Cereal flour composition, bakery dough, and bakery food

Abstract

The purposes of a cereal flour composition according to the present invention are (1) to provide a bakery food product that offers a pleasant wheat-like aroma and flavor even if the cereal flour composition does not contain wheat flour or the wheat flour content is reduced, and (2) to provide a bakery food product having a suitable texture. Provided are: a cereal flour composition containing at least 35 mass% oat flour in terms of the cereal flour ingredients, said oat flour being a whole grain flour and preferably having a viscosity of 400 mPa·s or more as measured after adjusting the temperature of a 16.7 mass% water suspension of the oat flour to 25°C; a bakery dough containing the cereal flour composition; and a bakery food product that is a heated product of the bakery dough.

Description

Flour composition, bakery dough, and bakery food

[0001] The present invention relates to a flour composition, and more particularly to a flour composition that is mainly made of flour other than wheat flour and that allows the production of bakery foods with a good texture.

[0002] Wheat flour, which is used as a main ingredient in bakery foods such as bread and baked goods, contains the proteins gliadin and glutenin. When wheat flour is mixed with water to produce bakery dough, the gliadin and glutenin form gluten, which is a gummy, viscoelastic substance. Therefore, conventionally known bakery foods made primarily from wheat flour usually contain gluten.

[0003] In recent years, due to concerns about allergy sufferers and growing health consciousness, there has been an increasing demand for foods that do not contain a certain level of gluten (hereinafter simply referred to as gluten-free foods), and these foods are being considered and proposed.

[0004] One method for obtaining gluten-free bakery foods is to use cereal flour other than wheat flour as a substitute for wheat flour. Examples of such methods include a gluten-free bread mix containing buckwheat flour blended with pregelatinized buckwheat flour (Reference 1); gluten-free bread containing soy flour and rice flour and not containing gluten (Reference 2); a method for producing gluten-free bakery products, one of the features of which is a mixing step of mixing dough containing multiple types of gluten-free flour, soluble dietary fiber, multiple types of thickeners, vegetable oil, and water (Reference 3); a baked food dough containing cereal flour including rice flour, cellulose nanofiber, and baker's yeast (Reference 4); a composition containing rice hydrolyzate, brown rice hydrolyzate, and agar, and a dough composition containing the composition (Reference 5); and a method for producing baked goods including a step of preparing dough by blending soy-derived flour (Reference 6).

[0005] Oats are known as a type of cereal flour that contains little or no gluten, gliadin, or glutenin. Although oats have been widely consumed as food in recent years, they are primarily used as animal feed and have rarely been used as food, except for oatmeal, which is made by heat-treating oats and then processing them into flat flakes, oat milk, which is a plant milk produced from oats, and specific components (such as bran and dietary fiber) obtained by fractionation.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-134813 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-061480 Japanese Patent No. 7127225 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-176034 International Publication No. 2020 / 031305 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-103392

[0007] Previously known methods for obtaining gluten-free bakery foods have had the following problems.

[0008] Bread and baked goods made using grain flour other than wheat flour, such as buckwheat flour, soy flour, or rice flour, as a substitute for wheat flour, as in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 6, have the problem that they tend to lack the wheat aroma that can be felt in bakery foods made using wheat flour, and also have the problem that the flavor, such as the aroma and taste, is significantly different from that of bakery foods made using wheat flour.

[0009] Even in bakery foods containing gluten (i.e., containing wheat flour), due to the rising cost of wheat flour, some of the wheat flour is replaced with cereal flour other than wheat flour in production, but this still poses the problem of a lack of aroma and flavor.

[0010] On the other hand, in the production of gluten-free bread, it is known that the viscosity of the dough is low due to the low amount of gluten in the dough. Therefore, as in the inventions described in References 3 to 5, thickeners such as dietary fiber, cellulose nanofiber, and agar are commonly used to increase the viscosity of the dough and make it resemble the texture of bread dough made with wheat flour. However, gluten-free bread made using thickeners has the problem of tending to have a sticky, pasty texture.

[0011] Therefore, the problems to be solved by the present invention are the following (1) and (2): (1) To provide bakery foods that have a pleasant wheat-like aroma and flavor even when they do not contain wheat flour or when the wheat flour content is reduced, and (2) To provide bakery foods that have a good texture.

[0012] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by using a specific oat flour. The present invention is based on this finding and is described in detail below. <1> A flour composition containing oat flour in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour, wherein the oat flour is whole wheat flour. <2> The flour composition according to <1>, in which a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of the oat flour is adjusted to 25°C and the viscosity measured is 400 mPa·s or more. <3> The flour composition according to <1> or <2>, in which the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour based on the raw material flour is 20% by mass or less. <4> The flour composition according to any of <1> to <3>, in which the gluten content is 20 ppm or less. <5> The flour composition according to any of <1> to <4>, in which the thickener content is 0.5% by mass or less. <6> Bakery dough containing oat flour in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour, the oat flour being whole wheat flour. <7> Bakery dough according to <6>, in which a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of the oat flour is adjusted to 25°C and the viscosity measured is 400 mPa·s or more. <8> Bakery dough according to <6> or <7>, in which the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour based on the raw material flour is 20% by mass or less. <9> Bakery dough according to any one of <6> to <8>, in which the gluten content is 20 ppm or less. <10> Bakery dough according to any one of <6> to <9>, further containing sugar alcohols. <11> Bakery dough according to <10>, in which the sugar alcohols are contained in an amount of 0.1 to 2.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour. <12> The bakery dough according to <10> or <11>, wherein the sugar alcohols contain 50% by mass or more of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 and 50% by mass or less of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more. <13> The bakery dough according to <6> to <12>, further containing an oil or fat having an SFC at 25°C of 3 to 30%. <14> The bakery dough according to <13>, containing 3 to 250 parts by mass of the oil or fat per 100 parts by mass of the raw material grain flour. <15> The bakery dough according to any of <6> to <14>, wherein the amount of thickener per 100 parts by mass of the raw material grain flour is 0.5 parts by mass or less.<16> A bakery food product which is a heated product of the bakery dough according to any one of <6> to <15>. <17> A method for improving the flavor and texture of a bakery food product, which comprises incorporating the cereal flour composition according to any one of <1> to <5> into the bakery dough. <18> A method for improving the flavor and texture of a bakery food product, which comprises incorporating oat flour into the bakery dough in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour, wherein the oat flour is whole wheat flour.

[0013] The present invention can solve the following problems (1) and (2): (1) It is possible to provide bakery foods that have a pleasant wheat-like aroma and flavor even when they do not contain wheat flour or when the wheat flour content is reduced. (2) It is possible to provide bakery foods that have a good texture.

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0015] First, the flour composition of the present invention and the oat flour contained in the bakery dough of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as the oat flour of the present invention) will be described.

[0016] <<Oat Flour of the Present Invention>> Oats are a type of grain and a plant belonging to the genus Avena of the family Poaceae. Also known as oats, they are usually eaten in the form of oatmeal, which is made by heating whole oats and processing them into flat flakes. However, the oat flour used in the grain flour composition and bakery dough of the present invention is whole grain flour obtained by milling oats as a raw material.

[0017] The mill used for milling to obtain the oat flour of the present invention is not particularly limited, and any of a stamp mill, roll mill, jet mill, hammer mill, pin mill, through mill, etc. Dry milling is preferred as the milling method to obtain the oat flour of the present invention.

