Improver for bakery foods

Abstract

To provide a bakery food having soft palate feeling, suppressed in aging occurring at an early stage after production of the bakery food and aging after a lapse of a long period after the production, without using an emulsifier.SOLUTION: The improver for bakery food contains maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and does not substantially contain an emulsifier. The content of the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase is preferably 0.25 to 25.0 parts by mass with respect to 1 part by mass of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme. The improver for bakery foods preferably further contains α - amylase.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an improving agent for bakery foods. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, bakery foods after production undergo a process known as aging (hereinafter simply referred to as "aging") during storage and preservation, which causes the bakery foods to lose their moistness, become dry, and become less melt-in-the-mouth. It is also known that bakery foods lose their softness and become hard. Various methods have been investigated to prevent these phenomena, and one such method is the use of emulsifiers.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an oil and fat composition for bakery products that contains specific numerical range amounts of edible oil and fat, an emulsifier, and a humectant, in which unsaturated fatty acid residues account for 75% or more of the total fatty acid residues that constitute the edible oil and fat, and the ratio of edible oil and fat to emulsifier is 6.5 or less.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an oil and fat composition for bread kneading, which contains specific numerical range amounts of direct beta-type oil and fat crystals, glycerin fatty acid ester, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester, and the total mass of emulsifiers is less than 7.5 mass%.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a composition for preventing aging of processed grain products, which is characterized by containing modified starch, an emulsifier, milk protein, and soy protein.

[0006] Methods of using an enzyme in addition to an emulsifier have also been reported. For example, Patent Document 4 discloses a plastic water-in-oil emulsified fat and oil composition for bakery use, which contains at least xanthan gum and / or glucomannan as a thickening stabilizer, at least a glycerin monounsaturated fatty acid ester as a glycerin monofatty acid ester, and at least a maltose-forming α-amylase as an amylase, with the contents of each component falling within specific numerical ranges.

[0007] However, while methods using emulsifiers can suppress staling that occurs in the early stages after production and produce bakery foods with a soft texture, they cannot sufficiently suppress staling after a long period of time, such as five days after production, resulting in the loss of the soft texture. Using an emulsifier in combination with an enzyme can suppress staling even after a somewhat long period of time, but this is still insufficient. Furthermore, the use of emulsifiers deteriorates the flavor of bakery foods, and in recent years, consumers have tended to avoid emulsifiers, so a method of suppressing staling without using emulsifiers has been sought.

[0008] Therefore, methods have been investigated to suppress the above-mentioned phenomenon using only enzymes without using emulsifiers. For example, Patent Document 5 discloses a bread-making oil composition characterized by containing specific numerical range amounts of α-amylase and β-amylase, each of which has an optimum temperature and inactivation temperature within a specific numerical range, per 100 parts by mass of edible oil.

[0009] Patent Document 6 discloses a fat and oil composition for bread making, which contains edible fat and oil, a hemicellulase having an optimum temperature within a specific numerical range, and a maltose-forming α-amylase in specific numerical range amounts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-000048 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-267654 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-169161 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-209038 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-011798 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-178721 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] Previously disclosed and investigated methods using enzymes, such as those described in Patent Documents 5 and 6, were able to inhibit staling that occurs early after production, but there was a demand for even stronger staling inhibition effects. Furthermore, the enzyme-using methods disclosed in Patent Documents 5 and 6 were not effective enough in inhibiting staling of bakery foods long after production. Furthermore, the softness of the bakery foods obtained by these methods was also insufficient.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bakery food product with a soft texture that does not use an emulsifier and that is inhibited from staling, which occurs in the early stages after production of the bakery food product and after a long period of time has passed since production. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems can be solved without using an emulsifier by using a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in combination with a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, and thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0014] (1) A bakery food improver containing a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme and substantially no emulsifier.

[0015] (2) The bakery food improving agent according to (1), wherein the content of the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per part by mass of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme is 0.25 to 25.0 parts by mass.

[0016] (3) The bakery food improving material according to (1) or (2), further comprising α-amylase.

[0017] (4) The bakery food improving material according to any one of (1) to (3), which is an oil and fat composition.

[0018] (5) Bakery dough containing the bakery food improving material according to any one of (1) to (4).

[0019] (6) A bakery food product that is a heat-treated product of the bakery dough described in (5).

[0020] (7) A method for improving the quality of bakery foods, comprising incorporating the bakery food improver according to any one of (1) to (4) into bakery dough. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide bakery foods with a soft texture in which staling that occurs in the early stages after production of the bakery foods and staling that occurs long periods after production are suppressed without using an emulsifier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The following describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following detailed description, and each component can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0023] [Bakery food improver] The bakery food improving material of the present invention contains a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and is substantially free of emulsifiers. By using the bakery food improving agent of the present invention in the production of bakery foods, it is possible to obtain bakery foods with a soft texture in which staling that occurs in the early stages after production and after a long period of time has passed since production is suppressed without using an emulsifier. As shown in the examples described below, the early stages after production includes, for example, one day after production, and the long period of time after production includes, for example, five days after production.

[0024] <Maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase> The bakery food improving agent of the present invention contains a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase. First of all, amylase is a general term for enzymes that hydrolyze glycosidic bonds in starch, glycogen, etc. Generally, amylases are classified according to their site of action, such as α-amylase, which randomly cleaves α-1,4 glycosidic bonds; β-amylase, which sequentially degrades α-1,4 glycosidic bonds in maltose units from the non-reducing end; and glucoamylase, which similarly degrades α-1,4 glycosidic bonds in glucose units and also degrades α-1,6 bonds at branch points.

[0025] The maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention refers to, among these amylases, an amylase that forms maltooligosaccharides in which glucose is linked by α-1,4 glucoside bonds at a specific degree of polymerization. In the present invention, maltooligosaccharide refers to maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose, and the like.

