Method for producing puffed confectionery

Abstract

To provide puffed confectionery having a pleasantly crunchy and crisp texture with excellent melt-in-the-mouth properties.SOLUTION: A method for producing puffed confectionery comprises the following steps: supplying raw materials (powder and liquid ingredients) to an extruder, kneading and heating a mixture thereof under pressure to obtain a kneaded mass; and puffing the kneaded mass. The powder ingredient contains at least 15 wt.% of durum wheat flour having a volume-average particle size of 50 to 130 μm. It is preferable that the durum wheat flour has a damaged starch content of 6.0 to 10.5%.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing puffed confectionery using durum wheat flour as a raw material. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing a snack food that can be seasoned in a variety of ways, has a melt-in-the-mouth, crispy texture that makes the most of the flavor of corn, and includes a step of heating a mixture containing corn, rice, and protein using an extruder, and then subjecting it to a swelling process such as deep-frying.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a method for producing puffed snacks by directly puffing a starchy raw material, mainly made from grains such as wheat or root vegetables, in an extruder, in which dietary fiber such as crystalline cellulose is mixed with the starchy raw material. The technology described in Patent Document 2 is said to produce puffed snacks with a stable shape and an improved texture.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a method for producing baked goods such as sponge cakes using pregelatinized durum wheat grains as a raw material. The pregelatinized durum wheat grains are obtained by adding water to durum semolina and / or durum flour, kneading the mixture under high temperature and pressure in an extruder, extruding the mixture into a block at room temperature and normal pressure, and then pulverizing it to a particle size that can pass through a sieve with 500 μm openings. The production method described in Patent Document 3 is said to be able to suppress deterioration over time in the moistness and melt-in-the-mouth properties of baked goods. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-115907 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-204388 [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-50784 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a puffed confectionery having a good texture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present inventors conducted extensive research to produce puffed confections with a crispy texture and melt-in-the-mouth texture that cannot be achieved with conventional puffed confections made primarily from corn, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. As a result, they focused on using wheat flour, which has a wider variety of varieties than corn, as the primary ingredient. Further research led them to focus on durum wheat flour. Durum wheat flour has characteristics such as a higher protein content than other wheat flours and a unique aroma not found in other wheat flours. It is primarily used as a pasta ingredient, but has little experience in being used as a puffed confectionery ingredient. The present inventors discovered that puffed confectionery with a good texture can be obtained by using durum wheat flour, particularly one with a volume average particle size falling within a specific range, as a puffed confectionery ingredient.

[0008] The present invention was made based on the above findings and provides a method for producing puffed confectionery, which includes the steps of using powdered ingredients and liquid ingredients as ingredients, supplying the ingredients to an extruder, kneading the ingredients, and pressurizing and heating the ingredients to obtain a kneaded mixture, and expanding the kneaded mixture, wherein the powdered ingredients contain 15% by mass or more of durum wheat flour having a volume average particle size of 50 to 130 μm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a puffed confectionery having a good texture, specifically a puffed confectionery having a crunchy texture and a good melt-in-the-mouth texture, is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The method for producing puffed confectionery of the present invention uses powdered ingredients and liquid ingredients as raw materials, and includes a step of supplying the ingredients to an extruder, kneading them, and pressurizing and heating them to obtain a kneaded product (pressurizing and heating step), and a step of expanding the kneaded product (expansion step).

[0011] In the present invention, the term "powder raw material" refers to a raw material that is in a powdery or granular form at room temperature and normal pressure. In the present invention, the term "liquid raw material" refers to a raw material that has liquid fluidity at room temperature and normal pressure. In this specification, "room temperature and normal pressure" refers to the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure in the environment in which the method for producing expanded flour products of the present invention is normally carried out, typically an environment in which the ambient temperature is 25°C and the atmospheric pressure is 1 atmosphere.