[0018] The oats to be milled are not particularly limited, and examples that can be used to obtain the oat flour of the present invention include oats themselves, "oat groats" from which the husks have been removed (i.e., whole oats), "steel-cut oats" from oat groats that have been finely broken down, "rolled oats" from oat groats that have been steamed, pressed, and dried, "quick oats" from finely ground rolled oats, and "instant oats" from rolled oats that have been heated and then dried.In any case, it is preferable to mill the oats after subjecting them to a heat treatment.

[0019] The median particle size of the oat flour of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be about 5 to 100 μm, and when the oat flour is aggregated, it may be measured as a median particle size of about 60 to 500 μm.

[0020] In the present invention, the median particle size refers to a particle size corresponding to 50 percent of the cumulative volume distribution of particle size, which is obtained by measurement using a laser diffraction particle size distribution measuring device (e.g., LMS-2000e (manufactured by Seishin Enterprise Co., Ltd.), SALD-2300 (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), etc.).

[0021] The oat flour of the present invention is characterized by being whole wheat flour. It is known that there are two types of cereal flour: whole wheat flour, which is made by milling the whole grain including the endosperm, husk, and germ, and endosperm flour, which is made by fractionating and milling only the endosperm. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with a wheat-like aroma and flavor and from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with a good texture, whole wheat flour is used as the oat flour of the present invention. Note that a mixture of the endosperm portion, the husk, and the germ portion ground separately is also considered to be whole wheat flour.

[0022] The reason why the oat flour of the present invention is whole grain and therefore can provide bakery foods with a good texture is not clear at present, but it is presumed that this is because the oat flour contains a large amount of non-starch polysaccharides.

[0023] Examples of non-starch polysaccharides that may be contained in the oat flour of the present invention include arabinoxylan, cellulose, indigestible dextrin, inulin, wax, chitin, pectin, and β-glucan.

[0024] The oat flour of the present invention preferably has a viscosity of 400 mPa·s or more when measured by adjusting the temperature of a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension to 25°C.

[0025] The 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of oat flour of the present invention refers to a suspension containing 16.7% by mass of oat flour obtained by suspending oat flour in water, and can be obtained, for example, by adding 500 g of water to 100 g of oat flour and stirring the mixture.

[0026] The viscosity of the oat flour aqueous suspension in the present invention is the viscosity of the suspension measured in accordance with Japanese Industrial Standard JIS Z8803:2011 "Method for measuring viscosity of liquids" using a single cylindrical rotational viscometer at 50 to 100 rpm.

[0027] The viscosity of the oat flour aqueous suspension in the present invention is a value obtained by measuring the viscosity of the oat flour aqueous suspension obtained by mixing oat flour and water adjusted to 25°C in a mixer for 5 minutes, and then allowing the suspension to stand for 5 minutes.

[0028] The viscosity of the 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of oat flour of the present invention, measured by the above method, is preferably 400 mPa·s or more, more preferably 550 mPa·s or more, even more preferably 700 mPa·s or more, and particularly preferably 850 mPa·s or more. A viscosity of 400 mPa·s or more allows the bakery dough obtained using the grain flour composition of the present invention, or the bakery dough of the present invention, to have a more suitable viscosity without the addition of a thickener, making it possible to produce bakery foods with a better texture. There is no particular upper limit to the viscosity, but it can be, for example, 5000 mPa·s or less, 4500 mPa·s or less, or 4000 mPa·s or less.

[0029] <<Flour Composition of the Present Invention>> Next, the flour composition of the present invention will be described.

[0030] The flour composition of the present invention is characterized by containing the above-described oat flour of the present invention in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour.

[0031] The amount of cereal flour (raw material cereal flour) contained in the cereal flour composition of the present invention is preferably 45% by mass or more, more preferably 55% by mass or more, and even more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more, with the upper limit being 100% by mass. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0032] The content of the oat flour of the present invention in the flour composition of the present invention based on the raw material flour is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 45% by mass or more, even more preferably 47% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, with the upper limit being 100% by mass. In other words, all of the raw material flour contained in the flour composition of the present invention can be the above-mentioned oat flour of the present invention. When the content of oat flour in the flour composition of the present invention satisfies the above numerical range, the effects of the present invention can be exerted.

[0033] The raw material flour contained in the flour composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains a predetermined amount of the oat flour of the present invention, and may contain one or more types selected from the group of flours excluding the oat flour of the present invention.

[0034] Furthermore, examples of flours other than the oat flour of the present invention that may be contained in the grain flour composition of the present invention include wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, etc.), rice flour, brown rice flour, barley flour, rye flour, corn flour, white sorghum flour, soybean flour (kinako), chickpea flour, mung bean flour, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, millet flour, foxtail millet flour, barnyard millet flour, and tapioca flour.

[0035] When the flour composition of the present invention contains a flour other than the oat flour of the present invention as one of the raw flour ingredients, from the viewpoints of (i) the aroma and flavor of the bakery food obtained using the flour composition of the present invention, and (ii) adjusting the amount of gluten in the bakery food obtained using the flour composition of the present invention, preferably one or more of rice flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, soybean flour, and corn flour are selected, more preferably one or more of rice flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, and soybean flour are selected, and even more preferably one or more of rice flour and brown rice flour are selected.

[0036] When one or more types of flour other than the oat flour of the present invention are contained in the flour composition of the present invention, the content thereof is preferably 60% by mass or less of the raw flour, more preferably 55% by mass or less, even more preferably 53% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, with the lower limit being 0% by mass (i.e., not contained). By ensuring that the content of flour other than oat flour satisfies the above numerical range, the effects of the present invention can be more suitably exhibited.

[0037] When the bakery food produced using the flour composition of the present invention is a bakery food with a reduced gluten content, the total content of wheat flour and rye flour based on the raw flour in the flour composition of the present invention is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less. When it is intended to produce gluten-free bakery foods using the flour composition of the present invention, it is preferable that wheat flour and rye flour are not contained. Note that "the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour" refers to the content of either wheat flour or rye flour when the raw flour contains either one of wheat flour and rye flour, or the total amount of wheat flour and rye flour when both are contained. The same applies hereinafter in the present invention.

[0038] When a bakery food product produced using the grain flour composition of the present invention is intended to be a gluten-free bakery food product, the amount of gluten in the grain flour composition of the present invention is set to 20 ppm or less. The amount of gluten contained can be measured, for example, using a test kit based on the ELISA method, and the same applies hereinafter.

[0039] The flour composition of the present invention may contain other ingredients as needed, in addition to the oat flour of the present invention and flours other than the oat flour of the present invention, although this will vary depending on the type of bakery food to be produced. Examples of other ingredients that may be contained include the following. However, other ingredients exclude water. However, this does not apply to the water contained in the other ingredients listed below.・Salt and other salts (e.g., sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, bittern, whey minerals, whey calcium) ・Fats and oils (details as described below) ・Sweeteners (details as described below) ・Protein ingredients (details as described below) ・Thickeners (details as described below) ・Starches (details as described below) ・Leaving agents (e.g., baking powder containing gas-generating agents such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), ammonium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and acidic agents such as tartaric acid, potassium hydrogen tartrate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, glucono delta-lactone) ・Emulsifiers (e.g., lecithin, sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters) ・Enzymes (e.g., amylase, cellulase, lipase) ・pH adjusters ・Vitamins ・Yeast, yeast food ・Seasonings (e.g., monosodium glutamate, vinegar, powdered soy sauce, various spices) Extracts (e.g. yeast extract, meat or seafood extract) Flavorings

[0040] The fats and oils used in the grain flour composition of the present invention will now be described.

