JP7578588B2 - Flour foods - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to flour-based foods.

Flour foods are generally a general term for dishes made by baking or otherwise using grain flour such as wheat flour, and typical examples include okonomiyaki and takoyaki. These flour foods are perennially popular as meals and snacks, and many products are distributed not only as homemade dishes or food served at restaurants, but also as frozen foods and chilled foods at convenience stores.
These flour-based foods are preferred to be fluffy, moist, and melt in the mouth, and to impart such texture, Japanese yam, for example, has been used. However, when Japanese yam is added, it tends to shrink over time, when stored in a freezer or refrigerator, or when reheated in a microwave oven, and the volume appears to decrease, and the fluffy feeling is easily lost when eaten. In addition, it is an allergen, and it is relatively expensive.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing okonomiyaki, in which 2% to 10% by weight of a thickener is mixed with water to produce a foamed mixture with a specific gravity of 0.24 to 0.30 g/ml, and the mixture is mixed with unheated dough containing starch and/or grain flour so that the water ratio is 55% to 80% by weight (55% to 70% by weight if the thickener is 2% to 3% by weight) without breaking the foam, and then ingredients for okonomiyaki are added as appropriate and the mixture is heated to solidify. This production method is said to produce okonomiyaki with a dough that has a soft texture after heating and melts in the mouth, with few allergens, a quality that makes it suitable for a wide range of people to eat, a quality that looks like it was made by hand, and mass production on an industrial scale without using special equipment.

Patent Document 2 discloses a composition containing 75% by mass or more of starch, in which the starch is a degraded starch obtained from a starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3×10 ³ to 5×10 ⁴ , a cold water swelling degree of the composition at 25° C. of 7 to 20, and a content of granular matter on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm of 50% by mass or less. According to this invention, it is possible to obtain a novel material having a good balance between high water absorption, non-stickiness, and resistance to clumping. It is also possible to obtain an excellent texture and good workability when the composition is blended with various foods.

JP 2011-010620 A International Publication No. 2014/132534

However, even when the technology of Patent Document 1 was used, there was still room for improvement in that flour-based foods had a good moist feel, fluffy feel, good melt-in-the-mouth feel, and excellent creamy texture, and that deterioration in these textures could be prevented even after storage.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not disclose or suggest any means of improving the texture of flour-based foods when added to such foods, or suppressing deterioration in texture after reheating after storage.

The present invention provides a flour-based food product that is moist, fluffy, melts in the mouth, and has an improved texture even after storage.

As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that the above problems could be solved by adding specific ingredients to flour-based foods, and thus completed the present invention.

