Grain flour composition

Abstract

To provide fried confectionery and baked confectionery having crispy bite while having glutinous texture. A grain flour composition according to the present invention contains grain flour and an enzyme. The grain flour contains one or more pregelatinized grain flours selected from pregelatinized starch and pregelatinized grain flour, and has a content of tapioca starch of 25 mass% or more. The enzyme contains one or more enzymes selected from α-amylase, glucoamylase, maltogenic amylase, and maltotetraohydrolase. The content of the pregelatinized grain flour in the grain flour is preferably 10-50 mass%.

Description

Flour composition

[0001] The present invention relates to a flour composition used to prepare dough for producing confectioneries such as fried and baked goods.

[0002] Fried confectioneries and baked confectioneries are types of confectioneries that are produced by preparing dough using ingredients such as flour, sugar, and eggs, and then frying or baking the prepared dough.

[0003] Various flour compositions have been proposed for use in the production of fried and baked snacks. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a mix for Japanese-style wheat flour baked foods, such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, which contains wheat flour, pregelatinized starch, and one or more enzymes selected from maltose-producing α-amylase, maltotetraose-producing α-amylase, β-amylase, and xylanase. Patent Document 1 also describes the Novamyl series (e.g., Novamyl 3D BG, Novamyl 10000BG, etc.) manufactured by Novozyme as a specific example of the maltose-producing α-amylase. Patent Document 1 also describes an example of the mix that uses a pregelatinized phosphate cross-linked starch derived from tapioca starch. However, the content of the pregelatinized phosphate cross-linked starch in the flours (wheat flour and pregelatinized starch) in the mix in the example is a maximum of approximately 21% by mass (see Tables 3,

[0046] and

[0064] , and Table 4,

[0070] , of Patent Document 1). According to the mix described in Patent Document 1, the properties of the batter remain stable even after the time has passed after preparation, and it is said that a Japanese-style baked food product made from wheat flour with a good texture can be obtained without adversely affecting formability.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes the production of sesame dumpling-style doughnuts using a raw material flour consisting of 50 to 80 parts by mass of beta-starch, 6 to 25 parts by mass of pregelatinized starch, 7 to 30 parts by mass of wheat flour, and 8 to 25 parts by mass of carbohydrates. Patent Document 2 also describes the use of tapioca starch as the beta-starch. It is claimed that the raw material flour of Patent Document 2 produces doughnuts that are similar in appearance to doughnuts, have a chewy texture like sesame dumplings, and exhibit excellent stability over time in their texture. Patent Document 2 describes the use of a starch hydrolysate produced using α-amylase as the carbohydrate, but does not describe the use of the enzyme itself as a raw material for doughnuts.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes a pão de queijo-style fried food dough containing tapioca flour, wheat flour, dairy ingredients, edible oil, and cheese. The pão de queijo-style fried food dough described in Patent Document 3 is said to produce pão de queijo-style fried foods that can maintain their shape and chewy texture even the next day without using chemicals. Patent Document 3 does not describe the use of enzymes as ingredients in the pão de queijo-style fried food dough.

[0006] JP 2022-051308 A US 2004166218 (A1) JP 2013-138641 A

[0007] There are various types of fried and baked confectioneries, and the texture required varies depending on the type. For example, cake donuts, which are a type of fried confectionery, and pão de queijo, which is a type of baked confectionery, are usually preferred to have a chewy yet crisp texture.

[0008] The invention described in Patent Document 1 relates to Japanese-style foods baked with wheat flour, such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki, etc. Therefore, the Japanese-style foods baked with wheat flour in this document are not required to have a chewy and crisp texture.

[0009] Furthermore, the inventions described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 were not sufficient in terms of achieving both a chewy texture and a crispy texture in fried and baked snacks.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide fried and baked snacks that have a good texture.

[0011] The present inventors have conducted extensive research into a structure that can achieve both chewy texture and crispness in fried and baked snacks, and have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by combining a specific enzyme with a cereal flour containing pregelatinized starch or pregelatinized cereal flour and having a tapioca starch content within a specific range.

[0012] The present invention is based on the above findings, and provides a flour composition containing flour and an enzyme, wherein the flour contains one or more types of pregelatinized flour selected from pregelatinized starch and pregelatinized flour, and has a tapioca starch content of 25 mass% or more, and the enzyme is one or more types selected from α-amylase, glucoamylase, maltose-forming amylase, and maltotetraohydrolase.