[0041] The fats and oils used in the grain flour composition of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible, and examples thereof include various vegetable and animal fats and oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, beef tallow, milk fat, lard, cacao butter, fish oil, and whale oil, as well as processed fats and oils obtained by subjecting these to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification. In the present invention, these fats and oils can be used alone or in combination of two or more (i.e., as mixed fats and oils).

[0042] When fats and oils are added to the flour composition of the present invention, they can be added in the form of an emulsion such as an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion, or in the form of a powdered fat and oil, but from the viewpoint of shelf life, it is preferable that the continuous phase is an oil phase.Furthermore, they can also be in the form of a plastic fat and oil composition such as shortening, margarine, or fat spread, with shortening being preferred.

[0043] When fats and oils are contained in the grain flour composition of the present invention, the SFC at 25°C of the contained fats and oils is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 4% or more, and even more preferably 6% or more. The upper limit is preferably 30% or less, more preferably 25% or less, and even more preferably 20% or less. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the texture of bakery foods obtained using the grain flour composition of the present invention, in one embodiment, the SFC at 25°C of the contained fats and oils is preferably 3 to 30%, more preferably 4 to 25%, and even more preferably 6 to 20%. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0044] From the same viewpoint, the SFC at 15°C of the oils and fats to be contained is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 4% or more, and even more preferably 5% or more. The upper limit is preferably 50% or less, more preferably 40% or less, and even more preferably 35% or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the SFC at 15°C of the oils and fats to be contained is preferably 3 to 50%, more preferably 4 to 40%, and even more preferably 5 to 35%. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0045] The SFC value indicates the content of solid fat in fats and oils at a specific temperature, and can be measured by a conventional method. In the present invention, the SFC of a sample to be measured is measured by pulse NMR (direct method) described in AOCS official method CD16b-93, and the measured value is then converted into the amount of oil phase. That is, when a sample not containing an aqueous phase is measured, the measured value is the SFC as is, and when a sample containing an aqueous phase is measured, the measured value converted into the amount of oil phase is the SFC. The same applies hereinafter in the present invention.

[0046] The iodine value of the oils and fats is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 150, more preferably 50 to 130. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0047] The iodine value of fats and oils can be measured by a conventionally known method, for example, the method described in "Standard Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils, and Related Materials, 2.3.4.1 (2013) Established by the Japan Oil Chemists' Society." The same applies hereinafter in the present invention.

[0048] When fats and oils are contained in the grain flour composition of the present invention, the content thereof is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less, in terms of shelf life and avoiding a decrease in the effects of the present invention. In the grain flour composition of the present invention, the content of fats and oils may be within the above-mentioned numerical range, but it is preferably 111 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the raw grain flour.

[0049] The sweetener used in the flour composition of the present invention will now be described.

[0050] Sweeteners that can be used in the grain flour composition of the present invention include, for example, sugars such as starch hydrolysates, dextrin, white sugar, granulated sugar, glucose, granulated sugar, sucrose, maltose, oligosaccharides, trehalose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, isomaltose, isomerized liquid sugar, and honey; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, reduced palatinose, and reduced starch syrup; and high-intensity sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and stevia. Mixtures or preparations of two or more selected from these can also be used.

[0051] When the grain flour composition of the present invention contains a sweetener, the content thereof in the grain flour composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited. The upper limit is preferably 9% by mass or less, more preferably 8.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 8% by mass or less. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited while preventing the flavor balance of the present invention from being disrupted. Therefore, in one embodiment, the content of the sweetener in the grain flour composition is preferably 0.1 to 9% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 8.5% by mass, and even more preferably 0.3 to 8% by mass.

[0052] Among the sweeteners that can be used in the grain flour composition of the present invention, it is particularly preferable to select and add sugar alcohols from the viewpoint of improving the texture of bakery foods obtained using the grain flour composition of the present invention. By selecting sugar alcohols, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in texture and suppression of the impartment of sweetness.

[0053] Specifically, it is preferable that the sugar composition contains sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 in an amount of 50% by mass or more, more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more.

[0054] From a similar viewpoint, it is preferable to contain sugar alcohols in which the proportion of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more in the sugar composition is 50% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less.

[0055] Therefore, it is preferable that the flour composition of the present invention contains a sugar alcohol composition (a composition containing multiple types of sugar alcohols with different sugar chain lengths or their constituent sugars) that satisfies both of the above conditions regarding the proportion of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 and the proportion of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more.

[0056] The sugar alcohol composition may be prepared by any method as long as it satisfies the above sugar composition.For example, a method of preparing a sugar alcohol composition by mixing purified sugar alcohols of each sugar chain length so as to satisfy the above sugar composition can be mentioned.In addition, reduced starch syrup that satisfies the above sugar composition, a mixture of two or more reduced starch syrups with different sugar compositions so as to satisfy the above sugar composition, or a mixture of reduced starch syrup and sugar alcohols of any sugar chain length so as to satisfy the above sugar alcohol mass ratio may be used, but it is preferable to use reduced starch syrup that satisfies the above sugar composition.

[0057] The sugar composition of the sugar alcohols of the present invention can be measured, for example, by the following method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0058] That is, sugar alcohols are subjected to HPLC as a sample, and in the obtained chromatogram, the sum of the areas of all peaks is defined as the "total mass of sugars," and the area of ​​each peak is defined as the "mass of each sugar." The mass percentage of each sugar in the sample can be calculated as the ratio of the area of ​​each peak to the sum of the areas of all detected peaks. HPLC conditions can be appropriately set according to standard methods, but the following conditions can be exemplified. The same applies hereinafter to the present invention. (HPLC conditions) Column: Shodex SUGAR KS-802 HQ (8.0 mm ID x 300 mm) x 2 Eluent: Highly purified water Flow rate: 1.0 mL / min Injection volume: 200 μL Column temperature: 50°C Detection: Differential refractive index detector Shodex RI

[0059] When the flour composition of the present invention contains sugar alcohols, the content of the sugar alcohols in the flour composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.3% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 2% by mass or less, more preferably 1.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.3% by mass or less, or 1% by mass or less. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving texture and avoiding a decrease in the effects of the present invention, in one embodiment, the content of sugar alcohols in the flour composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 2% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 1.5% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 1.3% by mass, or even more preferably 0.3 to 1% by mass. In the flour composition of the present invention, the content of sugar alcohols may be within the above numerical range, but is preferably 0.22 to 4.4 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of raw flour.

[0060] The protein material used in the flour composition of the present invention will now be described.

[0061] Examples of protein ingredients that can be used in the grain flour composition of the present invention include animal proteins such as egg white powder, egg yolk powder, whole egg powder, whey proteins such as whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate, casein proteins such as micellar casein isolate, and whole milk proteins such as milk protein concentrate and total milk protein, as well as vegetable proteins such as soy protein, wheat protein, and pea protein, and foods containing these (for example, milk, soy milk, and skim milk powder).

[0062] In addition, when producing bakery foods with reduced gluten content, it is desirable that the content of wheat proteins as other components, including vital gluten, is low. Specifically, the flour composition of the present invention preferably contains 3% or less of vital gluten, more preferably 1.5% or less, even more preferably 0.5% or less, and most preferably contains no vital gluten.