[0012] The manufacturing method of the present invention is carried out using an extruder as a manufacturing device. An extruder is a type of food processing equipment configured to convey powdered or pasty raw materials inside the extruder, subject the raw materials to processing such as kneading, pressurization, and heating, and then extrude them out of the extruder. An extruder typically includes a hollow cylindrical barrel having an internal flow path for the material to be processed (a mixture of powdered and liquid raw materials), a screw disposed in the flow path and driven to rotate by a drive source such as a motor, and a feeder for supplying the material to the flow path. A heating means such as a cartridge heater is attached around the barrel, and the interior of the barrel can be heated by the heating means. In an extruder configured as described above, the material to be processed is fed into the barrel by the feeder and then conveyed by the screw toward the tip of the barrel (the end of the barrel downstream in the direction of conveyance of the material to be processed). During conveyance within the barrel, the material is kneaded and pressurized and heated, and finally extruded from the extruder outlet under normal pressure. At this time, if there is a relatively large pressure difference between the inside and outside of the extruder based on the outlet, the moisture and air in the material to be treated (kneaded material) that was compressed inside will expand to the outside, and the material to be treated will expand to become an expanded material (expansion step). Note that the method for expanding the kneaded material in the present invention is not limited to the method of expanding the kneaded material simultaneously as it is extruded from the outlet of the extruder (direct puffing). This point will be described in detail later.

[0013] The "extruder outlet" differs depending on whether the extruder is equipped with a die. A die is a component that constitutes the downstream side of the extruder in the conveying direction of the material to be processed (kneaded material), and is connected to the tip of the barrel when in use. It has an inlet opening to which the material to be processed that has passed through the barrel is supplied, an outlet opening from which the material to be processed is extruded, and a flow path connecting these openings. When a die is connected to the tip of the barrel, the extruder outlet is the outlet opening of the die. On the other hand, when a die is not connected to the tip of the barrel, the extruder outlet is the opening at the tip of the barrel (the open end of the barrel flow path downstream in the conveying direction of the material to be processed).

[0014] The die may be a cooling die capable of cooling the workpiece while it is being transported through the flow path of the die. The cooling die typically has a relatively long flow path so that the workpiece can be sufficiently cooled. The cooling method for the workpiece using the cooling die is not particularly limited, and may be a forced cooling method or a natural cooling method. The forced cooling method is a method in which the workpiece is cooled using one or more refrigerants selected from liquids and gases and a driving source for circulating the refrigerant. An example of a cooling die employing the forced cooling method is one having a double-pipe structure (concentric structure) consisting of an outer tube and an inner tube disposed inside the outer tube and functioning as a flow path for the workpiece, and configured to allow a refrigerant to flow between the outer tube and the inner tube. The natural cooling method is a method in which the workpiece is simply supplied to the flow path of the cooling die and passed through it, without using the refrigerant or driving source, and is naturally cooled.

[0015] There are various types of extruders, including single-screw extruders, which have one screw arranged in the barrel, twin-screw extruders, which have two screws, and multi-screw extruders, which have three or more screws, and any of these can be used in the present invention.

[0016] The method for producing a puffed confectionery of the present invention is characterized in that it uses durum wheat flour having a volume average particle size of 50 to 130 μm (hereinafter also referred to as "specific durum wheat flour") as a powder ingredient.

[0017] In the present invention, "durum wheat flour" refers to flour made from durum wheat. "Durum wheat" as used herein refers to wheat that belongs to the "double wheat" category in botanical classification. Durum wheat is tetraploid and has four sets of genomes, whereas wheat, which is the raw material for soft flour commonly used in processed foods, is hexaploid and has six sets of genomes, and belongs to the "hexaploid wheat" category in botanical classification. Thus, durum wheat is a botanically distinct species from the hard wheat, medium wheat, and soft wheat used for soft flour.

[0018] In addition to durum wheat flour, durum semolina and durum whole wheat flour have been known as wheat flour derived from durum wheat. Durum semolina is obtained by coarsely grinding durum wheat after removing the bran (epidermis) and germ, while durum wheat flour is obtained by further grinding and powdering durum semolina. The main difference between durum semolina and durum wheat flour is particle size; durum semolina generally has a larger average particle size than durum wheat flour. Durum whole wheat flour is obtained by grinding durum wheat as is, and differs from durum semolina and durum wheat flour in that it contains bran and germ, which are substantially free of these substances. The specific durum wheat flour used in the present invention is a type of durum wheat flour and is distinguished from durum semolina and durum whole wheat flour.