[0013] The present invention also relates to a dough comprising a mixture containing the above-mentioned cereal flour composition of the present invention and a liquid. The present invention also relates to a fried snack obtained by frying the above-mentioned dough of the present invention. The present invention also relates to a baked snack obtained by baking the above-mentioned dough of the present invention.

[0014] The cereal flour composition of the present invention contains cereal flour. In the present invention, "cereal flour" refers to a substance derived from a grain that is powdery at room temperature and normal pressure, and includes cereal flour and starch. "Starch" here refers to "pure starch" isolated from plants such as wheat, and is distinguished from starch inherently contained in cereal flour or whole grain flour.

[0015] As used herein, "room temperature and pressure" refers to the ambient temperature and pressure in the environment in which the production and use (eating) of the cereal flour composition of the present invention or dough or confectionery using the same is normally carried out, typically an environment with an ambient temperature of 25°C and an atmospheric pressure of 1 atmosphere.

[0016] Examples of flour include wheat flour such as weak flour, medium flour, semi-strong flour, strong flour, and durum flour; unprocessed flour such as rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, and sweet potato flour; and processed flour obtained by subjecting unprocessed flour to one or more of the following treatments: etherification, esterification, acetylation, gelatinization, cross-linking such as phosphate cross-linking, oxidation, and oil processing. Examples of starch include starch derived from the above-mentioned flours and processed starches thereof, and examples of such processed starch include unprocessed starch that has been subjected to one or more of the following treatments: etherification, esterification, acetylation, gelatinization, cross-linking such as phosphate cross-linking, oxidation, and oil processing.

[0017] In the present invention, the cereal flour contains one or more types of pregelatinized cereal flour selected from pregelatinized starch and pregelatinized cereal flour. Pregelatinized cereal flour contributes to improving the texture of fried and baked snacks, particularly the chewy texture and crispness. In the present invention, "pregelatinized starch" refers to starch that has been subjected to a gelatinization treatment. In the present invention, "pregelatinized flour" refers to cereal flour that has been subjected to a gelatinization treatment. Examples of starch and cereal flour that can be used for the gelatinization treatment include those described above. The pregelatinized cereal flour used in the present invention may be subjected to one or more other treatments in addition to the gelatinization treatment, such as etherification treatment, esterification treatment, acetylation treatment, cross-linking treatment such as phosphate cross-linking treatment, oxidation treatment, and oil processing. When using pregelatinized cereal flour that has been subjected to another treatment in addition to the gelatinization treatment, it is preferable to use pregelatinized cereal flour that has been subjected to one or more other treatments selected from etherification treatment, acetylation treatment, and cross-linking treatment.

[0018] In the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the chewy texture and crispness of confectioneries using the cereal flour composition, the content of gelatinized cereal flour in the cereal flour is preferably 10 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 15 to 45% by mass, relative to the total mass of the cereal flour.

[0019] In the present invention, the cereal flour contains tapioca starch. Tapioca starch contributes to improving the texture, particularly the chewy texture, of fried and baked confectioneries. In the present invention, "tapioca starch" refers to unprocessed tapioca starch derived from tapioca flour, and processed tapioca starch obtained by subjecting unprocessed tapioca starch to one or more of the following treatments: etherification, esterification, acetylation, gelatinization, crosslinking treatment such as phosphate crosslinking, oxidation, and oil / fat processing. Therefore, when processed tapioca starch obtained by subjecting unprocessed starch to gelatinization treatment (hereinafter also referred to as "gelatinized tapioca starch") is used as a component of the cereal flour composition of the present invention, the gelatinized tapioca starch serves as both the above-mentioned gelatinized starch and tapioca starch. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the chewy texture of confectioneries using a cereal flour composition, it is preferable to use processed tapioca starch that has been subjected to one or more treatments selected from gelatinization treatment, etherification treatment, acetylation treatment, and cross-linking treatment.

[0020] In the present invention, the tapioca starch content in the cereal flour is 25% by mass or more. If the tapioca starch content is less than 25% by mass, fried and baked confectioneries with a good chewy texture cannot be obtained. From the viewpoint of improving the chewy texture, the tapioca starch content in the cereal flour is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 35% by mass or more, and even more preferably 40% by mass or more, relative to the total mass of the cereal flour. From the viewpoint of improving the crispness of confectioneries using the cereal flour composition, the upper limit of the tapioca starch content in the cereal flour is preferably 95% by mass or less, and more preferably 90% by mass or less.

