a neutral flavor and rheological properties that are preferred in some forms of the invention for creating texture, sheetability, and blistering similar to that of wheat crackers. Balance and synergy between pre-gel starch and protein is important, and preferably the pre-gel starch and protein do not exhibit significant clumping when combined.

[0021] Hydrocolloid is included in the dough in order to increase dough viscosity efficiently. Hydrocolloids with greater thickening ability are preferred. One preferred hydrocolloid is Guar gum. It has been found that guar gum and similar linear chain hydrocolloids increase dough viscosity and strength during forming and shaping, which eliminates tearing and permits the removal of the web scrap with greater ease. These linear chain hydrocolloids also provide enhanced stability, strength, and structure to the dough, stabilizing air pockets in the dough during baking and facilitating formation of a desirable light, crispy product texture. Pre-gel starch forms a rubbery, viscoelastic gel that in combination with insoluble particles makes it easy to sheet, but guar gum was added to make sure that dough does not tear too easily or have scrap that is difficult to remove. Guar gum increases viscosity much more at a given amount than, for instance, xanthan gum. In some forms, hydrocolloid comprises about 0.15-0.5 wt. % of the dough, and 0.15-0.6 wt. % of the baked cracker.

[0022] The cracker dough also comprises flours and / or unmodified starches that are free of gluten. Reference to starch herein refers to isolated starch, and does not include amounts of starch contributed from flour. In some forms, non-gluten flour and / or starch comprise about 1.5-50 wt. % of the dough. In some forms, the total amount of gluten-free flour and gluten-free starch accounts for approximately half or more of the weight of the dough. In some forms, the total amount of gluten-free flour and gluten-free starch comprise about 1.5-65 wt. % of the baked cracker. It has been found that it is especially beneficial for the amount of unmodified starch, preferably native starch, to be substantially higher than the amount of flour. The percentage by weight of native starch is preferably at least two times, and more preferably at least three times, and even more preferably about four times the weight percentage of gluten-free flour. High ratios of starch are preferred because they tend to be more flavor neutral and require addition of less water to form a workable cracker dough. Relatively high ratios of flour generally lead to a dough that crumbles more easily and requires more water, and excess water can gelatinize starch and increase baking time. The unmodified starch is preferably native com starch, which is made up of granules that are similar in size to wheat starch, and may be, for instance, native or unmodified corn starch or waxy com starches. The gluten-free flour may be com flour, tapioca flour, or combinations thereof. In some preferred embodiments, the gluten-free flour is a combination of corn flour and tapioca flour, which together have been found to have relatively high protein levels and provide a flavor and mouthfeel similar to wheat products.

[0023] Unmodified starches, when combined with pre-gel starch and non-gluten protein, not only provide a texture that mimics properties of wheat flour, it also provides a natural “clean label” benefit desired by many consumers.

[0024] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that dough including pre-gelatinized starch in combination with protein concentrate and hydrocolloid improves protein networking and provides more evenly dispersed starch to provide an improved network within the dough when compared to known gluten-free alternatives.

[0025] Generally, a gluten-free cracker also can be prepared from a dough including any one or more suitable fats in any suitable amounts. Any solid or liquid fats known in the art for use in crackers may be used, such as canola oil, animal fats, butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, lard, margarine, olive oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, suet, sunflower oil, tallow, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or vegetable shortening. In some aspects, the cracker dough can include a blend of any two or more fats. In an embodiment, a dough comprises a vegetable-based fat (canola or rapeseed oil, palm and / or palm kernel oil).

[0026] A gluten-free baked good also can be prepared from a dough generally including any one or more suitable sweeteners in an amount effective to impart sweetness to the baked good. Sweeteners such as granulated sugars, syrups, and artificial sweeteners known in the art may be used. Examples of sweeteners include any one or more of natural or artificial sweeteners, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, mannose, maltose, fruit sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar, honey, invert syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, and the like; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, erythritol, and the like; low or zero calorie sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, neotame, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, steviol glycosides, mogrosides, saccharin, sucralose, and the like; and mixtures thereof. Sugars, and preferably sugars other than sucrose, are preferred due to contribution to product color after baking as well as flavor profile.