[0019] The specific durum wheat flour has a volume average particle size (hereinafter also referred to as "MV") of 50 to 130 μm. The "volume average particle size" is determined by laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution measurement. The MV can be measured in a dry state according to a conventional method, for example, using a laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution measurement device (for example, the "Microtrac Particle Size Distribution Measurement Device 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.). If the MV of the durum wheat flour used as the powder ingredient is less than 50 μm, it may be difficult to impart sufficient crispness to the puffed confectionery, and if the MV exceeds 130 μm, the melt-in-the-mouth properties of the puffed confectionery may be reduced.In either case, the desired effect of the present invention, which is to provide puffed confectionery with a good texture, will not be achieved. In order to ensure that the desired effects of the present invention are achieved, the MV of the specified durum wheat flour is preferably 60 to 120 μm, and more preferably 70 to 110 μm. The volume average particle size (particle size distribution) of the specific durum wheat flour can be adjusted by adjusting the conditions of physical processes such as grinding during the production of durum wheat flour, or by sieving the ground product obtained by the grinding process of the specific durum wheat flour.

[0020] In order to more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention, particularly to improve the melt-in-the-mouth properties of the puffed confectionery, the amount of damaged starch in the specific durum wheat flour is preferably 6.0 to 10.5% by mass, more preferably 6.5 to 10.0% by mass. Damaged starch is starch whose starch granules have been mechanically damaged. Damaged starch is typically produced when starch in wheat flour is mechanically damaged by impacts caused by milling or other processes during wheat flour production. The "amount of damaged starch" is the proportion of the total mass of damaged starch to the total mass of specific durum wheat flour, and the larger the value of the amount of damaged starch, the more damaged starch is present in the specific durum wheat flour. The amount of damaged starch can be adjusted by adjusting the conditions of physical processes such as milling during durum wheat flour production.

[0021] The amount of damaged starch can be measured according to AACC Method 76-31. Specifically, only the damaged starch contained in a sample (specific durum wheat flour) is decomposed into maltosaccharides and limit dextrins with mold-derived α-amylase, and then further decomposed into glucose with amyloglucosidase, and the amount of glucose produced is quantified. The amount of damaged starch can also be measured using a commercially available kit (e.g., MegaZyme's Starch Damage Assay Kit).

[0022] The content of specific durum wheat flour in the powdered raw material is 15% by mass or more, preferably 20% by mass or more, more preferably 25% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the powdered raw material. It may be 100% by mass, i.e., the entire powdered raw material is specific durum wheat flour. If the content of specific durum wheat flour is less than 15% by mass, there is little point in using it, and the desired effect of the present invention, i.e., providing a puffed confectionery with a good texture, is not achieved. Note that the higher the content of specific durum wheat flour in the powdered raw material, the better the desired effect of the present invention is achieved, but it may be, for example, 99% by mass or less, or 90% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the powdered raw material.

[0023] The powder raw material may contain ingredients other than the specific durum wheat flour, provided that the ingredients do not impair the desired effects of the present invention. The other ingredients are ingredients that are commonly used in the production of puffed confectionery and are solid (powder) at room temperature and normal pressure, and can be used without any particular limitation. Examples of such other ingredients include cereal flours other than specific durum wheat flour (e.g., ordinary wheat flour, durum semolina, corn grits, corn flour, dried potato powder, etc.) and starches (e.g., tapioca starch, corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, and modified starches (phosphate-crosslinked, acetylated, etc.) based on these); sugars such as glucose, sucrose, oligosaccharides, maltose, trehalose, fructose, etc.; proteins such as milk protein and soy protein; emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid esters; egg powders such as whole egg powder, egg yolk powder, and egg white powder; leavening agents such as baking powder; yeast, lipids, dietary fiber, thickeners, spices, seasonings, enzymes, colorings, flavorings, inorganic salts (calcium salts, etc.), and the like. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more in appropriate amounts.

[0024] Water is usually used as the liquid ingredient, but liquids other than water can be used in addition to or instead of water, and the liquid may be a mixture of multiple types of liquids. Examples of liquids other than water include liquid seasonings such as dashi stock and soy sauce, aqueous liquids such as egg liquid (whole egg, egg white, egg yolk), and milk, and oily liquids such as edible oil. The liquid ingredient may also be one in which powder such as salt is dissolved or dispersed.