[0026] The maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an enzyme that cleaves α-1,4-glucosidic bonds in starch, glycogen, etc. to produce specific maltooligosaccharides, and for example, one or more selected from maltooligosaccharide-producing α-amylases, β-amylases, etc. can be used. Commercially available enzyme preparations containing maltooligosaccharide-producing amylases can also be used. Examples of maltooligosaccharide-producing α-amylases include maltose-producing α-amylase, maltotriose-producing α-amylase, and maltotetraose-producing α-amylase. In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, staling that occurs in the early stages after production of bakery foods and staling that occur long after production are further suppressed without using an emulsifier, and bakery foods with a soft texture are more easily obtained.From this viewpoint, it is preferable to use maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylase among the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylases.Furthermore, it is more preferable to use one or more maltose-forming α-amylases and maltotetraose-forming α-amylases among the maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylases.

[0027] The origin of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, maltooligosaccharide-producing amylases obtained from animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. can be used.

[0028] The optimum pH of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 4.0 to 9.0, and more preferably 5.0 to 8.0, for example.

[0029] The optimum temperature for the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 95°C, and more preferably 40 to 90°C, for example.

[0030] The content of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention varies depending on the type and enzymatic activity of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and the amount of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention added to bakery dough, but from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with a softer texture in which staling that occurs early after production and staling over a long period after production are further suppressed, the content of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 20.0% by mass or more, more preferably 22.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 25.0% by mass or more of the enzymes contained in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention. Also, the content is preferably 98.0% by mass or less, more preferably 90.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 85.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 80.0% by mass or less.

[0031] The enzymes contained in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention refer to the total amount of the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme described below, and the other enzymes described below. The same applies hereinafter.

[0032] Hereinafter, the maltose-forming α-amylase and maltotetraose-forming α-amylase, which are particularly preferably used as the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase for use in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, will be described in more detail.

[0033] <<Maltose-forming α-amylase>> The maltose-forming α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is an enzyme that breaks down starch, glycogen, etc. into maltose units.

[0034] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, a maltose-forming α-amylase may be used alone as the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, or two or more maltose-forming α-amylases with different enzymatic activities may be used in combination. Alternatively, commercially available enzyme preparations containing maltose-forming α-amylase can be used.

[0035] Commercially available enzyme preparations containing maltose-producing α-amylase that can be used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention include, for example, Coclase (Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation), Novamyl 10000BG, Novamyl L, Novamyl 3D, Maltogenase (all Novozymes Japan), Grindamyl MAX-LIFE100 (Danisco Japan), etc.

[0036] The origin of the maltose-producing α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, maltose-producing α-amylases obtained from animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. can be used.

[0037] The optimum temperature for the maltose-forming α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 to 95°C, and more preferably 50 to 95°C, for example.

[0038] When a maltose-forming α-amylase is used as the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention, the content of maltose-forming α-amylase among the enzymes contained in the bakery food improver of the present invention varies depending on the enzymatic activity of the maltose-forming α-amylase and the amount of the bakery food improver of the present invention added to the bakery dough. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effects of the present invention and particularly of obtaining bakery foods in which staling over a long period of time has been further suppressed after production, for example, the content is preferably 20.0% by mass or more, more preferably 22.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 25.0% by mass or more. Furthermore, the content is preferably 98.0% by mass or less, more preferably 80.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 70.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 60.0% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is even more preferable, particularly when the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention consists essentially of maltose-forming α-amylase.

[0039] In this specification, the phrase "A consists essentially of B" means that B accounts for 60% by mass or more of A, preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, even more preferably 90% by mass or more, and particularly preferably means that B is used alone as A.

[0040] <<Maltotetraose-forming α-amylase>> The maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is an enzyme that decomposes starch, glycogen, etc. into maltotetraose units.

[0041] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, a maltotetraose-producing α-amylase may be used alone as the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, or two or more maltotetraose-producing α-amylases with different enzymatic activities may be used in combination. Alternatively, a commercially available enzyme preparation containing maltotetraose-producing α-amylase can be used.

[0042] Commercially available enzyme preparations containing maltotetraose-producing α-amylase that can be used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention include, for example, POWERFresh 3050, POWERFresh 3150, POWERFresh 4150 (all manufactured by Danisco), Denabake EXTRA (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), etc.

[0043] The origin of the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, maltotetraose-producing α-amylase obtained from animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. can be used.

[0044] The optimum temperature for the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 90°C, more preferably 40 to 80°C, for example.

[0045] In the bakery food improver of the present invention, when maltotetraose-producing α-amylase is used as the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, the content of maltotetraose-producing α-amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention varies depending on the type and enzymatic activity of the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase and the amount of the bakery food improver of the present invention added to the bakery dough, but from the viewpoint of obtaining the effects of the present invention and particularly of obtaining bakery foods in which staling over a long period of time has been further suppressed after production, for example, the content of the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention is preferably 20.0% by mass or more of the enzymes contained in the bakery food improver of the present invention, more preferably 35.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 40.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 50.0% by mass or more. Also, the content is preferably 98.0% by mass or less, more preferably 90.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 85.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 80.0% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is particularly preferred when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention consists essentially of maltotetraose-producing α-amylase.

[0046] Furthermore, in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, when maltose-forming α-amylase and maltotetraose-forming α-amylase are used in combination as the maltooligosaccharide-forming α-amylase, the content of maltotetraose-forming α-amylase per 1 mass part of maltose-forming α-amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 0.05 to 20.0 mass parts, more preferably 0.1 to 10.0 mass parts, and even more preferably 0.2 to 5.0 mass parts, although this will vary depending on the type and enzymatic activity of the maltose-forming α-amylase and maltotetraose-forming α-amylase, and the amount of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention added to the bakery dough.

[0047] <Cyclodextrin-forming enzyme> The cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is an enzyme that cuts out a glucan chain of a specific length from the non-reducing end of starch, and binds the reducing end of the glucan chain itself to the C4 hydroxyl group of the glucosyl residue at the non-reducing end to produce cyclodextrin, and is an enzyme classified as EC2.4.1.19 in terms of EC numbering. Furthermore, cyclodextrin (hereinafter simply referred to as "CD") produced by the above-mentioned cyclodextrin-producing enzyme is a molecule having a cyclic structure in which five or more D-glucose molecules are linked by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds. The cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it produces one or more types of CD selected from CDs consisting of five or more D-glucose molecules.