[0063] The thickener used in the flour composition of the present invention will now be described.

[0064] Examples of thickeners that can be used in the flour composition of the present invention include thickening polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, guar gum, alginate esters, pectin, tamarind seed gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, gum arabic, galactomannan, and gellan gum, as well as carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and propylene glycol.

[0065] Generally, when producing bakery foods that do not contain wheat flour or have a reduced wheat flour content, the viscosity of the bakery dough is adjusted by adding a certain amount of thickener, but this can sometimes result in a poor texture.

[0066] According to the grain flour composition of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an appropriate viscosity for the bakery dough in order to produce bakery foods with a good texture without containing a thickener, so that the amount of thickener can be reduced and the texture of the resulting bakery foods can be made good.

[0067] Specifically, the amount of thickener in the grain flour composition of the present invention is preferably 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.1% by mass or less, which allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0068] The starches used in the flour composition of the present invention will now be described.

[0069] Starches that can be used in the grain flour composition of the present invention include starches extracted from grains, plant seeds other than grains, or plants, such as corn starch, waxy corn starch, mung bean starch, potato starch, wheat starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, and sago starch. Modified starches can also be used as starches.

[0070] Processed starch is starch obtained by subjecting natural starch to physical and / or chemical treatment, etc., and examples thereof include enzyme-treated starches processed using potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, etc. as raw material starch, pregelatinized starch, heat-moisture treated starch, oxidized starch, acid-treated starch, bleached starch, esterified starch such as acetylated starch, etherified starch such as phosphorylated starch and hydroxypropylated starch, crosslinked starch such as phosphate crosslinked starch and adipic acid crosslinked starch, acetylated adipic acid crosslinked starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked starch, phosphate monoesterified phosphate crosslinked starch, etc. The starch may be one or a combination of two or more types selected from these starches and processed starches.

[0071] Next, a method for producing the flour composition of the present invention will be described.

[0072] As described above, the oat flour of the present invention can be used as the flour composition of the present invention as it is.

[0073] If the oat flour of the present invention contains, in addition to the oat flour of the present invention, grain flour other than the oat flour of the present invention and the other ingredients listed above, the grain flour composition of the present invention can be obtained by uniformly mixing or kneading the oat flour of the present invention, the grain flour other than the oat flour of the present invention, and the other ingredients listed above.

[0074] The mixing or kneading method is not particularly limited as long as it can uniformly disperse the oat flour of the present invention, cereal flour other than the oat flour of the present invention, and the other ingredients described above, and examples thereof include a method of mixing using a blender or mixer. When fats and oils are contained as other ingredients, a method of mixing while spraying appropriately heated and liquefied fats and oils can also be used.

[0075] <<Bakery Dough of the Present Invention and Bakery Food Product of the Present Invention>> Next, the bakery dough of the present invention and the bakery food product of the present invention will be described.

[0076] The bakery dough of the present invention contains 35% by mass or more of the oat flour of the present invention based on the raw material flour.

[0077] The content of the oat flour of the present invention in the bakery dough of the present invention based on the raw material flour is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 45% by mass or more, even more preferably 47% by mass or more, or 50% by mass or more, with the upper limit being 100% by mass. In other words, all of the raw material flour used in producing the bakery dough of the present invention can be the above-mentioned oat flour of the present invention. When the oat flour content satisfies the above numerical range, the effects of the present invention can be exerted.

[0078] The raw material flour used to produce the bakery dough of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it contains a predetermined amount of the oat flour of the present invention, and may contain one or more types of flour selected from the group of flours excluding the oat flour of the present invention.

[0079] Examples of flours other than the oat flour of the present invention that can be contained in the bakery dough of the present invention include wheat flour (strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium-strength flour, weak flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, etc.), rice flour, brown rice flour, barley flour, rye flour, corn flour, white sorghum flour, soybean flour (kinako), chickpea flour, mung bean flour, buckwheat flour, amaranth flour, millet flour, foxtail millet flour, barnyard millet flour, and tapioca flour.

[0080] When using a flour other than the oat flour of the present invention as one of the raw material flours in producing the bakery dough of the present invention, from the viewpoint of (i) the aroma and flavor of the bakery food, which is a baked product made from the bread dough of the present invention, and (ii) adjusting the amount of gluten in the bakery food, which is a baked product made from the bakery dough of the present invention, preferably one or more of rice flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, soy flour, and corn flour are selected, more preferably one or more of rice flour, brown rice flour, chickpea flour, and soy flour are selected, and even more preferably one or more of rice flour and brown rice flour are selected.

[0081] When flour other than the oat flour of the present invention is used in the production of the bakery dough of the present invention, it is preferably 65% ​​by mass or less, or 60% by mass or less, more preferably 55% by mass or less, even more preferably 53% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less, based on the raw material flour used in the production of the bakery dough of the present invention, with the lower limit being 0% by mass (i.e., not contained). By ensuring that the content of flour other than oat flour satisfies the above numerical range, the effects of the present invention can be more suitably exhibited.

[0082] When a bakery food product, which is a heated product of the bakery dough of the present invention, is to be a bakery food product with a reduced amount of gluten, the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour is preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less, based on the raw grain flour used to produce the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0083] When a gluten-free bakery food is intended to be produced by heating the bakery dough of the present invention, it is preferable that the bakery food does not contain wheat flour or rye flour.

[0084] When a bakery food product obtained by heating the bakery dough of the present invention is to be a gluten-free bakery food product, the amount of gluten in the bakery dough of the present invention is set to 20 ppm or less.

[0085] Next, other ingredients that may be contained in the bakery dough of the present invention will be described.

[0086] In addition to the oat flour of the present invention, the bakery dough of the present invention may contain or use any other ingredients as long as they do not impair the object of the present invention.

[0087] Other ingredients that can be contained in the bakery dough of the present invention include, in addition to the other ingredients that can be contained in the grain flour composition of the present invention, water, eggs (e.g., whole eggs, egg yolks, sweetened whole eggs, sweetened egg yolks, dried whole eggs, dried egg yolks, frozen whole eggs, frozen sweetened whole eggs, frozen egg yolks, frozen sweetened egg yolks, enzyme-treated whole eggs, enzyme-treated egg yolks), fruit, fruit juice, jam, fruit sauce, vegetables, meat, seafood and other food ingredients, consommé, bouillon, plant and animal extracts, and any of these can be used as long as they do not impair the object of the present invention.

[0088] Other raw materials can be used as desired as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. When the bakery dough of the present invention is bread dough, the amount of water is preferably 80 parts by mass or more, more preferably 100 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour. The upper limit is preferably 200 parts by mass or less, more preferably 180 parts by mass or less. It is preferably used in the range of 80 to 200 parts by mass, more preferably 100 to 180 parts by mass. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0089] When the bakery dough of the present invention is a confectionery, the water content in the dough is preferably 1 part by mass or more, more preferably 2 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour. The upper limit is 50 parts by mass or less, 30 parts by mass or less, or 10 parts by mass or less. Therefore, the water content is preferably 1 to 50 parts by mass, more preferably 2 to 30 parts by mass, or 2 to 10 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour.