[0027] A cracker as described herein also may comprise one or more baked dough portions and one or more fillings or toppings. For instance, the cracker may comprise a salt, sugar and / or fatbased topping, or may be a cracker sandwich in which cracker portions trap one or more fillings. The toppings and / or fillings of such embodiments are preferably gluten-free.

[0028] A dough or finished baked good can optionally include other additives such as any one or more of leaveners, flavorants (such as cheese powder, butter flavoring, or cocoa or chocolate liquor), colorants, emulsifiers (e.g. lecithin, salt, and whey). Leaveners in particular can help to provide a cracker structure and texture similar to wheat cracker products. In some aspects, crackers may comprise emulsifiers.

[0029] A dough can generally be formed by mixing components such as water, pre-gel starch, native starch, flour, fat, and other ingredients. The inventors have surprisingly found that including a combination of pre-gel starch, native starch, gluten-free flour, protein concentrate, and hydrocolloid, particularly linear chain hydrocolloid (such as guar gum), provides a dough with taste and texture more similar to gluten-containing crackers goods than other gluten-free or low-gluten alternatives. In some forms a first group of ingredients comprising sugar, salt, leavener, oil, pre-gel starch, protein concentrate, and hydrocolloid is combined. The mixture is hydrated, and then starch and non-gluten flours are added. The resulting dough is proofed and baked. Mixing of the dough during formation plays an important role to functionalize pre-gel starch, hydrocolloid, and protein to imitate gluten functionality and ultimately provide a texture, and in some forms high shear mixing is performed. In some embodiments the time spent mixing the ingredients can be anywhere from 7-22 minutes at slow speeds (approximately 20 rpm to about 60 rpm, for instance in a Hobart Mixer or Single Arm Mixer. Preferred mixing times are at least about 10 to 20 minutes at 20 to 60 rpm, or preferably at least about 18 to 20 minutes when mixing at lower speeds such as 20 to 25 rpm. Due to the texture of the gluten-free dough, in some forms cut-sheet lamination is used rather than straight sheeting in order to provide a flaky texture.

[0030] Using the combination of ingredients described in this application to form the dough it has been found that the dough does not have the same problems that previous gluten free dough has, namely, that the dough formed is a uniform dough enabling manufacturing of a “cut-sheet laminate” with uniform layers.

[0031] Additionally, using the combination of ingredients described in this application to form the dough has also shown to have improved dough sheeting and processing properties when produced using a straight sheeting method. This method involves the ingredients being mixed together until they form a dough, and then passing the dough through a dough chunker, an incline conveyor, and a dough hopper before it arrives at the feeder roll. The dough then passes through the feeder roll, optionally one or more auxiliary rollers, and through a final gauge roll, after which the dough is cut and / or shaped, for instance using a rotary cutter. Additionally, a web scrap can be used to ensure that the cut dough is separated from the remaining dough.

[0032] Additionally, a cracker baked by using this dough is able to have similar characteristics to crackers containing gluten. These characteristics include but are not limited to hardness, airiness, flakiness, dissolve rate, volume of sound when chewed, color, and overall taste.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a flow chart illustrating one example of a process for manufacturing a gluten-free cracker in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. At Step 1, sweetener, salt, leavener, oil, pre-gel starch, and hydrocolloid are combined. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed. At Step 2, water is added and mixed with the ingredients from Group 1. At Step 3, starch and non-gluten flours are added mixed in. At Step 4, water and optionally additional leavener are added. At Step 5, the dough is baked. The dough may optionally be proofed prior to Step 5.