[0048] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, when used in the production of bakery foods, it is possible to more easily obtain bakery foods with a soft texture, in which staling that occurs early after production and staling that occurs long after production are more suppressed, without the need for emulsifiers.From this viewpoint, it is preferable to use, among cyclodextrin-producing enzymes, cyclodextrin-producing enzymes that produce one or more CDs selected from CD consisting of six D-glucose molecules (hereinafter simply referred to as "α-CD"), CD consisting of seven D-glucose molecules (hereinafter simply referred to as "β-CD"), and CD consisting of eight D-glucose molecules (hereinafter simply referred to as "γ-CD"), and it is more preferable to use cyclodextrin-producing enzymes that produce one or more CDs selected from α-CD and β-CD.

[0049] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, one type of cyclodextrin-forming enzyme may be used alone, or two or more types of cyclodextrin-forming enzymes may be used in combination. In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, a commercially available enzyme preparation containing a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme can also be used as the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme.

[0050] Commercially available enzyme preparations containing cyclodextrin-forming enzymes include, for example, Contizyme (Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.) and Toruzyme (Novozymes Co., Ltd.).

[0051] The origin of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but in the present invention, it is preferable to use a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme derived from bacteria.

[0052] The optimum pH of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 4.0 to 10.0, and more preferably 5.0 to 8.0, for example.

[0053] The optimum temperature for the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 80°C, and more preferably 40 to 70°C, for example.

[0054] The content of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme in the bakery food improver of the present invention varies depending on the enzymatic activity of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, the type of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention, and the amount of the bakery food improver of the present invention added to the bakery dough, but from the viewpoint of obtaining the effects of the present invention, particularly suppressing staling that occurs in the early stages after production of bakery foods and producing bakery foods with a softer texture, the content of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme in the bakery food improver of the present invention is preferably 2.0% by mass or more of the enzymes contained in the bakery food improver of the present invention, more preferably 10.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 15.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 20.0% by mass or more. Also, the content is preferably 80.0% by mass or less, more preferably 78.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 75.0% by mass or less.

[0055] In particular, when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase contained in the bakery food improver of the present invention is a maltose-producing α-amylase, the content of the cyclodextrin-producing enzyme is preferably 2.0% by mass or more, more preferably 20.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 30.0% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 40.0% by mass or more, of the enzymes contained in the bakery food improver of the present invention. Also, the content is preferably 80.0% by mass or less, more preferably 78.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 75.0% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is particularly preferred when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention essentially consists of a maltose-producing α-amylase.

[0056] Furthermore, when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase contained in the bakery food improving material of the present invention is a maltotetraose-producing α-amylase, the content of the cyclodextrin-producing enzyme in the enzymes contained in the bakery food improving material of the present invention is preferably 2.0% by mass or more, more preferably 10.0% by mass or more, even more preferably 15.0% by mass or more, and even more preferably 20.0% by mass or more. Also, the content is preferably 80.0% by mass or less, more preferably 65.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 60.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 50.0% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is particularly preferred when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention consists essentially of maltotetraose-producing α-amylase.

[0057] Although the amount of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and cyclodextrin-producing enzyme used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention will vary depending on their types and enzymatic activities, the bakery food improving agent of the present invention can suppress staling that occurs in bakery foods both early after production and long after production without the use of an emulsifier, making it easier to obtain bakery foods with a softer texture. From this viewpoint, the content of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase per part by mass of cyclodextrin-producing enzyme in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 0.25 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.3 parts by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.35 parts by mass or more. Also, the content is preferably 25.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 8.0 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 3.0 parts by mass or less.

[0058] <Other enzymes> The bakery food improving agent of the present invention may contain enzymes other than the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme.

[0059] The other enzymes that can be used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are enzymes other than the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and examples thereof include α-amylase, glucoamylase, pullulanase, hemicellulase, protease, lipase, phospholipase, catalase, etc. One or more selected from these can be used. Furthermore, commercially available enzyme preparations can also be used as these other enzymes.

[0060] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, it is preferable to contain α-amylase as another enzyme in addition to the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, from the viewpoint that it is easier to obtain bakery foods with a soft texture in which staling that occurs in the early stages after production and staling that occurs long periods after production are more suppressed without using an emulsifier.

[0061] Here, the α-amylase preferably used as another enzyme in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is a type of endo-amylase that randomly cleaves α-1,4 glucoside bonds in starch, glycogen, etc.

[0062] The origin of the α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited, and those obtained from animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. can be used.

[0063] The bakery food improver of the present invention can use commercially available enzyme preparations containing α-amylase as the α-amylase. Examples of commercially available enzyme preparations containing α-amylase include Clystase L1, Biozyme A (both from Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.), Biotex L#3000, Biotex TS, Spitase HS, Spitase CP-40FG, Spitase CP3, Spitase L, Spitase XP-404, Neospitase PK-2, and T-50 (both from Nagase ChemteX Corporation), Grindamyl A (from Danisco Japan), BAN, Fungamyl (e.g., Fungamyl Ultra WF G) (both from Novozymes Japan), Fungamylase 30, Fungamylase 50, Fungamylase 10L, and Liquifase L45 (both from HI Corporation), VERON Soft+, VERONVERON M4, and Sternzyme Examples include A6003 (all Higuchi Shokai), Uniase BM-8 (Yakult Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), Softagen 3H (Taisho Technos Co., Ltd.), Bakezyme AN301, MatL Classic, Mycolase, Bakezyme P500 (DSM), Sumiteam AS, and Sumiteam L (all Shin-Nihon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

[0064] The optimum temperature for the α-amylase used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 to 90°C, and more preferably 30 to 85°C, for example.

[0065] The content of other enzymes in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention will vary depending on the type and enzymatic activity of the other enzymes used and the amount of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention added to bakery dough, but for example, when α-amylase is used, from the viewpoint of more suppressing staling that occurs in the early stages after production of bakery products and over the long term after production, and thus making it easier to obtain softer bakery foods, the content of the other enzymes contained in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1 to 9.0% by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 7.5% by mass. The lower limit of the above content is 0% by mass.