[0090] Furthermore, when the bakery dough of the present invention is bread dough, the yeast is preferably used in an amount of 2 to 9 parts by mass, more preferably 3 to 7 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of raw material flour, which allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0091] Here, from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with good texture and flavor, the bakery dough of the present invention is preferably produced using one or more of a sweetener and fats and oils, more preferably produced using one or more of a sugar alcohol and fats and oils, and even more preferably contains both.

[0092] When the bakery dough of the present invention contains a sweetener, the content thereof is preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.3 parts by mass or more, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. The upper limit is typically 50 parts by mass or less, 30 parts by mass or less, or 20 parts by mass or less, preferably 9 parts by mass or less, more preferably 8.5 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 8 parts by mass or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the content of the sweetener is typically 0.1 to 50 parts by mass, 0.1 to 30 parts by mass, or 0.1 to 20 parts by mass, preferably 0.1 to 9 parts by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 8.5 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.3 to 8 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0093] Among sweeteners, sugar alcohols that are preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention will be described below.

[0094] The sugar alcohols preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention are sugar alcohols in which the proportion of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 in the sugar composition is 50% by mass or more, more preferably 65% ​​by mass or more, and even more preferably 80% by mass or more.

[0095] From a similar viewpoint, the sugar alcohols preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention are preferably sugar alcohols in which the proportion of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more in the sugar composition is 50% by mass or less, more preferably sugar alcohols in which this proportion is 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably sugar alcohols in which this proportion is 20% by mass or less.

[0096] Therefore, it is preferable that the bakery dough of the present invention contains a sugar alcohol composition that satisfies all of the above conditions.

[0097] The content of sugar alcohols in the bakery dough of the present invention is preferably 0.1 parts by mass or more, more preferably 0.2 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.3 parts by mass or more, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. The upper limit is preferably 2 parts by mass or less, more preferably 1.5 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 1.3 parts by mass or less, or 1 part by mass or less. Therefore, from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with good texture and flavor, the content of sugar alcohols in the bakery dough of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 2 parts by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 1.5 parts by mass, even more preferably 0.3 to 1.3 parts by mass, or 0.3 to 1 part by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0098] Next, the fats and oils preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention will be described.

[0099] The fats and oils preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention preferably have an SFC at 25°C of 3% or more, more preferably 4% or more, and even more preferably 6% or more. The upper limit is preferably 30% or less, more preferably 25% or less, and even more preferably 20% or less. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the taste and texture of the resulting bakery food, in one embodiment, the fats and oils preferably contained in the bakery dough of the present invention preferably have an SFC at 25°C of 3 to 30%, more preferably 4 to 25%, and even more preferably 6 to 20%.

[0100] From the same viewpoint, the SFC at 15°C of the oils and fats to be contained is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 4% or more, and even more preferably 5% or more. It is preferably 50% or less, more preferably 40% or less, and even more preferably 35% or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the SFC at 15°C of the oils and fats to be contained is preferably 3 to 50%, more preferably 4 to 40%, and even more preferably 5 to 35%.

[0101] The iodine value of the oils and fats is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 to 150, more preferably 50 to 130. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0102] The form of the fats and oils contained in the bakery dough of the present invention is not limited, and they can be contained in the form of an emulsion such as an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion, or in the form of powdered fats and oils. The fats and oils contained can also be in the form of a plastic fat composition such as shortening, margarine, or fat spread. Regardless of the form, it is preferable that the continuous phase is an oil phase from the viewpoint of shelf life.

[0103] The fats and oils used in the bakery dough of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible, and examples thereof include various vegetable and animal fats such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, beef tallow, milk fat, lard, cacao butter, fish oil, and whale oil, as well as processed fats and oils obtained by subjecting these to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation, and interesterification. In the present invention, these fats and oils can be used alone or in combination of two or more (i.e., as mixed fats and oils).

[0104] The content of fats and oils in the bakery dough of the present invention is preferably 3 parts by mass or more, more preferably 4 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 4.5 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. The upper limit is 250 parts by mass or less, more preferably 225 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 200 parts by mass or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the content of fats and oils in the bakery dough of the present invention is 3 to 250 parts by mass, more preferably 4 to 225 parts by mass, and even more preferably 4.5 to 200 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. This allows the effects of the present invention to be more suitably exhibited.

[0105] Specifically, from the viewpoint of obtaining bakery foods with better texture and flavor, for example, when the bakery food of the present invention is bread, the content of fats and oils is preferably 3 parts by mass or more, more preferably 4 parts by mass or more, even more preferably 4.5 parts by mass or more, or 5 parts by mass or more, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. The upper limit is preferably 30 parts by mass or less, more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 15 parts by mass or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the content of fats and oils is preferably 3 to 30 parts by mass, more preferably 4 to 20 parts by mass, even more preferably 4.5 to 15 parts by mass, or 5 to 15 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0106] From a similar viewpoint, for example, when the bakery food product of the present invention is a confectionery, the content of fats and oils is preferably 25 parts by mass or more, more preferably 50 parts by mass or more, and even more preferably 75 parts by mass or more, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention. The upper limit is preferably 250 parts by mass or less, more preferably 225 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 200 parts by mass or less. Therefore, in one embodiment, the content of fats and oils is preferably 10 to 250 parts by mass, or 25 to 250 parts by mass, more preferably 50 to 225 parts by mass, and even more preferably 75 to 200 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the raw material flour in the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0107] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of making the texture of the resulting bakery food more preferable and obtaining bakery dough that is easy to work with, if a thickener is included as an additional ingredient, it is preferable that the amount be 0.5 parts by mass or less, more preferably 0.3 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.1 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of the raw grain flour used to produce the bakery dough of the present invention, and it is particularly preferable that no thickener be included.

[0108] Next, the method for producing the bakery dough of the present invention will be described.

[0109] The bakery dough of the present invention can be produced in the same manner as producing ordinary bakery dough (i.e., bakery dough produced using wheat flour), except that in addition to the oat flour of the present invention, cereal flour other than the oat flour of the present invention or the other ingredients described above may be used as needed, and any method generally used for bread-making or confectionery-making may be used.

[0110] When the bakery dough of the present invention is bread dough, the manufacturing method may be, for example, the sponge dough method, the straight kneading method (straight method), the liquid dough method, the medium noodle method, or the tangzhang method. However, from the viewpoint of ease of manufacturing, when the bakery dough of the present invention is bread dough, it is preferable to manufacture it by the straight kneading method.

[0111] When the bakery dough of the present invention is a confectionery dough, the manufacturing method may be, for example, the sugar batter method, the flour batter method, the genoise method, the all-in-mix method, the co-mixing method, or the separate mixing method. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining a good texture, when the bakery dough of the present invention is a confectionery dough, it is preferable to manufacture it by the sugar batter method.

[0112] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of more efficiently producing the bakery dough of the present invention and preferably satisfying the above conditions, it is preferable to use the grain flour composition of the present invention when producing the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0113] The bakery dough of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may include any bakery dough. Preferred examples include bread dough (e.g., bread dough, sweet bread dough, butter roll dough, hard roll dough, Danish dough, French bread dough, pastry dough (Danish dough, pie dough, etc.)), confectionery dough (butter cake dough (e.g., pound cake dough, fruit cake dough, madeleine dough, Baumkuchen dough, financier dough, castella dough, donut dough (yeast donut dough, cake donut dough)), cookie dough (e.g., icebox cookie dough, wire-cut cookie dough, rotary mold cookie dough, sable dough, langue de chat cookie dough), biscuit dough, cracker dough, and wafer dough). The bakery dough of the present invention can be stored by refrigeration or freezing.