In other words, according to the present invention, there are provided the following flour-based foods, methods for producing flour-based foods, compositions for flour-based foods, methods for improving the moistness of flour-based foods, methods for improving the fluffiness of flour-based foods, and methods for improving the melt-in-the-mouth properties of flour-based foods.
[1]
A powdered food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) The starch contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less. (3) The cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [2]
The food according to [1], wherein the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
[3]
The food according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of the component (A) that is under the sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and over the sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[4]
The food product according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the powdered raw material comprises cereal flour.
[5]
The food according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and chijimi.
[6]
A method for producing a flour-based food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
The method for producing the powdered raw material includes a step of preparing a dough for a flour-based food product by blending the powdered raw material and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 3 mass% or more and 60 mass% or less relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A).
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) It contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less. (3) The cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [7]
The manufacturing method according to [6], wherein the content of the component (A) that is undersieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[8]
The method for producing a food product according to [6] or [7], further comprising a step of cooking the dough for flour-based foods.
[9]
A composition for powdery foods comprising a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) A starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) A starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and a degraded starch content of 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 ^or less; (3) A cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 or more and 20 or less; (4) A content of undersized particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversized particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [10]
The composition according to [9], wherein the component (A) is present in an amount of 3% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less in the composition.
[11]
The composition according to [9] or [10], wherein the content of the component (A) that is undersieved through a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieved through a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[12]
The composition according to any one of [9] to [11], further comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of flour, starch, yam flour, thickeners and seasonings.
[13]
The composition according to any one of [9] to [12], which is used for dough for flour-based foods.
[14]
The composition described in any one of [9] to [13], which is used to improve the moistness of the flour-based food.
[15]
The composition described in any one of [9] to [13], which is used to improve the fluffy feeling of the flour food.
[16]
The composition described in any one of [9] to [13], which is used to improve the melt-in-the-mouth properties of the flour-based food.
[17]
A method for improving the moistness of a flour-based food, comprising adding to the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) A starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) A starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and a degraded starch content of 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x 103 or ^more and 5 x 104 or ^less ; (3) A cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 or more and 20 or less; (4) A content of undersized particles on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm and oversized particles on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [18]
The method according to [17], wherein the content of the component (A) on the undersieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[19]
The method according to [17] or [18], wherein the flour-type food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
[20]
The method according to any one of [17] to [19], wherein the improvement in moist feeling is an improvement in moist feeling after storage.
[21]
A method for improving the fluffy texture of a flour-based food, comprising adding to the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) A starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) A starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and a degraded starch content of 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x 103 or ^more and 5 x 104 or ^less ; (3) A cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 or more and 20 or less; (4) A content of undersized particles on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm and oversized particles on a sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [22]
The method according to [21], wherein the content of the component (A) on the undersieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[23]
The method according to [21] or [22], wherein the flour-type food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
[24]
The method according to any one of [21] to [23], wherein the improvement in the fluffy feeling is an improvement in the fluffy feeling after storage.
[25]
A method for improving the meltability in the mouth of a flour-based food, comprising adding to the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) A starch content of 75% by mass or more; (2) A starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and a degraded starch content of 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, the degraded starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 ^or less; (3) A cold water swelling degree at 25°C of 5 or more and 20 or less; (4) A content of undersized particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversized particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less [26]
The method according to [25], wherein the content of the component (A) on the undersieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversieve of a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
[27]
The method according to [25] or [26], wherein the flour-type food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
[28]
The method according to any one of [25] to [27], wherein the improvement in meltability in the mouth is improvement in meltability in the mouth after storage.

In addition, any combination of these configurations and conversions of the expressions of the present invention between methods, devices, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flour-based food product that is moist, fluffy, melts in the mouth, and has an improved texture even after storage.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention, giving specific examples of each component. Each component can be used alone or in combination of two or more types. In this embodiment, dough for flour-based foods (also simply called dough) refers to dough before heating, unless otherwise noted.

[1. Flour-based foods]
In this embodiment, the flour food product contains a powder raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4).
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more; (2) It contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of low molecular weight starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is 3 x ¹⁰³ to 5 x ¹⁰⁴ ; (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20; (4) The content of undersieve of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.5 mm and oversieve of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. In this embodiment, a flour food product having excellent moistness, fluffyness, and melt-in-the-mouth properties can be obtained immediately after cooking, and even when reheated after refrigerated or frozen storage. More specifically, a flour food product having excellent moldability during cooking or shape retention after storage can be obtained, and more specifically, the workability during production of the flour food product can be improved.
Below, we will explain each of the ingredients that are the raw materials for flour-based foods.

[1-1. Component (A)]
The starch content in component (A) is 75% by mass or more, preferably 80% by mass or more, and more preferably 85% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of improving moistness, fluffy feeling, and meltability in the mouth.
There is no upper limit to the starch content in component (A), which is 100% by mass or less; however, depending on the properties of the flour-type food, it may be, for example, 99.5% by mass or less or 99% by mass or less.

Furthermore, component (A) contains a specific proportion of low molecular weight starch made from starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more as the starch, and the low molecular weight starch used has a specific peak molecular weight. That is, the starch in component (A) contains 3% to 45% by mass of low molecular weight starch made from starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more as the raw material, and the peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is 3 x ¹⁰³ to 5 x ¹⁰⁴ .

From the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, the peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is 3 × 10 ³ or more, and preferably 8 × 10 ³ or more. From the same viewpoint, the peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch is 5 × 10 ⁴ or less, preferably 3 × 10 ⁴ or less, and more preferably 1.5 × 10 ⁴ or less. The method for measuring the peak molecular weight of starch after degradation is described in the Examples section.