[0066] <Enzyme content> The content of enzymes contained in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and cyclodextrin-producing enzyme and is substantially free of the emulsifier described below, and although it differs depending on the form of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, it is preferably 0.01 to 100% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 100% by mass, and even more preferably 0.04 to 100% by mass. In particular, when the bakery food composition of the present invention is an oil or fat composition described below, the content of enzymes contained in the bakery food improving material of the present invention is preferably 0.01 to 25.0 mass%, more preferably 0.05 to 15.0 mass%, even more preferably 0.1 to 8.0 mass%, even more preferably 0.2 to 4.0 mass%, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 2.5 mass%. The content of enzymes can be considered as the content of the enzyme preparation.

[0067] <Emulsifier> One of the features of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is that it contains substantially no emulsifier. Here, "substantially free of emulsifiers" in this specification means that the content of emulsifiers in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0.5% by mass or less. The content of emulsifiers in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably contains no emulsifiers. The lower limit of the content of the emulsifier in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0% by mass.

[0068] Examples of the emulsifier in the present invention include glycerin fatty acid esters, glycerin acetate fatty acid esters, glycerin lactate fatty acid esters, glycerin succinate fatty acid esters, glycerin diacetyltartarate fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sucrose acetate isobutyrate esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleate esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoglyceride, lecithin, and lysolecithin.

[0069] <Other ingredients> The bakery food improving agent of the present invention may contain, in addition to the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, and other enzymes, other raw materials as needed, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0070] Other raw materials that can be used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention include, for example, thickening stabilizers, oils and fats, water, dextrin, starches, sugars, sugar alcohols, sweeteners and high-intensity sweeteners, salt seasonings, acidulants, spices, bittering agents, seasonings, milk and dairy products, eggs and processed eggs, vegetable protein and animal protein, vegetable milk, coloring agents, flavoring agents, antioxidants, food preservatives, shelf life extenders, fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, meat and processed products thereof, coffee, nut paste, cocoa powder, cocoa mass, and other food ingredients and food additives. The bakery food improving agent of the present invention can use one or more of these other raw materials.

[0071] Among the other raw materials, thickening stabilizers can make bakery foods moist, but may deteriorate the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the bakery foods. The bakery food improving agent of the present invention preferably does not substantially contain a thickening stabilizer, because it is possible to suppress aging that occurs in the early stages after production of bakery foods and aging that occurs long periods after production without using a thickening stabilizer, and to obtain bakery foods with a soft texture. In this application, "substantially free of thickening stabilizers" means that the content of thickening stabilizers in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0.5% by mass or less. Preferably, the content of thickening stabilizers in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0.1% by mass or less, more preferably 0.01% by mass or less, and even more preferably, no thickening stabilizers are contained.

[0072] Examples of thickening stabilizers in the present invention include guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, gum arabic, alginic acids, pectin, xanthan gum, pullulan, tamarind seed gum, psyllium seed gum, crystalline cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, gelatinized starch, agar, glucomannan, and gelatin.

[0073] The bakery food improving agent of the present invention preferably contains fats and oils among the other raw materials, from the viewpoint that the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is more easily dispersed uniformly in bakery dough and the effects of the present invention are more easily obtained.

[0074] The fats and oils that can be used in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible fats and oils. Examples of fats and oils that can be used in the bakery food composition of the present invention include palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, high erucic rapeseed oil, canola oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, safflower oil, high oleic safflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, evening primrose oil, cacao butter, monkey fat, beef tallow, lard, milk fat, fish oil, whale oil, and algae fat, as well as processed fats and oils obtained by subjecting these to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification. The bakery food improving agent of the present invention can use one or more of these fats and oils.

[0075] The fat and oil content in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 99.99% by mass or less, more preferably 50.0 to 99.99% by mass, even more preferably 60.0 to 99.9% by mass, and particularly preferably 70.0 to 99.5% by mass. The fat and oil content in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention includes, in addition to the fat and oil, the amount of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, other enzymes, and other raw materials other than fat and oil, if any. The lower limit of the fat and oil content in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0% by mass.

[0076] The water content in the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired, but is preferably 50.0% by mass or less, more preferably 40.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30.0% by mass or less. The water content in the bakery food improver of the present invention is the total amount of water contained in tap water, mineral water, etc., as well as the water contained in the above-mentioned maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, other enzymes, oils and fats, and other ingredients other than water. The lower limit of the water content in the bakery food improver of the present invention is 0% by mass.

[0077] The content of ingredients other than fats and oils and water in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention, but is preferably 20.0% by mass or less, more preferably 10.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5.0% by mass or less. The lower limit of the content of ingredients other than fats and oils and water in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is 0% by mass.

[0078] <Form, use, etc.> The bakery food improver of the present invention contains a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and may consist of only the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, or may be a composition containing the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, as long as it does not substantially contain an emulsifier.

[0079] The bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably an oil and fat composition containing a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, from the viewpoint that the bakery food improving agent of the present invention can be more easily dispersed uniformly in bakery dough and the effects of the present invention can be more easily obtained. Here, the oil and fat composition in the present invention refers to an oil and fat composition having an oil content of 50 mass% or more.

[0080] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil and fat composition, it may be in the form of a shortening that does not contain an aqueous phase, or it may be an emulsified oil and fat composition in an emulsion form in which an oil phase is the continuous phase, such as a water-in-oil type, an oil-in-water-in-oil type, or an oil-in-oil type, or it may be an emulsified oil and fat composition in an emulsion form in which an aqueous phase is the continuous phase, such as an oil-in-water type or a water-in-oil-in-water type. From the viewpoint of more favorably achieving the effects of the present invention, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil and fat composition, it is preferably in the form of a shortening that does not contain an aqueous phase or an emulsified oil and fat composition in an emulsion form in which an oil phase is the continuous phase.

[0081] When the bakery food improving material of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, it may or may not have plasticity. Furthermore, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, it may contain a gas such as air, oxygen, or nitrogen. When containing these gases, the specific gravity of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably less than 0.9. The preferred lower limit of the specific gravity of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is within a range that allows production, but is preferably 0.6 or more.

[0082] Here, a preferred embodiment in which the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition will be described in more detail.