[0114] Next, the bakery food of the present invention will be described. The bakery food of the present invention is a heated product of the bakery dough of the present invention.

[0115] Heating methods for obtaining the bakery food of the present invention include, for example, baking, frying, steaming, and steam-baking, and one or more treatments selected from these may be used.

[0116] The heating conditions for baking vary depending on the type of bakery food, but the heating temperature may be, for example, 140 to 270° C., and preferably 150 to 260° C. The heating time may be, for example, 30 seconds to 90 minutes, and preferably 1 to 60 minutes.

[0117] For example, when an oven is used, the heating temperature is preferably 150 to 240° C., more preferably 160 to 230° C. The heating time is preferably 150 to 240° C., more preferably 8 to 50 minutes.

[0118] Furthermore, the heating conditions for frying are that the heating temperature is preferably 140 to 260° C., more preferably 150 to 250° C., and even more preferably 150 to 200° C. The heating time is preferably 1 to 10 minutes, and even more preferably 2 to 5 minutes.

[0119] When producing the bakery food product of the present invention, from the viewpoint of achieving a good texture, it is preferable to heat the bakery food product so that the moisture content of the bakery food product falls within an appropriate range. Specifically, the moisture content of the bakery food product after heating is preferably 3 to 50% by mass, or 3 to 20% by mass, more preferably 3 to 15% by mass, and even more preferably 3 to 10% by mass. Note that the moisture content of the bakery food product of the present invention can be measured by the "loss on drying method," and more specifically, the method described below in the Examples can be used.

[0120] When the moisture content of the bakery food of the present invention is set within the above range, it is preferable to pay particular attention to three points: "type of bakery dough," "method of shaping the dough," and "method of heating the dough."

[0121] From the viewpoint of keeping the moisture content of the bakery food of the present invention within the above range, the type of bakery dough used to produce the bakery food of the present invention is preferably bread dough such as white bread dough, sweet bread dough, butter roll dough, hard roll dough, Danish dough, French bread dough, pastry dough (Danish dough, pie dough, etc.), or butter cake dough such as pound cake dough, fruit cake dough, madeleine dough, Baumkuchen dough, financier dough, castella dough, or donut (yeast donut, cake donut) dough, with butter cake dough being more preferred.

[0122] When producing the bakery food of the present invention, the dough may be molded into any shape, but in order to keep the moisture content of the bakery food within the above range, it is preferable that at least one of the length, width, and height of the molded dough is 3 cm or less, more preferably 2 cm or less, and even more preferably 1 cm or less.

[0123] Furthermore, when dividing the produced bread dough, it is preferable to divide each portion into portions of 100 g or less, more preferably 90 g or less, and even more preferably 80 g or less.

[0124] As mentioned above, the shape of the dough is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of properly heating the dough to the center, it is preferable to shape the bakery dough into a thin plate, a rod, a hollow shape, or a ring shape.

[0125] Furthermore, in order to keep the moisture content of the bakery food in the above range, the method of heating the dough when producing the bakery food of the present invention is preferably baking or frying, and more preferably frying.

[0126] <<Method for Improving Flavor and Texture of Bakery Foods>> Next, the method for improving flavor and texture of bakery foods of the present invention will be described.

[0127] The flavor and texture improving method of the present invention comprises incorporating the oat flour of the present invention into bakery dough in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour. The flavor and texture improving method of the present invention is sufficient as long as the bakery dough contains the oats of the present invention in the above-mentioned numerical range, and may be carried out by incorporating the oat flour of the present invention itself into the bakery dough, or by incorporating the flour composition of the present invention into the bakery dough. In the latter method, the bakery dough is usually produced using the flour composition of the present invention as part of the raw materials for the bakery dough.

[0128] Next, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples and comparative examples, but these are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[0129] <Flours Used> The flours used in the following Examples and Comparative Examples are as follows. None of the breads produced in the Examples and Comparative Examples used wheat flour or rye flour as the flour, and therefore had a gluten content of 20 ppm or less. The viscosities measured by adjusting the temperature of a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of oat flours A to G to 25°C are shown in Table 1.・Oat flour A (Fazer "2000FP", whole wheat flour) ・Oat flour B (Fazer "OEF", endosperm flour) ・Oat flour C (Tiaron "BevOat", whole wheat flour) ・Oat flour D (Cargill "Oat flour", whole wheat flour) ・Oat flour E (Cargill "Fine Oat Flour", whole wheat flour) ・Oat flour F (Buffalo Creek Mills "Oat flour", whole wheat flour) ・Oat flour G (Unigraru "Oat flour", whole wheat flour) ・Rice flour A (Kumamoto Flour Mills "Rice flour H")

[0130]

[0131] <Oils and fats used> The oils and fats used in the examples and comparative examples shown below are as follows. The SFC of the following oils and fats at 25°C is as shown in Table 2. Oil and fat A: rapeseed oil (iodine value 118) Oil and fat B: shortening ("Premium Short CF" manufactured by ADEKA Corporation, iodine value 62)

[0132]

[0133] <Sweeteners Used> The sweeteners used in the following examples and comparative examples are as follows. The proportions of sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 and sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more in the sugar composition of sugar alcohols A and sugar alcohols B are as shown in Table 3. - White sugar (manufactured by Nippon Beet Sugar Co., Ltd., product name: White Sugar HO (beet sugar)) - Sugar alcohol A (sugar alcohol (highly saccharified reduced starch syrup), "SE 600" manufactured by Bussan Food Science) - Sugar alcohol B (sugar alcohol (lowly saccharified reduced starch syrup), "SE 100" manufactured by Bussan Food Science)

[0134] <Other ingredients used> Yeast (manufactured by Yongo Co., Ltd., product name: 45 NEW Yeast)

[0135]

[0136] <Study 1: Differences in Oat Flour> In Study 1, differences in oat flour were examined and evaluated. Specifically, bread was produced using oat flour, which is whole wheat flour, and oat flour, which is endosperm flour, and the volume and texture of the bread were evaluated.

[0137] <Bread Production> 100 parts by weight of any of oat flour A to G, 6 parts by weight of yeast, 8 parts by weight of caster sugar, and 150 parts by weight of water were placed in a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes. Then, 5 parts by weight of oils and fats A were added and mixed at low speed for another 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain bread dough. The kneading temperature was 32°C. 70 g of the obtained bread dough was weighed into a circular bread mold with a diameter of 82 mm and a height of 40 mm, and left to stand for 60 minutes in a constant temperature and humidity chamber set at a temperature of 34°C and a relative humidity of 80% for fermentation. After fermentation, the bread dough was baked for 20 minutes in an oven set at 220°C (top heat) and 220°C (bottom heat), to obtain breads 1-A to 1-G. The numbers of the obtained breads match the numbers of the oat flour used, and Bread 1-A and Bread 1-C to 1-G correspond to Examples, and Bread 1-B corresponds to a Comparative Example.

[0138] <Evaluation of Bread> The obtained breads 1-A to 1-G were evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria, and the results are shown in Table 4.

[0139] Specifically, the above breads 1-A to 1-G were stored at 25°C for 24 hours after baking, and then divided into four portions. 12 panelists ate the breads and evaluated them for two items: flavor and texture. The evaluation was based on the following criteria, and the total score was used as the evaluation result. The panelists' evaluation criteria were adjusted in advance.