[0021] In the present invention, as described above, the cereal flours contain pregelatinized cereal flours and tapioca starch, and both the pregelatinized cereal flours and the tapioca starch may be pregelatinized tapioca starch. When the cereal flours contain pregelatinized tapioca starch, the content of the pregelatinized tapioca starch in the cereal flours is added to both the content of the pregelatinized cereal flours and the content of the tapioca starch in the cereal flours.

[0022] The cereal flour of the present invention may contain other cereal flours and / or starches in addition to pregelatinized cereal flours and tapioca starch. When the cereal flour contains other cereal flours and / or starches, the type, content, etc. of the other cereal flours and / or starches are not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately depending on the intended use of the cereal flour composition.

[0023] The cereal flour composition of the present invention contains an enzyme. This enzyme contains one or more enzymes selected from α-amylase, glucoamylase, maltose-forming amylase, and maltotetraohydrolase (hereinafter, these enzymes are also collectively referred to as "specific enzymes"). The specific enzymes contribute to improving the texture of fried and baked snacks, particularly the chewy texture. In the present invention, from the viewpoint of further improving the chewy texture, it is preferable that the specific enzyme contains at least one or more enzymes selected from glucoamylase, maltose-forming amylase, and maltotetraohydrolase.

[0024] α-Amylase is an enzyme that randomly cleaves the α-1,4-glucosidic bonds of α-glucan, such as starch, as a substrate. Suitable commercially available α-amylases include Spitase CP3 and Spitase L (both manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Japan Corporation), Coclase (manufactured by Mitsubishi-Kagaku Foods Corporation), Biozyme A, Clystase L1, and Amylase AD "Amano" 1 (all manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.), Fungamyl (registered trademark) 4000 SG, and Fungamyl 800L (both manufactured by Novozym Japan Co., Ltd.).

[0025] Glucoamylase is an enzyme that exo-hydrolyzes both α-1,4-glucosidic bonds and α-1,6-glucosidic bonds in starch and other starches from the non-reducing end to produce β-glucose through an anomer inversion reaction. Suitable commercially available glucoamylases include "AF-6" (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.).

[0026] Maltogenic amylase is an amylase that produces maltose. Suitable commercially available maltogenic amylases include, for example, "Novamyl 10000BG" (manufactured by Novozyme Japan Co., Ltd.) and "Novamyl 3DBG" (manufactured by Novozyme Japan Co., Ltd.).

[0027] Maltotetraohydrolase is an enzyme that has the activity of hydrolyzing the α(1→4)-glucan structure of polysaccharides such as amylose to generate maltotetraose units from the non-reducing end, and is also called G4 amylase, xomaltotetraohydrolase, etc. Suitable commercially available maltotetraohydrolase products include "POWERFresh 3050 GF" (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), "POWERFresh 3150" (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), "POWERFresh 4150" (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), "POWERSoft 7033" (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), etc., as well as "DenaBake (registered trademark) EXTRA" (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Japan Corporation).

[0028] The origin (source) of the specific enzyme is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, seeds of grasses and legumes, and the digestive glands of animals such as humans and pigs. Examples of bacteria that can serve as sources of amylases such as α-amylase include Bacillus subtilis Marburg, Bacillus subtilis natto, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus macerans, Pseudomonas stutzeri, and Klebusiella aerogenes. Examples of actinomycetes that can be sources of amylases such as α-amylase include Streptomyces griseus, etc. Examples of fungi that can be sources of amylases such as α-amylase include Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger, etc.

[0029] The specific enzyme used in the present invention can be obtained as an enzyme solution by inoculating the above-mentioned organisms, their mutants, or host cells transformed with recombinant vectors containing DNA sequences encoding these enzymes or their mutants into a medium containing an assimilable carbon source, nitrogen source, and other essential nutrients, culturing them according to conventional methods, and then subjecting them to general enzyme isolation and purification methods. The enzyme solution thus obtained can be used as is, or it can be further purified, crystallized, powdered, or granulated by known methods. The form of amylase in the specific enzyme used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be in the form of a dried enzyme protein, particles containing the enzyme protein, or a liquid containing the enzyme protein.