[0083] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, the content of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 0.02% by mass or more, more preferably 0.03% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.1% by mass or more, depending on the enzymatic activity of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used. Also, it is preferably 15.0% by mass or less, more preferably 10.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 1.5% by mass or less.

[0084] In particular, when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is a maltose-producing α-amylase, which is a preferred embodiment, the content of maltose-producing α-amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention is preferably 0.02% by mass or more, more preferably 0.03% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.05% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.1% by mass or more, depending on the enzymatic activity of the maltose-producing α-amylase used. Also, the content is preferably 5.0% by mass or less, more preferably 2.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is particularly preferred when the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention essentially consists of maltose-producing α-amylase.

[0085] Furthermore, when the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used in the bakery food improver of the present invention is a maltotetraose-producing α-amylase, which is a preferred embodiment, the content of the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention is preferably 0.02% by mass or more, more preferably 0.05% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.5% by mass or more, depending on the enzymatic activity of the maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used. Also, the content is preferably 15.0% by mass or less, more preferably 10.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 5.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 1.5% by mass or less. The content in this paragraph is particularly preferred when the maltotetraose-producing amylase in the bakery food improver of the present invention essentially consists of maltotetraose-producing α-amylase.

[0086] When the bakery food improver of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, the content of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme in the bakery food improver of the present invention, while still achieving the effects of the present invention, is preferably 0.002% by mass or more, more preferably 0.01% by mass or more, even more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 0.2% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of further suppressing staling that occurs in the early stages after the production of bakery foods and making it easier to obtain bakery foods with a softer texture, depending on the enzymatic activity of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used. Also, the content is preferably 10.0% by mass or less, more preferably 5.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 3.0% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 1.0% by mass or less.

[0087] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition and contains α-amylase, which is a preferred embodiment of other enzymes, the content of α-amylase in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 1.0 mass% or less, more preferably 0.001 to 0.5 mass%, and even more preferably 0.01 to 0.1 mass%, depending on the enzymatic activity of the α-amylase used.

[0088] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil and fat composition, the content of the oil and fat in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 50.0 to 99.99 mass%, more preferably 60.0 to 99.9 mass%, and even more preferably 70.0 to 99.5 mass%.

[0089] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, the moisture content in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is preferably 50.0% by mass or less, more preferably 40.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30.0% by mass or less.

[0090] The shape of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme and is substantially free of an emulsifier, and may be, for example, solid, granular, powdery, paste-like, fluid, liquid, or gel-like.

[0091] The bakery food improving agent of the present invention can be used for bakery foods such as breads and baked goods, and is preferably used for breads. Bakery foods in which the bakery food improving agent of the present invention can be used will be described later.

[0092] When used in the production of bakery foods, the bakery food improver of the present invention can suppress aging that occurs in the early stages after production and over a long period after production without the need for an emulsifier, thereby improving the bakery food to have a soft texture.

[0093] <Method for producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention> The method for producing the bakery food improver of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it ultimately produces a bakery food improver that contains a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme and is substantially free of emulsifiers, and any conventionally known method can be used.

[0094] For example, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is in the form of granules or powder, examples of the method include a method of producing the agent by mixing the raw materials using a powder mixer, or a method of producing an aqueous solution, suspension, or oil-in-water emulsion containing the raw materials, and then granulating or powdering the aqueous solution, suspension, or oil-in-water emulsion by spray drying, freeze drying, or the like.

[0095] Furthermore, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is in a paste, fluid, or liquid form, it can be produced by dissolving or dispersing the raw materials in water, oils, fats, etc., and homogenizing, sterilizing, or pasteurizing the resulting product as necessary.

[0096] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is in a gel form, it can be produced by using, for example, a gelling agent as a raw material to cause gelation when producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention in a paste form, fluid form, or liquid form.

[0097] Next, a production method for the bakery food improving agent of the present invention in the case where the agent is an oil or fat composition, which is a preferred embodiment, will be described in detail.

[0098] When the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, the method for producing it is not particularly limited as long as it ultimately produces an oil or fat composition containing a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme and substantially no emulsifier, and any conventional method for producing an oil or fat composition can be used.

[0099] For example, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is in the form of shortening without an aqueous phase, the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, the cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, and optionally other raw materials are added to and mixed with an oil or fat to obtain an oil or fat mixture, which is then homogenized, pasteurized, or sterilized as necessary, and then cooled, preferably cooled and plasticized, to produce the bakery food improving agent of the present invention.

[0100] Furthermore, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an emulsified oil and fat composition in an emulsified form in which the oil phase is the continuous phase, the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme may be added to the oil and fat, and other raw materials may be added as needed and mixed to obtain an oil phase. Next, other raw materials may be added as needed to water and mixed to obtain an aqueous phase. In this case, the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme may be contained in the oil phase, the aqueous phase, or both the oil phase and the aqueous phase.

[0101] Next, the aqueous phase is added to the oil phase obtained above, and mixed and emulsified to obtain an emulsion in which the oil phase is the continuous phase. The obtained emulsion can be homogenized, pasteurized, or sterilized as necessary, and then cooled, preferably by cooling and plasticizing, to produce the emulsion.

[0102] In the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, an emulsion in an emulsion form in which the oil phase is the continuous phase is prepared by adding a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme to the emulsion and cooling to plasticize it, thereby producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention. The emulsion is prepared by adding a water phase containing water and other ingredients as required to an oil and fat mixture in which oil and fat are mixed with other ingredients as required, or an oil phase containing oil and fat with other ingredients as required, and mixing the mixture to emulsify it. The maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and the cyclodextrin-producing enzyme are added to the emulsion and cooling to plasticize it, thereby producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention.

[0103] Alternatively, an emulsified fat composition in an emulsified form in which shortening or an oil phase is the continuous phase may be prepared, and the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme may be added and mixed thereto to produce the emulsion.

[0104] The pasteurization and sterilization in the method for producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention can be carried out by heat sterilization or heat pasteurization treatment using direct heating methods such as injection or infusion, or indirect heating methods such as plate, tubular or scraping methods, UHT, HTST or batch methods, retort, microwave heating or the like, or by heat cooking over an open flame or the like.