[0140] The flavor and texture were evaluated by 12 panelists, and the total scores obtained are shown in Table 4 as follows: 54 to 60 points: +++, 44 to 53 points: ++, 36 to 43 points: +, 30 to 35 points: ±, 18 to 29 points: -, 0 to 17 points: --. The panelists' evaluation criteria were adjusted in advance, and products that received a score of A or B for volume and a score of ± or higher for flavor and texture were treated as passing products.

[0141] (Regarding volume) The volume of each baked bread was visually evaluated according to the following criteria: A: The whole bread is well and uniformly expanded. B: The bread is expanded somewhat but not uniformly, and is within an acceptable range. C: The bread is not expanded somewhat and not uniformly expanded. D: The bread is not expanded at all.

[0142] (Regarding Flavor) The flavor of each baked bread was evaluated according to the following criteria. 5 points: A good wheat-like flavor was detected, comparable to bread made using wheat flour. 3 points: A good wheat-like flavor was detected, with a slight off-flavor detected, but acceptable. 1 point: The wheat-like flavor was detected, but the off-flavor was strong, or the wheat-like flavor was barely detected. 0 point: The wheat-like flavor was detected, but the off-flavor was very strong, or no wheat-like flavor was detected.

[0143] (Texture) The texture of each baked bread was evaluated according to the following criteria: 5 points: soft and melts easily in the mouth. 3 points: soft and slightly melts poorly in the mouth, but acceptable. Or melts easily in the mouth, but slightly hard, but acceptable. 1 point: does not melt easily in the mouth, or is hard, and has an undesirable texture for bread. 0 point: does not melt easily in the mouth, and is hard, and has an undesirable texture for bread.

[0144]

[0145] As a result of Study 1, it was confirmed that the use of whole wheat oat flour allows the production of bread with better volume, texture, and flavor than the use of endosperm oat flour. It was also found that differences in texture and flavor occur even when the oat flour used is whole wheat. The reason for this is unclear, but it is presumed to be related to the viscosity of the aqueous suspension of oat flour used. Specifically, it is thought that the use of the oat flour of the present invention, which satisfies certain viscosity conditions, favorably increases the viscosity of the bread dough, making it easier for the air entrapped by stirring to be retained in the dough.

[0146] <Study 2: Differences in fats and oils> In Study 2, the fats and oils used in making bread dough were changed to study and evaluate the effect of the differences in fats and oils on the resulting bread. Specifically, bread was made using the following formulations and methods, and the resulting bread was evaluated in the same manner as in Study 1. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0147] <Bread Production> 100 parts by weight of oat flour C, 6 parts by weight of yeast, 8 parts by weight of caster sugar, and 150 parts by weight of water were placed in a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes. Five parts by weight of either oil or fat A or B was then added and mixed at low speed for another 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain bread dough. The kneading temperature was 32°C. 70 g of the obtained bread dough was weighed into a circular bread mold with a diameter of 82 mm and a height of 40 mm, and left to stand for 60 minutes in a constant temperature and humidity chamber set at a temperature of 34°C and a relative humidity of 80% for fermentation. After fermentation, the bread dough was baked for 20 minutes in an oven set at 220°C (top heat) and 220°C (bottom heat), obtaining Bread 2-A and Bread 2-B. The numbering of the obtained breads corresponds to the numbering of the oils and fats used, and all correspond to Examples.

[0148]

[0149] As a result of Study 2, it was found that the volume, texture, and flavor of the resulting bread differ depending on the type of fat or oil used. It is presumed that this difference is due to the influence of the hardness of the fat or oil used in making the bread dough, i.e., the SFC at a given temperature. It is thought that when the SFC at 25°C satisfies a certain preferred range, the viscosity of the resulting bread dough tends to increase, and the fat or oil solidifies as the resulting bread cools, making it easier to maintain the structure of the bread that has expanded due to heating.

[0150] <Study 3: Effect of Adding Sugar Alcohols> In Study 3, the effect of adding sugars on the resulting bread was examined and evaluated. Specifically, bread was produced using the following formulation and method, and the resulting bread was evaluated in the same manner as in Study 1. The results are shown in Table 6.

[0151] <Bread Production> 100 parts by weight of oat flour C, 6 parts by weight of yeast, 8 parts by weight of caster sugar, 1 part by weight of sugar alcohol A or B, and 150 parts by weight of water were placed in a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes. Five parts by weight of fats and oils A were then added and mixed at low speed for another 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain bread dough. The kneading temperature was 32°C. 70 g of the obtained bread dough was weighed into a circular bread mold with a diameter of 82 mm and a height of 40 mm, and left to stand for 60 minutes in a constant temperature and humidity chamber set at a temperature of 34°C and a relative humidity of 80% for fermentation. After fermentation, the bread dough was baked for 20 minutes in an oven set at 220°C (top heat) and 220°C (bottom heat), obtaining Bread 3-A and Bread 3-B. The numbering of the obtained breads is consistent with the numbering of the sugar alcohols used, and all correspond to Examples.

[0152]

[0153] As a result of Study 3, it was found that by selecting and incorporating an appropriate sugar alcohol into bread dough, the volume, texture, and flavor of the resulting bread can be improved, particularly when sugar alcohol A is used. This is thought to be because the high proportion of sugar alcohols with sugar chain lengths of 1 or 2 in sugar alcohol A increases osmotic pressure, reducing the amount of water retained in the water-soluble dietary fiber contained in the bread dough.

[0154] <Study 4: Combination with other cereal flour> In Study 4, the effect of combining other cereal flour with the oat flour of the present invention on the resulting bread was studied and evaluated. Specifically, bread was produced using the following formulation and method, and the resulting bread was evaluated in the same manner as in Study 1. The results are shown in Table 7.

[0155] <Preparation of flour compositions> Flour compositions A to E used in making the bread of this study were prepared by the following method. - Flour composition A: Oat flour C was used as is to prepare flour composition A. - Flour composition B: 75% by mass of oat flour C and 25% by mass of rice flour A were placed in a mixer and mixed until uniform, and this was used as flour composition B. - Flour composition C: 50% by mass of oat flour C and 50% by mass of rice flour A were placed in a mixer and mixed until uniform, and this was used as flour composition C. - Flour composition D: 25% by mass of oat flour C and 75% by mass of rice flour A were placed in a mixer and mixed until uniform, and this was used as flour composition D. - Flour composition E: Rice flour A was used as is to prepare flour composition E.

[0156] <Bread production> 100 parts by weight of flour compositions A to E, 6 parts by weight of yeast, 8 parts by weight of caster sugar, and 150 parts by weight of water were placed in a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes. Five parts by weight of oils and fats A were added and mixed at low speed for another 2 minutes and medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain bread dough. The kneading temperature was 34 ° C. 70 g of the obtained bread dough was weighed into a circular bread mold with a diameter of 82 mm and a height of 40 mm, and left to stand for 60 minutes in a constant temperature and humidity chamber set at a temperature of 34 ° C and a relative humidity of 80% for fermentation. The fermented bread dough was baked for 20 minutes in an oven set at 220 ° C for top heat and 220 ° C for bottom heat to obtain breads 4-A to 4-E. The numbering of the obtained breads corresponds to the numbering of the flour compositions used, with breads 4-A to 4-C corresponding to examples, and breads 4-D and 4-E corresponding to comparative examples.