[0030] In the present invention, the enzyme may contain other enzymes in addition to the specific enzyme. Examples of other enzymes include those used in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

[0031] From the viewpoint of further improving the chewy texture of confectioneries using the grain flour composition, the content of the enzyme in the grain flour composition of the present invention is preferably an amount that results in an α-amylase activity of less than 20 units / 100g at 27°C per 100g of the grain flour composition, more preferably an amount that results in an α-amylase activity of less than 18 units / 100g, even more preferably an amount that results in an α-amylase activity of 0.1 units / 100g or more at 60°C per 100g of the grain flour composition, more preferably an amount that results in an α-amylase activity of 1 to 150 units / 100g, even more preferably an amount that results in an α-amylase activity of 3 to 150 units / 100g per 100g of the grain flour composition. Furthermore, the "enzyme" in the "enzyme content" may include enzymes other than the specific enzyme, but typically, the cereal flour composition of the present invention does not contain other enzymes, or even if it does contain other enzymes, the content is so small that the effects of the other enzymes are not substantially expressed, and therefore the "enzyme content" can be rephrased as "specific enzyme content."

[0032] The "α-amylase activity per 100 g of the cereal flour composition" (unit: unit / 100 g) can be calculated by multiplying the α-amylase activity of a specific enzyme contained in the cereal flour composition (unit: unit / g) by the proportion by mass of the specific enzyme in 100 g of the cereal flour composition (specific enzyme content). As mentioned above, the cereal flour composition may contain enzymes other than the specific enzyme, but the α-amylase activity of these other enzymes can be ignored when calculating the "α-amylase activity per 100 g of the cereal flour composition." The "specific enzyme content" is calculated by dividing the mass of the specific enzyme (unit: g) by the mass of the cereal flour composition (100 g), and the calculated value may be multiplied by 100 to give a percentage (unit: % by mass). When a cereal flour composition contains multiple types of specific enzymes, the α-amylase activity and content of each of the multiple specific enzymes are determined using the above-described procedure, and the product of these values ​​is calculated. These multiple product values ​​are then summed to determine the target "α-amylase activity per 100 g of the cereal flour composition." The "α-amylase activity of a specific enzyme" can be measured using an α-amylase kit (Ceraipha, Megazyme Co., Ltd., Wicklow, Ireland) using the method described in Journal of the Japanese Society of Food Engineering, 41, 927-932 (1994). Specifically, 10 mL of 0.4 M sodium acetate buffer is added to 0.1 g of the enzyme to be measured (corresponding to the "sample amount" in the formula below), vortexed for 40 seconds, and centrifuged at 4255 G for 10 minutes. The supernatant is used as the enzyme sample solution and appropriately diluted for use. A test tube is charged with 200 μL of Amylase HR reagent and preincubated for 5 minutes at a predetermined analytical temperature (27° C. or 60° C.). Then, 200 μL of the preincubated enzyme sample solution (corresponding to the "enzyme sample solution volume" in the formula below) is added to the contents of the test tube, and the reaction is allowed to proceed at the predetermined analytical temperature (27° C. or 60° C.) for 20 minutes (corresponding to the "reaction time" in the formula below). Then, 3 mL of Stopping Reagent is added to the contents of the test tube to terminate the reaction, and the absorbance of the contents at 400 nm is measured.Next, the α-amylase activity (unit / g) of a specific enzyme, defined as the amount of enzyme that produces 1 μM p-nitrophenol from the synthetic substrate BPNGP7 in 1 minute, is calculated using the following formula, where "ε" is the molar extinction coefficient of p-nitrophenol.

[0033]

[0034] From the viewpoint of further improving the texture of fried and baked snacks, the content of the enzyme in the cereal flour composition of the present invention is preferably 0.001 to 0.1% by mass, more preferably 0.001 to 0.08% by mass, and even more preferably 0.001 to 0.05% by mass, relative to 100% by mass of the cereal flour in the cereal flour composition, provided that the α-amylase activity of the enzyme is in the range described above.

[0035] The cereal flour composition of the present invention may contain ingredients other than cereal flour and enzymes. As such other ingredients, any ingredient usable in confectioneries can be used without particular limitation. Examples of such other ingredients include sugars such as glucose, sucrose, oligosaccharides, maltose, trehalose, and fructose; proteins such as milk protein and soy protein; fats and oils such as vegetable oils and animal oils; emulsifiers such as sucrose fatty acid esters; egg powders such as whole egg powder, egg yolk powder, and egg white powder; leavening agents such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), baking powder, ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and ammonium chloride; thickeners; emulsifiers; and flavorings. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the cereal flour contains other ingredients, the type and content thereof are not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately depending on the intended use of the cereal flour composition.