[0025] In the method for producing puffed confectionery of the present invention, the kneaded material obtained in the pressurizing and heating step using the extruder is expanded (expansion step). The desired puffed confectionery is obtained by the expansion step. The method for expanding the kneaded material in the expansion step is not particularly limited, and any expansion method conventionally used in the production of puffed confectionery can be used. An example of a puffing method that can be used in the puffing step is a method known as direct puffing, in which puffed confectionery is directly produced using an extruder (hereinafter also referred to as "puffing method A"). In the puffing step using puffing method A, a mixture of powdered ingredients and liquid ingredients obtained inside an extruder is extruded from the outlet of the extruder and simultaneously puffed. Another example of an expansion method that can be used in the expansion process is a method in which a mixture of powdered and liquid ingredients obtained inside an extruder is extruded in an unexpanded state from the outlet of the extruder, and then the unexpanded mixture (an intermediate product of an expanded confectionery) is subjected to a separate expansion process (hereinafter also referred to as "expansion method B").

[0026] The expansion method A will be described below. When puffing method A is employed in the puffing step, in order to more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention, the amount of liquid ingredient used in the pressurizing and heating step is preferably 1 to 20 parts by mass, more preferably 2.5 to 15 parts by mass, as the amount of aqueous liquid (amount of water added to the powder ingredient) per 100 parts by mass of the powder ingredient. When an oily liquid is used as the liquid ingredient, the amount of the oily liquid used is not included in the "amount of aqueous liquid used." If too little liquid ingredient is used, the kneaded product may burn, while if too much liquid ingredient is used, the puffing rate of the kneaded product may decrease, resulting in a deterioration in the texture of the puffed food. When calculating the amount of liquid ingredient used, the water content of the egg liquid (whole egg) used as the liquid ingredient is assumed to be 76% by mass, and the water content of the milk used as the liquid ingredient is assumed to be 88% by mass.

[0027] When the expansion method A is employed in the expansion step, in order to more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention, it is preferable to set the conditions for the pressurized and heated treatment using an extruder in the pressurized and heated step as follows. The temperature at the outlet of the extruder is preferably 80 to 170°C, more preferably 80 to 150°C. The internal temperature of the extruder is preferably 40 to 150°C, more preferably 50 to 130°C, and even more preferably 50 to 120°C. The outlet pressure of the extruder is preferably 1 to 10 MPa, more preferably 2 to 8 MPa.

[0028] The "extruder outlet temperature" refers to the temperature of the extruder outlet or the constituent members in the vicinity thereof, or the temperature of the material to be treated (kneaded material). As mentioned above, the "extruder outlet" differs depending on whether or not the extruder is equipped with a die; if the extruder is equipped with a die, it is the "die outlet opening," and if the extruder is not equipped with a die, it is the "opening at the tip of the barrel." The "vicinity of the extruder outlet" may be, for example, a portion within 1 / 3 of the total length of the extruder from the extruder outlet (the outlet opening of the die or the opening at the tip of the barrel) upstream in the conveying direction of the material to be treated (kneaded material). The "temperature of a component" refers to the temperature of a component that defines the outlet of the extruder or its vicinity, and may be, for example, the temperature of a wall that defines the flow path of a die or barrel. The "temperature of the material to be treated" is the temperature of the material to be treated (kneaded material) at the outlet of the extruder or in the flow path in the vicinity thereof.

[0029] The "internal temperature of the extruder" refers to the temperature of the components of the extruder or the temperature of the material to be treated (kneaded material) at a location other than the outlet or its vicinity. The internal temperature of the extruder can typically be the internal temperature of the central portion when the barrel of the extruder is divided into three equal parts in the conveying direction of the material to be treated. Furthermore, the "internal temperature" can be the temperature of the wall defining the flow path of the barrel or the temperature of the material to be treated inside the flow path.

[0030] The "extruder outlet pressure" refers to the pressure at or near the extruder outlet. The "extruder outlet or its vicinity" is as described above. The extruder outlet pressure can be measured using a pressure gauge installed at or near the extruder outlet.