[0105] Furthermore, homogenization in the method for producing the bakery food improving agent of the present invention can be carried out, for example, by using a homogenizer, etc. The homogenization pressure is not particularly limited, and is preferably, for example, 3 to 150 MPa.

[0106] [Bakery dough] The bakery dough of the present invention contains the bakery food improving agent of the present invention. Details of the bakery food improving material of the present invention contained in the bakery dough of the present invention are as described above.

[0107] The type of bakery dough of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples include bread dough such as white bread dough, sweet bread dough, variety bread dough, butter roll dough, soft roll dough, hard roll dough, sweet roll dough, Danish dough, pastry dough, and French bread dough, and baked goods dough such as pie dough, choux dough, donut dough, butter cake dough, sponge cake dough, cookie dough, soft biscuit dough, hard biscuit dough, waffle dough, and scone dough.

[0108] Of the bakery doughs of the present invention, bread dough is preferred from the viewpoint that the effects of the present invention can be more easily obtained, and among bread doughs, bread dough, sweet bread dough, variety bread dough, butter roll dough, soft roll dough, hard roll dough, and sweet roll dough are more preferred.

[0109] The content of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention in the bakery dough of the present invention varies depending on the type of bakery dough and the content of each enzyme in the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, but for example, when the bakery dough of the present invention is bread dough, the content is preferably 0.01 to 30.0 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20.0 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 15.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of starches used in the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0110] Here, the starches used in the bakery dough of the present invention are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include wheat flour such as strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, and germ flour; other grain flours such as rye flour, barley flour, rice flour, and oat flour; nut flours such as almond flour, hazelnut flour, cashew nut flour, oat flour, and pine nut flour; starches such as corn starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, and rice starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting these starches to one or more treatments selected from enzyme treatment, gelatinization treatment, degradation treatment, etherification treatment, esterification treatment, cross-linking treatment, oxidation treatment, and grafting treatment. One or more starches selected from these may be used.

[0111] In addition to the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, the bakery dough of the present invention may further contain a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase or a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme. However, it is preferable not to add the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase or the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme separately, in order to avoid the problem that the added maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase or the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme is not uniformly contained in the bakery dough of the present invention, making it difficult to obtain the effects of the present invention.

[0112] The bakery dough of the present invention may contain, in addition to the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, and the cyclodextrin-producing enzyme described above, other raw materials used in the production of general bakery dough, as necessary.

[0113] Other ingredients that can be used in the bakery dough of the present invention include, for example, food ingredients and food additives such as water, fats and oils, fat compositions, yeast, yeast food, sugars, sugar alcohols, sweeteners and intense sweeteners, salt seasonings, acidulants, spices, bittering agents, seasonings, thickening agents, milk and dairy products, eggs and processed eggs, vegetable and animal proteins, vegetable milk, coloring agents, flavoring agents, emulsifiers, antioxidants, food preservatives, shelf life enhancers, distilled alcohol, brewed alcohol, various liqueurs, cocoa and cocoa products, coffee and coffee products, baking powder, herbs, fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, meat, and processed products thereof. The bakery dough of the present invention can contain one or more of these ingredients.

[0114] The content of other ingredients in the bakery dough of the present invention varies depending on the type of bakery dough, but is not particularly limited and can be any amount as long as it does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0115] For example, when the bakery dough of the present invention is a bread dough, the amount of water is preferably 20 to 150 parts by mass, more preferably 30 to 100 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the starches used in the bakery dough of the present invention. Furthermore, the amount of other ingredients other than water is preferably 100 parts by mass or less, more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the starches used in the bakery dough of the present invention. The lower limit of the amount of other ingredients contained in the bakery dough of the present invention is 0 part by mass.

[0116] The method for producing bakery dough of the present invention can be any conventional method for producing bread dough or confectionery dough, or a combination of these methods can be used.

[0117] Examples of methods for producing bread dough include the sponge dough method, straight kneading method, liquid dough method, medium dough method, tangzhan method, Chollywood method, continuous bread making method, refrigerated dough method, and frozen dough method. Examples of methods for producing confectionery dough include the sugar batter method, flour batter method, all-in-mix method, simultaneous mixing method, and separate mixing method.

[0118] In addition, when the bakery dough of the present invention is produced using the sponge dough method among the above-mentioned production methods, the bakery food improving agent of the present invention may be contained in the main kneaded dough, the sponge dough, or both the main kneaded dough and the sponge dough.

[0119] Furthermore, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, the bakery food improving agent of the present invention may be incorporated into the bakery dough of the present invention by kneading it into the dough or by folding it into the dough.

[0120] The bakery dough of the present invention may be stored refrigerated or frozen after production.

[0121] [Bakery foods] The bakery food of the present invention is a heat-treated product of the bakery dough of the present invention. The bakery dough of the present invention used to produce the bakery food product of the present invention is as described above.

[0122] The type of bakery food of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include breads and confectioneries obtained by heat-treating the bakery dough of the present invention. Among these, the bakery food of the present invention is preferably bread, from the viewpoint that the effects of the present invention can be more preferably obtained.

[0123] The heat treatment method for obtaining the bakery food product of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include baking, steaming, frying, heating in a microwave oven, etc., and these may be combined. Furthermore, after the heat treatment, a reheat treatment may be performed.

[0124] The bakery food product of the present invention may have food ingredients such as fillings or fruits placed on, sandwiched between, wrapped around, poured over, or embedded in it.

[0125] The resulting bakery food product may be stored in a refrigerator or frozen.

[0126] [Method for improving the quality of bakery foods] The method for improving the quality of bakery foods of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "the quality improving method of the present invention") is characterized by incorporating the bakery food improver of the present invention into bakery dough.

[0127] The details of the bakery food improving agent of the present invention used in the quality improving method of the present invention are as described above. Also, the details of the bakery dough and bakery food obtained by the quality improving method of the present invention are as described above.

[0128] By the quality improvement method of the present invention, bakery foods can be improved to have a soft texture without using an emulsifier, by suppressing staling that occurs immediately after production and staling that occurs over a long period after production.