[0036] The cereal flour composition of the present invention is typically obtained by mixing cereal flour and various ingredients including enzymes. The cereal flour composition of the present invention is typically in the form of a powder, granules, or other powder at room temperature and pressure.

[0037] The flour composition of the present invention is suitable for use in producing confectioneries such as fried confectioneries and baked confectioneries. In the present invention, "fried confectioneries" refers to foods obtained by frying dough containing cereal flour, and includes those containing other ingredients (e.g., fillings) in addition to the fried dough. Specific examples of fried confectioneries include sesame dumplings, cake donuts, and ponde rings. In the present invention, "baked confectioneries" refers to foods produced by baking dough prepared from a flour composition containing cereal flour such as wheat flour. Specific examples of baked confectioneries include pão de queijo and porbilla.

[0038] The flour composition of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in producing cake donuts. "Cake donuts" refers to donuts produced without yeast. Cake donuts include those called choux donuts. Cake donuts are typically produced without yeast, by using a cake-like formulation and a leavening agent such as baking powder to leaven the dough. Specific examples of cake donuts include soft donuts, which are characterized by a fluffy and soft texture; old-fashioned donuts, which have a crispy surface and a moist interior with cracks on the top; and French crullers, which are made with a moist dough and have a light texture similar to that of a choux pastry.

[0039] The flour composition of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in producing pão de queijo, a baked confectionery obtained by adding a liquid, cheese, etc. to the flour composition, stirring and mixing the mixture, and baking the resulting dough.

[0040] Next, the dough of the present invention will be described. Regarding the dough of the present invention, differences from the above-mentioned cereal flour composition of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as "cereal flour composition") will be described. For points not specifically described about the dough of the present invention, the above-mentioned explanation about the cereal flour composition of the present invention applies as appropriate.

[0041] The dough of the present invention comprises a mixture containing a cereal flour composition and a liquid, typically containing the cereal flour composition and water. The liquid is an aqueous source of water contained in the dough of the present invention. Examples of the liquid include water, eggs such as whole eggs, and milk, and these liquids can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0042] The moisture content of the dough of the present invention is not particularly limited and may be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of confectionery to be produced using the dough. When producing fried confectionery using the dough of the present invention, the moisture content of the dough is preferably 20 to 60% by mass, more preferably 23 to 55% by mass. When producing baked confectionery using the dough of the present invention, the moisture content of the dough is preferably 30 to 70% by mass, more preferably 33 to 65% by mass. When calculating the moisture content of the dough, the moisture content of the whole eggs used as the liquid is 76% by mass, and the moisture content of the milk used as the liquid is 88% by mass. Here, the "moisture content of the dough" refers to the moisture content measured according to the bone-drying method. Specifically, the dough to be measured is heated under conditions such that the product temperature reaches 130°C, and the moisture content is calculated as the ratio of the mass at constant weight to the mass before heating.

[0043] The dough of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the cereal flour composition and water. Examples of such other ingredients include cheese, oils and fats, baking powder, sugars, proteins, emulsifiers, thickeners, etc. The content of such other ingredients in the dough of the present invention can be appropriately set depending on the use of the dough, etc., and is not particularly limited, but is usually 50% by mass or less relative to 100% by mass of the dough.

[0044] The dough of the present invention can be produced by adding a liquid to a cereal flour composition, and if necessary, adding other ingredients such as cheese, and stirring and mixing using a mixer. When producing the dough, the amount of liquid such as water added to the cereal flour composition is preferably 40 to 180 parts by mass, more preferably 50 to 170 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of cereal flour contained in the cereal flour composition, from the viewpoint of adjusting the moisture content of the dough to within the above-mentioned preferred range.

[0045] Fried snacks can be obtained by frying the dough of the present invention in a conventional manner. The present invention includes fried snacks obtained by frying the dough of the present invention. The fried snacks of the present invention are fried products made from the dough of the present invention. Because the fried snacks of the present invention are produced using the above-mentioned cereal flour composition of the present invention, they have a chewy texture, good crispness, and excellent texture.