[0034] Non-limiting examples below demonstrate further aspects of specific embodiments of the invention. Control

[0035] A commercially available cracker (made with wheat flour containing gluten) was used as a control sample. The cracker was made from the following basic formulation:

[0036] TABLE 1

[0037] Group 1

[0038] Sweetener 5 to 15%

[0039] Salt 0.10 to 0.55%

[0040] Emulsifier 0.05 to 0.35%

[0041] Oil 5 to 25%

[0042] Flavor 0.01 to 0.35%

[0043] Syrup 0.25 to 5.0%

[0044] Group 2

[0045] Water 7 to 25%

[0046] Group 3

[0047] Wheat Flour 40 to 80%

[0048] Sodium bicarbonate 0. 20 to 1.25%

[0049] Calcium Phosphate Monobasic CAP 0.20 to 1.25%

[0050] Group 4

[0051] Ammonium bicarbonate 0.20 to 2.0%

[0052] water 0. 50 to 3.5%

[0053] Enzymes 0.001 to 0.007%

[0054] Total 100%

[0055]

[0056] The ingredients from Group 1 were mixed together. Water from Group 2 was then added, and after thorough mixing, the ingredients from Group 3 were added and mixed with the other ingredients. Ammonium bicarbonate, enzymes, and remaining water from Group 4 were then added and mixed with the other ingredients. The resulting dough was proofed for 1.5 to 5 hours laytime.

[0057] Embodiment 1

[0058] A cracker dough was prepared based on the following formulation, with ingredients added in groups as indicated (all percentages are by weight): TABLE 2

[0059] Group 1

[0060] Sweetener 5 to 20%

[0061] Salt 0.10 to 0.55%

[0062] Lecithin 0.05 to 0.40%

[0063] Oil 5 to 25%

[0064] Flavor 0.01 to 0.35%

[0065] Symp 0.25 to 5.0%

[0066] Pre-gel com starch 2.5 to 4.0%

[0067] protein 1 to 6 %

[0068]

[0069] Guar gum 0.15 to 0.5%

[0070] Group 2 _ _

[0071] | Water

[0072]

[0073] | 7 to 25% Group 3

[0074] Unmodified starch 1.5 to 50%

[0075] Yellow com flour 0 to 25%

[0076] Tapioca flour 0 to 25%

[0077] Sodium bicarbonate 0.20 to 1.25%

[0078] Calcium Phosphate Monobasic CAP 0.20 to 1.25%

[0079] Group 4

[0080] Ammonium bicarbonate 0.20 to 2.0%

[0081]

[0082] water 0.5 to 3.5%

[0083] Total

[0084]

[0085] | 100%

[0086] As with the Control, the ingredients from Group 1 were mixed together. Water from Group 2 was then added, and after thorough mixing, the ingredients from Group 3 were added and mixed with the other ingredients. Ammonium bicarbonate and remaining water from Group 4 were then added and mixed with the other ingredients. The order of adding ingredients was selected in order to help prevent poor hydration, and to functionalize the pre-gel and hydrocolloids. The resulting dough was proofed for 30 minutes to 90 minutes laytime. After proofing, the dough was sheeted to similar dough thickness of Control.

[0087] Embodiment 2

[0088] A cracker dough was prepared based on the following formulation, with ingredients added in groups as indicated (all percentages are by weight):

[0089] TABLE 3

[0090] Group 1

[0091] Sweetener 5 to 20%

[0092] Salt 0.10 to 0.55%

[0093]

[0094] Lecithin 0.05 to 0.40% Oil 5 to 25%

[0095] Flavor 0.01 to 0.35%

[0096] Syrup 0.25 to 5.0%

[0097] Pre-gel com starch 2.5 to 4.0%

[0098] protein 1 to 6 %

[0099] Guar gum 0.15 to 0.5%

[0100] Group 2

[0101] Water 7 to 25%

[0102] Group 3

[0103] Unmodified starch 1.5 to 50%

[0104] Yellow com flour 0 to 25%

[0105] Tapioca flour 0 to 25%

[0106] Sodium bicarbonate 0.20 to 1.25%

[0107] Calcium Phosphate Monobasic CAP 0.20 to 1.25%

[0108]

[0109] Group 4

[0110] Ammonium bicarbonate 0.20 to 2.0%

[0111]