[0129] In the quality improvement method of the present invention, the method for incorporating the bakery food improving agent of the present invention into bakery dough is not particularly limited. For example, when the bakery food improving agent of the present invention is an oil or fat composition, it may be incorporated by being kneaded into the bakery dough or by being folded into the bakery dough.

[0130] The amount of the bakery food improver of the present invention added in the quality improvement method of the present invention varies depending on the content of each enzyme in the bakery food improver used and the type of bakery dough, but for example, when the bakery dough is bread dough, the amount is preferably 0.01 to 30.0 parts by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 20.0 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 15.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of starches used in the bakery dough. [Example]

[0131] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

[0132] [Ingredients used] <Interesterified oil 1> A random transesterification reaction was carried out using sodium methoxide as a catalyst on 100 parts by mass of palm superolein (iodine value 64), a low-melting point fraction obtained by further fractionating the low-melting point fraction of palm oil, and the resulting oil was purified by conventional methods to obtain transesterified oil 1, which was then used.

[0133] <Interesterified oils and fats 2> 100 parts by mass of palm olein (iodine value 57), a low-melting point fraction obtained by fractionating palm oil, was subjected to random interesterification using sodium methoxide as a catalyst, and purified by conventional methods to obtain interesterified oil 2, which was then used.

[0134] <Maltotetraose-forming α-amylase> A commercially available maltotetraose-producing α-amylase preparation, "Denabake EXTRA" (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), was used. The optimum pH was 7. The optimum temperature was 45 to 75°C. The maltotetraose-producing α-amylase used corresponds to the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase of the present invention.

[0135] <Maltose-forming α-amylase> A commercially available enzyme preparation containing maltose-producing α-amylase, "Novamyl 10000BG" (manufactured by Novozym Japan), was used. The optimum pH was 5. The optimum temperature was 60 to 85°C. The maltose-producing α-amylase used corresponds to the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase of the present invention.

[0136] <Cyclodextrin-forming enzyme> We used "Contizyme" (Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.), a commercially available enzyme preparation containing cyclodextrin-forming enzymes. The optimum pH was 5.5-6.5, and the optimum temperature was 60°C. The cyclodextrin-forming enzyme used was a cyclodextrin-forming enzyme that produces α-CD and β-CD.

[0137] <α-amylase> A commercially available enzyme preparation containing α-amylase, "Fungamyl Ultra WF G" (manufactured by Novozym Japan), was used. The optimum temperature was 20 to 65° C. The α-amylase used corresponds to the other enzymes of the present invention.

[0138] [Consideration 1] First, we investigated the effects of the presence or absence of fats and oils and enzymes in the bakery food improver.

[0139] <Manufacturing improvers for bakery foods> According to the formulations shown in Table 1, bakery food improving agents 1-1 to 1-6 were produced by the following production method. Specifically, bakery food improving agent 1-1 was produced by mixing maltotetraose-producing α-amylase and cyclodextrin-producing enzyme. Bakery food improvers 1-2 to 1-6 were produced by first heating, melting and mixing the fats and oils listed in Table 2 to obtain a fat and oil mixture, which was then cooled and plasticized while adding the enzymes used in each bakery food improver. Bakery food improving agents 1-1 to 1-3 correspond to the bakery food improving agents of the present invention.

[0140] [Table 1]

[0141] [Table 2]

[0142] <Bread making test> According to the formulations shown in Table 3, roll breads of Examples 1-1 to 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 were produced using the bakery food improving agents 1-1 to 1-6 produced above, and a control roll bread that did not use any bakery food improving agents, using the bread-making method described below.

[0143] Specifically, the ingredients for the sponge dough were first placed in a mixer bowl and mixed using a hook at low speed for 2 minutes and then at medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain a sponge dough. The kneading temperature was 26°C. The resulting sponge dough was then fermented for 2 hours in a constant temperature room (28°C, relative humidity 85%). The fermented sponge dough was placed in a mixer bowl, and the ingredients of the dough other than margarine and the bakery food improver were added, followed by mixing using a hook at low speed for 3 minutes and at medium speed for 3 minutes. For the roll breads of Examples 1-1 to 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3, margarine ("Bronte" manufactured by ADEKA Corporation) and the bakery food improver prepared above were added. Then, mixing was continued at low speed for 3 minutes and at medium speed for 4 minutes to obtain a roll bread dough. The kneading temperature at this time was 28°C. The dough was then left to stand for 30 minutes, divided into 45g portions, and rolled. After a bench time of 30 minutes, the dough was rolled using a molder and left to proof (38°C, relative humidity 85%) for 60 minutes. The dough was then baked for 11 minutes in an oven set at 190°C to obtain the control, Examples 1-1 to 1-3, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 rolls. The rolls of Examples 1-1 to 1-3 correspond to the bakery foods of the present invention. The units of the compositions in Table 3 are parts by mass.

[0144] [Table 3]

[0145] <Evaluation of the anti-aging effect and softness of bakery foods> The roll bread obtained above was evaluated for its anti-staling effect and softness. First, the aging inhibitory effect was evaluated based on the inhibitory effect on the dryness of roll bread over time. Specifically, the control obtained above, the roll breads obtained above in Examples 1-1 to 1-3, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 were stored at room temperature for one day and for five days after baking, and five experienced panelists ate them and scored them according to the following evaluation criteria. The aging inhibitory effect was evaluated based on the total score. Prior to scoring, the panelists were made familiar with the evaluation scale corresponding to each score, so that there would be no difference in the evaluation criteria between the panelists.

[0146] - Evaluation criteria for anti-aging effects - 3 points: Very moisturizing and very anti-aging. 2 points: Moist and anti-aging. 1 point: It felt a little dry and the anti-aging effect was not sufficient. 0 points: My hair felt very dry and aging was not suppressed. -How to display the anti-aging effect- ◎: Total score is 14 to 15 points. ○+: The total score is between 11 and 13 points. ○: The total score is 8 to 10 points. △: Total score is 5 to 7 points. ×: The total score is 0 to 4 points.