[0046] Baked snacks can be obtained by baking the dough of the present invention in a conventional manner. The present invention encompasses baked snacks obtained by baking the dough of the present invention. The baked snacks of the present invention are baked products of the dough of the present invention. Because the baked snacks of the present invention are produced using the above-mentioned cereal flour composition of the present invention, they have a chewy texture, good crispness, and excellent texture.

[0047] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Details of the raw materials used in the examples of this specification are as follows.

[0048] Cereal flours Tapioca starch A1: ether phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch ("Yuri 8" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Tapioca starch A2: acetylated tapioca starch ("Actobody A800" manufactured by J. Oil Mills) Tapioca starch A3: pregelatinized tapioca starch ("Matsunorin M-22" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Tapioca starch A4: pregelatinized acetylated phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch ("Gelcol GT-α" manufactured by J. Oil Mills) Tapioca starch A5: pregelatinized phosphate cross-linked tapioca starch ("Matsunorin 340" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) Pregelatinized wheat starch: "Matsunorin W" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Pregelatinized wheat flour: "Alpha Flour P" manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Inc. Wheat flour: all-purpose flour ("Kunpu" manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Inc.)・Rice flour: "Minori" manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd. ・Acetylated waxy corn starch: "Food Starch W" manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

[0049] Enzymes Enzyme B1: Maltose-producing amylase (Novozyme Japan Co., Ltd., "Novamyl 10000BG") Enzyme B2: Maltotetrahydrolase (Danisco Japan Co., Ltd., "POWERFresh 3050GF") Enzyme B3: Glucoamylase (Amano Enzyme Inc., "AF-6") Enzyme B4: α-amylase (Amano Enzyme Inc., "Biozyme A")

[0050] Example 1 The ingredients in Table 1 below were mixed in the proportions shown in the table to produce powder Mix A-1 at room temperature and normal pressure. To 100 parts by weight of the cereal flour contained in Mix A-1, 25 parts by weight of sugar, 30 parts by weight of water, 40 parts by weight of eggs, 35 parts by weight of salad oil, 2 parts by weight of baking powder, and 1 part by weight of an emulsifier ("Emulgy MM100" manufactured by Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) were added, and the mixture was stirred and mixed using a beater at first speed for 120 seconds to prepare a dough at a product temperature of 25°C. A mixer ("N50" manufactured by Hobart Japan Co., Ltd.) was used for stirring and mixing. The prepared dough was allowed to stand for 20 minutes, then divided into 15 g portions per doughnut, shaped into balls, and deep-fried in a fryer. Specifically, the molded dough was poured into shortening heated to 180°C and deep-fried for 5 minutes while pressing down with a wire rack from above to completely submerge the dough, producing the cake dough of Example 1.

[0051] Examples 2 to 7 Cake donuts of Examples 2 to 7 were produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mixes A-2 to A-7 shown in Table 1 were used instead of Mix A-1.

[0052] Example 8 The cake donut of Example 8 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A-8 shown in Table 1 was used instead of Mix A-1 and the amount of water used was changed from 30 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass.

[0053] Example 9 The cake donut of Example 9 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A-9 shown in Table 1 was used instead of Mix A-1 and the amount of water used was changed from 30 parts by mass to 90 parts by mass.

[0054] Examples 10 to 13 Cake donuts of Examples 10 to 13 were produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A-10 to A-13 shown in Table 1 were used instead of Mix A-1.

[0055] [Comparative Example 1] A cake donut of Comparative Example 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A'-1 shown in Table 1 was used instead of Mix A-1. [Comparative Example 1] A cake donut of Comparative Example 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A'-2 shown in Table 1 was used instead of Mix A-1, and water was not used.

[0056] Comparative Example 3 A cake donut of Comparative Example 3 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1, except that Mix A'-3 shown in Table 1 was used instead of Mix A-1.

[0057] [Evaluation Test] After production, cake donuts (fried snacks) were left at room temperature for 30 minutes and then placed in a polypropylene bag and sealed. After 24 hours, the bag was opened and the cake donuts were eaten by a panel of 10 experts, who evaluated the texture (chewy texture, crispness) according to the following evaluation criteria. The average score of the 10 experts was used as the evaluation result for the cake donuts for that evaluation item. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0058] <Evaluation criteria for chewy texture> 5 points: Very sticky, chewy texture, extremely good. 4 points: Sticky, chewy texture, good. 3 points: Slightly lacking in stickiness, but chewy. 2 points: Almost no chewy texture, slightly dry, poor. 1 point: No chewy texture at all, dry, very poor.