[0112] water 0.5 to 3.5%

[0113] Total

[0114]

[0115] | 100%

[0116] The ingredients from Group 1 were mixed together. Water from Group 2 was then added, and after thorough mixing, the ingredients from Group 3 were added and mixed with the other ingredients. Ammonium bicarbonate and remaining water from Group 4 were then added and mixed with the other ingredients. The mixing time was extended compared to Embodiment 1, increased from 10 minutes to 18 minutes at low speed (25 rpm). The resulting dough was proofed for 30 minutes to 90 minutes laytime. After proofing, the dough was sheeted to similar dough thickness of Control. Embodiment 2 exhibited improved sheeting relative to Embodiment 1. When baked, the resulting crackers also exhibited reduced breakage compared to Embodiment 1 and were more similar to the Control.

[0117] Embodiment 3

[0118] A cracker dough was prepared based on the following formulation, with ingredients added in groups as indicated (all percentages are by weight):

[0119] TABLE 4

[0120] Group 1

[0121] Sweetener 5 to 20%

[0122] Salt 0.10 to 0.55%

[0123] Lecithin 0.05 to 0.40%

[0124] Oil 5 to 25%

[0125] Flavor 0.01 to 0.35%

[0126]

[0127] Syrup 0.25 to 5.0% Pre-gel com starch 2.5 to 6.5%

[0128] protein 1 to 6 %

[0129] Guar gum 0.15 to 0.5%

[0130] Group 2

[0131] Water 7 to 25%

[0132] Group 3

[0133] Unmodified starch 1.5 to 50%

[0134] Yellow corn flour 0 to 25%

[0135] Tapioca flour 0 to 25%

[0136] Sodium bicarbonate 0.20 to 1.25%

[0137] Calcium Phosphate Monobasic CAP 0.20 to 1.25%

[0138] Group 4

[0139] Ammonium bicarbonate 0.20 to 2.0%

[0140]

[0141] water 0.5 to 3.5%

[0142] Total

[0143]

[0144] I 100%

[0145] The ingredients from Group 1 were mixed together. Water from Group 2 was then added, and after thorough mixing, the ingredients from Group 3 were added and mixed with the other ingredients. Ammonium bicarbonate and remaining water from Group 4 were then added and mixed with the other ingredients. The dough was mixed for 18 minutes at low speed (25 rpm) as in Embodiment 2. The resulting dough was proofed for 30 minutes to 90 minutes laytime. After proofing, the dough was sheeted to similar dough thickness of Control. When baked, the resulting crackers exhibited reduced breakage compared to Embodiments 1 and 2. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it appears that the increase in the amount of waxy com starch relative to Embodiments 1 and 2 contributed to the reduction in breakage of finished crackers.

[0146] The following table shows a comparison of approximate weight percentages of specific components of doughs representing each of the above inventive embodiments:

[0147] TABLE 6

[0148] Embodiment 1 Embodiment 2 Embodiment 3 Pregelatinized 3.9 3.9 4.5

[0149] starch

[0150] Native starch 40.5 40.5 40.2

[0151] Gluten-free flour 10.1 10.1 10.1

[0152]

[0153] Protein 3.4 3.4 3.4

[0154] concentrate

[0155] Long chain 0.4 0.4 0.4

[0156] hydrocolloid

[0157]

[0158] The dough of each embodiment was baked to form a cracker similar in thickness to the Control. Moisture loss from the baking process was approximately 24 wt. %. The final product moisture, color, stack height was similar to control. The table below shows a comparison of approximate weight percentages of specific components of final crackers representing each of the above inventive embodiments:

[0159] TABLE 7

[0160] Embodiment 1 Embodiment 2 Embodiment 3 Pregelatinized 5.1 5.1 5.9

[0161] starch

[0162] Native starch 53.0 53.0 52.6

[0163] Gluten-free flour 13.2 13.2 13.2

[0164] Protein 4.4 4.4 4.4

[0165] concentrate

[0166] Long chain 0.5 0.5 0.5

[0167] hydrocolloid

[0168]