[0031] When puffing method A is used in the puffing step, the method for producing puffed confectionery of the present invention may include, after the puffing step, a step (post-processing step) of subjecting the puffed confectionery obtained in the puffing step to one or more post-processing steps selected from a cutting process, a drying process, and a seasoning process. The cutting process is a process of cutting the puffed confectionery into pieces of a desired size using a known cutting means such as a slicer or a cutter. The drying treatment is, for example, a treatment in which the puffed confectionery is dried using a drying means such as a hot air dryer until the puffed confectionery has a desired moisture content. One example of the seasoning treatment is a treatment in which one or more additives selected from seasoning ingredients such as salt, sugar, spices, flavorings, soy sauce powder, sweeteners, etc., colorants such as caramel color, amino acids, protein hydrolysates, extract powders, seasoning powders, acidulants, and oils and fats are attached to the surface of the puffed confectionery. Another example of the seasoning treatment is a treatment in which the surface of the puffed confectionery is coated with chocolate or the like. The cutting, drying, and seasoning treatments can each be carried out according to a conventional method. When two or more of the cutting, drying, and seasoning treatments are selected, the order of their execution is not particularly limited. For example, the cutting, drying, and seasoning treatments may be carried out in this order, or the cutting, seasoning, and drying treatments may be carried out in this order.

[0032] The moisture content of the puffed confectionery, which is the target of the manufacturing method of the present invention, is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 14% by mass. The "moisture content of the puffed confectionery" referred to here is the moisture content measured by the bone dry method, and specifically, is calculated by heating the puffed confectionery to be measured under conditions that result in a product temperature of 130°C, and then calculating the ratio of the mass when the confectionery reaches a constant weight to the mass before heating.

[0033] The following describes puffing method B. Regarding puffing method B, the differences from puffing method A (direct puffing) will be described. For the configurations of puffing method B that are not specifically described, the above description of puffing method A will be applied as appropriate.

[0034] When expansion method B is employed in the expansion step, the amount of liquid raw material used in the pressurizing and heating step is preferably 15 to 60 parts by mass, more preferably 20 to 50 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of powder raw material, in order to more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention.

[0035] When the expansion method B is adopted in the expansion step, in order to more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention, it is preferable to set the conditions for the pressurized and heated treatment using an extruder in the pressurized and heated step as follows. The temperature at the outlet of the extruder is preferably 60 to 160°C, more preferably 70 to 120°C. The internal temperature of the extruder is preferably 60 to 160°C, more preferably 70 to 120°C. The outlet pressure of the extruder is preferably 0.1 to 10 MPa, more preferably 0.1 to 8 MPa. In this specification, "extruder outlet pressure" is a gauge pressure unless otherwise specified.

[0036] When puffing method B is used in the puffing step, the non-puffed kneaded material (intermediate product of puffed confectionery) obtained in the pressurizing and heating step is heated to puff the non-puffed kneaded material. The heating method for puffing the non-puffed kneaded material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include roasting, baking, and frying, and two or more heating methods may be used in combination. Furthermore, prior to heating and expanding the non-expanded kneaded material extruded from the extruder, the kneaded material may be subjected to one or more treatments selected from a cooling treatment, a drying treatment, and a molding treatment. When two or more treatments are selected from the three treatments, the order of their implementation is not particularly limited. The cooling treatment is a treatment for lowering the temperature of the non-expanded kneaded material, which is relatively high immediately after being extruded from the extruder, and examples thereof include a treatment in which the kneaded material is left standing in an environment at room temperature and normal pressure, in a cool, dark place, or in a refrigerated environment. The molding treatment is a treatment for molding the non-expanded kneaded material into a desired shape, and examples of the shape of the non-expanded kneaded material include pellets and sheets. The drying treatment is typically performed prior to the molding treatment and is a treatment for appropriately drying the non-expanded kneaded material to facilitate processing in the molding treatment, and examples thereof include a treatment of leaving it to dry, microwave drying, or drying by blowing hot air or the like.