[0059] <Evaluation criteria for crispness> 5 points: soft and crisp, extremely good. 4 points: somewhat soft and crisp, good. 3 points: some stiffness but crisp. 2 points: stiff and not crisp, poor. 1 point: very stiff and not crisp, extremely poor.

[0060]

[0061] As shown in Table 1, the mixes of Examples 1 to 13 contain grain flours containing pregelatinized starch or pregelatinized grain flour and having a tapioca starch content of 25% by mass or more, and a specific enzyme, and therefore the texture of the cake donuts produced using these mixes was superior to that of the mixes of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 which did not meet these requirements.

[0062] Example 14 The ingredients in Table 2 below were mixed in the proportions shown in the table to produce powder Mix A-14 at room temperature and normal pressure. 40 parts by weight of shredded cheese, 70 parts by weight of water, 30 parts by weight of eggs, 20 parts by weight of salad oil, and 2 parts by weight of salt were added to 100 parts by weight of the cereal flour contained in Mix A-14, and the mixture was stirred and mixed using a beater at first speed for 120 seconds to prepare a dough with a product temperature of 25°C. A mixer ("N50" manufactured by Hobart Japan Co., Ltd.) was used for stirring and mixing. The prepared dough was allowed to stand for 20 minutes, then divided into 20 g portions per baked confectionery, shaped into balls, arranged on a baking sheet, and heated at 200°C for 14 minutes to produce the baked confectionery of Example 14.

[0063] Example 15 The baked confectionery of Example 15 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A-15 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14.

[0064] Example 16 The baked confectionery of Example 16 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A-16 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14, and the amount of water used was changed from 70 parts by mass to 50 parts by mass.

[0065] Example 17 The baked confectionery of Example 17 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A-17 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14, and the amount of water used was changed from 70 parts by mass to 100 parts by mass.

[0066] Examples 18 to 20 Baked confectioneries of Examples 18 to 20 were produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mixes A-18 to A-20 shown in Table 1 were used instead of Mix A-14.

[0067] [Comparative Example 4] The baked confectionery of Comparative Example 4 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A'-4 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14. [Comparative Example 5] The baked confectionery of Comparative Example 5 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A'-5 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14, and the amount of water used was changed from 70 parts by mass to 20 parts by mass.

[0068] Comparative Example 6 The baked confectionery of Comparative Example 6 was produced in the same manner as in Example 14, except that Mix A'-6 shown in Table 2 was used instead of Mix A-14.

[0069] [Evaluation Test] After production, the baked confectionery was left at room temperature for 30 minutes, then placed in a polypropylene bag and sealed. After 24 hours, the bag was opened, and the cake donuts were eaten by a panel of 10 experts, who evaluated the texture (chewy texture, crispness) according to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. The average score of the 10 experts was used as the evaluation result for the corresponding evaluation item of the baked confectionery being evaluated. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0070]

[0071] As shown in Table 2, the mixes of Examples 14 to 20 contained pregelatinized starch or pregelatinized grain flour, and contained grain flour with a tapioca starch content of 25% by mass or more, and a specific enzyme. Therefore, the texture of the baked goods produced using these mixes was superior to that of the mixes of Comparative Examples 4 to 6, which did not meet these requirements.

[0072] The flour composition of the present invention provides fried and baked snacks with a good texture, more specifically fried and baked snacks that are chewy yet crisp.

Claims

1. A flour composition containing flour and an enzyme, wherein the flour contains one or more types of pregelatinized flour selected from pregelatinized starch and pregelatinized flour, and has a tapioca starch content of 25% by mass or more, and the enzyme contains one or more types selected from α-amylase, glucoamylase, maltose-forming amylase, and maltotetrahydrolase.

2. The cereal flour composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of the gelatinized cereal flour in the cereal flour is 10 to 50 mass%.

3. A cereal flour composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the enzyme is such that the α-amylase activity per 100 g of the cereal flour composition at a temperature of 27°C is less than 20 units / 100 g and the α-amylase activity of the cereal flour composition at a temperature of 60°C is 0.1 units / 100 g or more.

4. A dough comprising a mixture containing the flour composition according to claim 1 or 2 and a liquid.

5. A fried snack made by frying the dough according to claim 4.

6. A baked confectionery obtained by baking the dough according to claim 4.

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