[0157]

[0158] As a result of Study 4, it was found that when a certain amount or more of the oat flour of the present invention is contained in bread dough, bread having a desirable wheat-like flavor can be obtained.

[0159] <Study 5: Moisture content of bakery foods> In Study 5, the moisture content of bakery foods was examined and evaluated.

[0160] Specifically, we produced bread shaped into a rod shape (hereinafter referred to as rod bread), bread shaped into a round shape (hereinafter referred to as round bread), and cake donuts, and evaluated their moisture content and texture in terms of two points: (1) differences due to the molded shape, and (2) differences due to the cooking method and heating temperature.

[0161] [Study 5-1: Differences due to molded shape] Bread dough was prepared using oat flour based on the following formulation and manufacturing method, and loaf bread and round bread were manufactured by changing only the molding method.

[0162] <Production of stick bread and round bread> 100 parts by weight of oat flour C, 2.0 parts by weight of salt, 4.4 parts by weight of white sugar, 4.4 parts by weight of baker's yeast, 2.2 parts by weight of vinegar, 4.4 parts by weight of shortening, and 85.8 parts by weight of water were weighed into a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 2 minutes and medium speed for 3 minutes to obtain bread dough. A portion of the obtained dough was divided into 20 g portions and shaped into thin rods with a diameter of 1 cm. A portion of the obtained dough was also divided into 70 g portions and shaped into rounds. The dough formed into two different shapes was left to stand for 30 minutes in a constant temperature and humidity chamber set at a temperature of 30 ° C and a relative humidity of 65% to allow fermentation. After fermentation, the dough was baked in an oven set at 220 ° C (top heat) and 220 ° C (bottom heat) for 17 minutes to obtain stick bread and round bread.

[0163] <Method for measuring moisture content> 24 hours after production, 3 g of crumb from each sample was weighed into a Kett moisture meter (manufactured by Kett Electric Laboratory Co., Ltd.) and the moisture content was measured by the dry weight method. The obtained moisture content values ​​are shown in Table 8.

[0164]

[0165] The bread was eaten 24 hours after production, and the texture of the bread was evaluated. When comparing the stick-shaped bread and the round bread, which differ only in the shape of the dough, the stick-shaped bread had a moderately reduced stickiness compared to the round bread, and had a more pleasant texture. Both breads had a good texture due to the inclusion of a certain amount of whole oat flour in the dough, but the difference in texture itself is presumed to be due to the difference in moisture content of each bread. This difference in moisture content was largely due to the shape of the bread, and it was thought that the good texture was achieved by being thoroughly heated to the center.

[0166] [Study 5-2: Differences due to cooking method and heating temperature] Donut dough was prepared using oat flour based on the following composition and manufacturing method, and donuts were produced by changing the presence or absence of sugar alcohols and the heating temperature (specifically, the frying temperature).

[0167] <Preparation of cake donut dough> 1.2 parts by weight of salt and 45.0 parts by weight of caster sugar were placed in a mixer bowl and mixed at low speed for 1 minute and medium speed for 1 minute. 30.0 parts by weight of whole eggs were then added and mixed at medium speed for another 1 minute. 100 parts by weight of oat flour C, 3.0 parts by weight of baking powder, and 4.0 parts by weight of skim milk powder, which had been sifted in advance, were added and mixed at low speed for 0.5 minutes. 6.0 parts by weight of milk, 12.0 parts by weight of liquid oil (oils and fats A), 1.0 parts by weight of sugar alcohol A, and 3.0 parts by weight of water were gradually added and mixed until no lumps remained. Mixing was continued at low speed for 0.5 minutes and medium speed for 0.5 minutes to produce cake donut dough α. The kneading temperature was 26°C. The obtained cake donut dough α was allowed to stand for 10 minutes, then rolled to a thickness of 10 mm and cut into ring molds at 45 g each. This was left to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, and then fried for 4 minutes while turning over at temperatures of 150°C, 160°C, and 170°C, to obtain cake donut α-150, cake donut α-160, and cake donut α-170. Cake donut dough β was obtained by producing the cake donut dough α in the same manner as cake donut dough α, except that it did not contain sugar alcohol A. The obtained cake donut dough β was allowed to stand for 10 minutes, then rolled to a thickness of 10 mm and cut into ring molds at 45 g each. After leaving the doughnuts to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, they were fried for 4 minutes at temperatures of 150°C, 160°C and 170°C while being turned over, to obtain cake donuts β-150, β-160 and β-170.

[0168] <Method for measuring moisture content> 48 hours after production, 3 g of crumb from each sample was weighed into a Kett moisture meter (manufactured by Kett Electric Laboratory Co., Ltd.) and the moisture content was measured by the dry weight method. The obtained moisture content values ​​are shown in Table 9.

[0169]

[0170] The doughnuts were eaten 48 hours after production, and the texture of the doughnuts was evaluated. First, when comparing only the heating temperatures, the lower the heating temperature, the moister the texture but the stronger the oiliness and the stronger the flavor of the frying oil. On the other hand, the higher the heating temperature, the less oily the texture but the harder the texture. In this test, the doughnuts fried at 160°C had a particularly good texture and flavor.

[0171] Furthermore, when comparing the dough with and without sugar alcohol, although there was not a significant difference in moisture content, the dough containing sugar alcohol (i.e., the dough produced using cake donut dough α) had a moister texture and a better texture and flavor.

Claims

1. A flour composition containing oat flour in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw flour, the oat flour being whole grain flour.

2. The flour composition according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of the oat flour, adjusted to 25°C, and measured is 400 mPa·s or more.

3. A flour composition as described in claim 1 or 2, in which the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour based on the raw grain flour is 20 mass% or less.

4. A flour composition according to claim 1 or 2, having a gluten content of 20 ppm or less.

5. A flour composition as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickener content is 0.5 mass% or less.

6. A bakery dough containing oat flour in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw flour, the oat flour being whole grain flour.

7. The bakery dough according to claim 6, wherein the viscosity of a 16.7% by mass aqueous suspension of the oat flour, adjusted to 25° C., and measured is 400 mPa·s or more.

8. Bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7, in which the total content of one or more of wheat flour and rye flour based on the raw material flour is 20 mass% or less.

9. Bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7, having a gluten content of 20 ppm or less.

10. The bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising sugar alcohols.

11. The bakery dough according to claim 10, which contains 0.1 to 2.0 parts by mass of said sugar alcohol per 100 parts by mass of the raw grain flour.

12. Bakery dough according to claim 10, wherein the sugar alcohols contain sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 1 or 2 in an amount of 50% by mass or more and sugar alcohols with a sugar chain length of 5 or more in an amount of 50% by mass or less.

13. The bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a fat having an SFC at 25°C of 3 to 30%.

14. The bakery dough according to claim 13, containing 3 to 250 parts by mass of the fat or oil per 100 parts by mass of the raw grain flour.

15. A bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7, in which the thickener is contained in an amount of 0.5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the raw grain flour.

16. A bakery food product which is a heated product of the bakery dough according to claim 6 or 7.

17. A method for improving the flavor and texture of bakery foods, comprising incorporating the flour composition according to claim 1 or 2 into bakery dough.

18. A method for improving the flavor and texture of bakery foods, comprising incorporating oat flour in a bakery dough in an amount of 35% by mass or more based on the raw material flour, the oat flour being whole grain flour.

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