[0169] Fig. 2 is a graph showing a comparison of peak force (in Newtons) relative to the amount of pregelatinized starch and the mixing time of Embodiments 1-3 above. Embodiments 1-3 shown in Fig. 2 are samples produced on a bench scale. “2T” represents the same formulation as Embodiment 2 scaled up to a commercial plant level. The similar peak force for Embodiment 2 when compared to 2T demonstrates the robustness of the formulation and the ability to produce the gluten-free crackers on a commercial scale. As can be seen from the graph, increasing both the amount of pregelatinized starch and the duration of mixing resulted in a higher peak force. This resulted in crackers that do not break as easily, improving the performance during shipping and resulting in less breakage. Figs. 3-5 demonstrate changes in textural properties based on the content of pregelatinized waxy com starch, pregelatinized tapioca starch, guar gum, and faba bean protein. The results on the y-axis of each graph represent properties as assessed by a trained panel. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the combination of faba bean protein, guar gum, and pregelatinized waxy corn starch was more effective at mimicking the airiness of the gluten-containing Control than formulations that included pregelatinized tapioca starch instead of waxy com starch. Similarly, Fig. 4 shows that the combination of faba bean protein, guar gum, and pregelatinized waxy corn starch was determined to have a flakiness more similar to that of the gluten-containing Control than formulations that included pregelatinized tapioca starch instead of waxy com starch. In Fig. 5, the impact on bite hardness of different levels of faba bean protein, guar gum, and pregelatinized starch is shown. Again, pregelatinized waxy com starch was more effective than pregelatinized tapioca starch in achieving an initial bite hardness similar to that of the gluten-containing Control, and balancing the amount of guar gum and faba bean protein helped to achieve a bite hardness more similar to the Control.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A gluten-free cracker comprising one or more gluten-free flours, 2.5-7 wt.% pregelatinized starch, 1.5-55 wt. % wt. % native starch, 0-25 wt. % wt. % gluten-free flour, 1-6 wt. % added protein, and 0.15-0.6 wt. % long-chain hydrocolloid.

2. The cracker according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more gluten-free flours comprise com flour, tapioca flour, or a combination thereof.

3. The gluten-free cracker according to claim 1, wherein the added protein is faba bean protein.

4. The gluten-free cracker according to claim 1, wherein the pre-gelatinized starch is pregelatinized corn starch.

5. The gluten-free cracker according to claim 1, wherein the pre-gelatinized starch is waxy maize pre-gelatinized corn starch.

6. The gluten-free cracker according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocolloid is guar gum.

7. A gluten-free cracker dough comprising one more gluten-free flours, 2.5-6.5 wt. % pregelatinized starch, 1.5-50 wt. % native starch, 0-25 wt. % gluten-free flour, 1-6 wt. % added protein, and 0.15-0.5 wt. % long chain hydrocolloid.

8. The gluten-free dough according to claim 7, wherein the one or more gluten-free flours comprise corn flour, tapioca flour, or a combination thereof.

9. The gluten-free dough according to claim 7, wherein the added protein is faba bean protein.

10. The gluten-free dough according to claim 7, wherein the pre-gelatinized starch is pregelatinized corn starch.

11. The gluten-free dough according to claim 7, wherein the pre-gelatinized starch is waxy maize pre-gelatinized corn starch.

12. The gluten-free dough according to claim 7, wherein the hydrocolloid is guar gum.

13. A method for making gluten-free dough, the method comprising:mixing about 2.5-6.5 wt. % pregelatinized starch, 1-6 wt. % added protein, and 0.15-0.5 wt. % long chain hydrocolloid to form a homogenous mixture;adding water to the homogenous mixture and mixing;adding 1.5-50 wt. % native starch and 0-25 wt. % gluten-free flour and mixing to form a gluten-free dough;wherein the identified amounts are based on weight of the gluten-free dough.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising sheeting the gluten-free dough.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising cutting and baking the gluten-free dough.

Images