[0037] The weight of each piece of puffed confectionery is typically 0.01 g or more, and may be, for example, 0.01 to 5.0 g. [Example]

[0038] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0039] [Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5: Production of puffed confectionery using puffing method A] Powder raw materials having the compositions shown in Tables 1 and 2 below were subjected to a pressurized and heated treatment using a twin-screw extruder to obtain puffed products, which were then dried to produce the desired puffed confectioneries. Specifically, powdered ingredients and water as a liquid ingredient were first fed into a twin-screw extruder, kneaded, and pressurized and heated to obtain a kneaded mixture. The kneaded mixture was then extruded from the twin-screw extruder's outlet under normal pressure to expand and obtain a puffed product. During the pressurized and heated process, the extruder's internal temperature was 60°C, the extruder's outlet temperature (the temperature at the die's outlet opening) was 120°C, and the extruder's outlet pressure was 2-5 MPa. The puffed product was then dried at an ambient temperature of 160°C for 5-30 minutes and sprinkled with salt to produce a puffed confectionery (approximately 13 mm in diameter x 40 mm, weighing approximately 0.4 g) with a moisture content of approximately 3% by mass.

[0040] [Examples 13-14, Comparative Examples 6-7: Production of puffed confectionery by puffing method B] Powder raw materials having the composition shown in Table 3 below were subjected to a pressurized and heated treatment using a twin-screw extruder to obtain puffed products, which were then dried to produce the desired puffed confectioneries. Specifically, powdered ingredients and water as liquid ingredients were first fed into a twin-screw extruder, kneaded, and pressurized and heated to obtain a kneaded mixture. The kneaded mixture was then extruded from the twin-screw extruder outlet under normal pressure to obtain a non-puffed mixture (non-puffed product). During the pressurized and heated process, the internal temperature of the extruder was 90°C, and the outlet pressure of the extruder was 0.8-1.5 MPa. The non-puffed product was then rolled into a sheet using a roller. The sheet-like non-puffed product was then cut into rectangles measuring 5 x 45 mm in plan view, dried, and baked in an oven to obtain a puffed product. Salt was then sprinkled on the puffed product to produce puffed confectioneries with a moisture content of approximately 3-4% by mass (approximately 5 mm diameter x 45 mm, weighing approximately 0.5 g).

[0041] [Evaluation test] The puffed confectionery immediately after production was left to stand for 30 minutes in an environment at room temperature and normal pressure, and then 10 expert panelists tasted it and evaluated the texture (crispyness, melt-in-the-mouth) according to the following evaluation criteria. The average score of the 10 panelists was used as the evaluation result. The results are shown in Tables 1 to 3 below.

[0042] <Sakumi's evaluation criteria> 5 points: Very crunchy texture, very good. 4 points: Very crunchy texture, good. 3 points: Crunchy texture, somewhat good and no problems. 2 points: The crunchy texture is weak and poor. 1 point: The crunchy texture is very weak, very poor. <Evaluation criteria for melt-in-the-mouth> 5 points: Melts very well in the mouth when chewed. 4 points: Melts easily in the mouth when chewed. 3 points: The food melts easily in the mouth when chewed, and although it is easy to feel the chewed material in the mouth, it is not a problem. 2 points: The texture is not very good when chewed, and chewed material can be easily felt in the mouth, so it is poor. 1 point: The food did not melt well in the mouth when chewed, and there was a relatively large amount of chewed material in the mouth, making it very poor.

[0043] [Table 1]

[0044] As shown in Table 1, in the examples, the volume average particle size of the durum wheat flours A to F and H used as powder ingredients was in the range of 50 to 130 μm, and therefore the texture of the puffed confectionery was superior to that of the comparative examples which did not meet this requirement.

[0045] [Table 2]

[0046] [Table 3]

[0047] As shown in Tables 2 and 3, in both puffing methods A and B, the examples contained 15 mass% or more of durum wheat flour (durum wheat flour D) with a volume average particle size of 50 to 130 μm in the powder raw material, and therefore the texture of the puffed confectionery was superior to that of the comparative examples which did not meet this requirement.

Claims

1. The method includes a step of using a powder raw material and a liquid raw material as raw materials, supplying the raw materials to an extruder, kneading the raw materials, and pressurizing and heating the raw materials to obtain a kneaded product, and a step of expanding the kneaded product, The method for producing puffed confectionery, wherein the powder raw material contains 15% by mass or more of durum wheat flour having a volume average particle size of 50 to 130 μm.

2. The method for producing a puffed confectionery according to claim 1, wherein the amount of damaged starch in the durum wheat flour is 6.0 to 10.5% by mass.

3. The method for producing a puffed confectionery according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the durum wheat flour has a volume average particle size of 60 to 120 μm.

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