[0147] Next, for the evaluation of softness, the control, the roll breads of Examples 1-1 to 1-3 obtained above, and Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-3 were baked and stored at room temperature for 5 days, and then eaten by skilled panelists, who scored them according to the following evaluation criteria and evaluated them using the total score. Prior to the scoring, the panelists were made to agree on the evaluation scale corresponding to each score, so that there would be no difference in the evaluation criteria between the panelists. Products that received a rating of ◯ or higher in the evaluation of the aging inhibitory effect one day after baking and five days after baking, and in the evaluation of softness, were deemed to be acceptable products according to the present invention.

[0148] -Software evaluation criteria- 3 points: Very soft and had a very good texture. 2 points: Soft and good texture. 1 point: It was slightly lacking in softness and had a slightly poor texture. 0 points: Not soft and had a poor texture.

[0149] - How to display the evaluation of software - ◎: Total score is 14 to 15 points. ○+: The total score is between 11 and 13 points. ○: The total score is 8 to 10 points. △: Total score is 5 to 7 points. ×: The total score is 0 to 4 points.

[0150] <Results of Study 1> The results of Study 1 are shown in Table 4.

[0151] [Table 4]

[0152] As shown in Table 4, all of the rolls of Examples 1-1 to 1-3, which contained the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, were moist and not dry even one day after baking, and staling was inhibited. Furthermore, all of the rolls of Examples 1-1 to 1-3 were moist and not dry even five days after baking, indicating that staling of the bakery foods was inhibited for a long period of time. These rolls also had a soft texture. Among the rolls of Examples 1-1 to 1-3, the rolls made using bakery food improving agent 1-2 or 1-3, in which the bakery food improving agent of the present invention was in the form of an oil or fat composition, had a particularly high staling inhibition effect and a soft texture. Among these two, the roll bread made using bakery food improver 1-3, which contains α-amylase other than maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase in addition to maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase and cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, had a longer-lasting anti-staling effect and a softer texture.

[0153] On the other hand, rolls made using bakery food improver 1-4, which does not contain either maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase or cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, bakery food improver 1-5, which does not contain cyclodextrin-forming enzyme, and bakery food improver 1-6, which does not contain maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, all had insufficient anti-aging effects, a hard texture without softness, or both, and were inferior bakery foods.

[0154] [Consideration 2] Next, we investigated the effects of changing the amount and ratio of each enzyme in the bakery food improver.

[0155] <Manufacturing improvers for bakery foods> Bakery food improving agents 2-1 to 2-7 were produced in the same manner as the production method of the bakery food improving agent in Study 1, except that the formulations shown in Table 5 were used instead of the formulations shown in Table 1. Bakery food improving agents 2-1 to 2-7 correspond to the bakery food improving agents of the present invention.

[0156] [Table 5]

[0157] <Bread making test> Except for using the formulations shown in Table 6 instead of the formulations shown in Table 3, rolls of Examples 2-1 to 2-7 using bakery food improving materials 2-1 to 2-7 of the present invention, respectively, and a control roll not using any bakery food improving material were produced in the same manner as in the bread-making test in Study 1. For reference, Table 6 also lists the formulation of the roll of Example 1-3. The formulations in Table 6 are in parts by mass. The rolls of Examples 2-1 to 2-7 are bakery foods of the present invention.

[0158] [Table 6]

[0159] <Evaluation of the anti-aging effect and softness of bakery foods> The roll breads of Examples 2-1 to 2-7 obtained above were evaluated for their staling inhibitory effect and softness. The evaluation methods for the anti-aging effect and softness were the same as in Study 1, using the same evaluation criteria. Products that received a rating of ◯ or higher in the evaluation of the aging inhibitory effect one day after baking and five days after baking, and in the evaluation of softness, were deemed to be acceptable products according to the present invention.

[0160] <Results of Study 2> The results of Study 2 are shown in Table 7. For reference, Table 7 also lists the evaluation results of the roll bread of Examples 1-3.

[0161] [Table 7]

[0162] As is clear from Table 7, all of the rolls of Examples 2-1 to 2-7, which contained the bakery food improving agent of the present invention, were less dry and moist even one day after baking, and staling was inhibited. Furthermore, all of the rolls of Examples 2-1 to 2-7 were less dry and moist even five days after baking, which means that staling of the bakery food was inhibited for a long period of time. These rolls also had a soft texture. Comparing Examples 2-3 to 2-5 and Example 1-3, which used different contents of cyclodextrin-forming enzyme in the bakery food improver, the roll bread of Example 1-3 achieved the greatest effects of the present invention in terms of both staling inhibition effect and softness. The roll bread made using bakery food improvers 2-3 and 2-4, which have lower cyclodextrin-forming enzyme contents than bakery food improver 1-3, had lower ratings of staling inhibition effect and softness one day and five days after baking, but this was not a problem. Furthermore, the roll bread made using bakery food improver 2-5, which has a higher cyclodextrin-forming enzyme content than bakery food improver 1-3, felt a little dry five days after baking, but staling was suppressed for a long period of time.

[0163] The roll breads of Examples 2-1 and 2-2, which used bakery food improver 2-1 or 2-2, which has a lower content of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase than bakery food improver 1-3, felt a little dry 5 days after baking, but the effects of the present invention were obtained without any problems.

[0164] The bread roll of Example 2-6, which used bakery food improving material 2-6, which had a lower α-amylase content than bakery food improving material 1-3, had a slightly reduced staling inhibitory effect and softness, but still achieved the effects of the present invention without any problems. Also, the bread roll of Example 2-7, which used bakery food improving material 2-7, which used maltose-producing α-amylase as the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, also achieved the same excellent effects of the present invention as the bread roll of Example 1-3.

Claims

1. A bakery food improver containing a maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase and a cyclodextrin-producing enzyme, and substantially free of emulsifiers.

2. The bakery food improving material according to claim 1, wherein the content of the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per part by mass of the cyclodextrin-forming enzyme is 0.25 to 25.0 parts by mass.

3. The bakery food improving material according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising α-amylase.

4. The bakery food improving material according to claim 1 or 2, which is an oil or fat composition.

5. Bakery dough containing the bakery food improving material according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A bakery food product which is a heat-treated product of the bakery dough according to claim 5.

7. A method for improving the quality of bakery foods, comprising incorporating the bakery food improver according to claim 1 or 2 into bakery dough.

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