From the viewpoint of excellent production stability, the low molecular weight starch is preferably one or more types selected from the group consisting of acid-treated starch, oxidized starch, and enzyme-treated starch, and more preferably acid-treated starch.

The conditions for the acid treatment are not particularly limited, but the treatment can be carried out, for example, as follows.
After the starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and water are charged into the reactor, acid is further charged. Alternatively, acid water in which acid has been dissolved in advance and the raw starch are charged into the reactor. From the viewpoint of carrying out the acid treatment more stably, it is desirable that the total amount of starch during the reaction is in a state of being homogeneously dispersed or slurried in the aqueous phase. For this purpose, the concentration of the starch slurry in the acid treatment is adjusted to be, for example, in the range of 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. If the slurry concentration is too high, the viscosity of the slurry increases, and it may become difficult to stir the slurry uniformly.

Specific examples of acids used in the above acid treatment include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid, and can be used regardless of type, purity, etc.

In the acid treatment reaction, for example, the acid concentration during the acid treatment is preferably 0.05 normality (N) or more and 4N or less, more preferably 0.1N or more and 4N or less, and even more preferably 0.2N or more and 3N or less. The reaction temperature is preferably 30°C or more and 70°C or less, more preferably 35°C or more and 70°C or less, and even more preferably 35°C or more and 65°C or less. The reaction time is preferably 0.5 hours or more and 120 hours or less, more preferably 1 hour or more and 72 hours or less, and even more preferably 1 hour or more and 48 hours or less.

The content of the low molecular weight starch in component (A) is 3% by mass or more, preferably 8% by mass or more, and more preferably 13% by mass or more, based on the total mass of component (A), from the viewpoints of improving moist feeling, fluffy feeling, and meltability in the mouth.
On the other hand, from the same viewpoint, the content of low molecular weight starch in component (A) is 45 mass% or less, preferably 35 mass% or less, and more preferably 25 mass% or less, based on the total mass of component (A).

The amylose content in the raw starch for the low molecular weight starch is 5% by mass or more, preferably 12% by mass or more, more preferably 22% by mass or more, even more preferably 45% by mass or more, even more preferably 55% by mass or more, and even more preferably 65% by mass or more. There is no upper limit for the amylose content in the raw starch for the low molecular weight starch, and it is 100% by mass or less, preferably 90% by mass or less, and more preferably 80% by mass or less.

As the starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, which is the raw material of the low molecular weight starch, one or more types selected from the group consisting of high amylose corn starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, high amylose wheat starch, rice starch, and processed starches obtained by chemically, physically, or enzymatically processing these raw materials can be used. From the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melting in the mouth, it is preferable to use one or more types selected from high amylose corn starch, corn starch, and tapioca starch, and it is more preferable to use high amylose corn starch. High amylose corn starch with an amylose content of 40% by mass or more is available. The starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more is more preferably corn starch with an amylose content of 40% by mass or more.

From the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling and the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, the cold water swelling degree of component (A) at 25°C is 5 or more, preferably 5.5 or more, and more preferably 6 or more.
From the same viewpoint, the cold water swelling degree of component (A) at 25° C. is 20 or less, preferably 17 or less, and more preferably 15 or less.
Here, the cold water swelling degree of component (A) at 25° C. is measured by the following method.
(1) The sample is heated and dried at 125° C. using a moisture meter (model MX-50, manufactured by Kensey Kogyo Co., Ltd.) to measure the moisture content, and the dry matter weight is calculated from the obtained moisture value.
(2) 1 g of the sample, calculated as the dry weight, is dispersed in 50 mL of water at 25°C, and the dispersion is gently stirred in a thermostatic bath at 25°C for 30 minutes. The dispersion is then centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes (centrifuge: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd., Hitachi tabletop centrifuge CT6E type; rotor: T4SS type swing rotor; adapter: 50TC x 2S adapter) to separate the sample into a precipitate layer and a supernatant layer.
(3) The supernatant layer is removed, and the mass of the precipitate layer is measured and designated as B (g).
(4) The mass of the precipitate layer when it is dried (105°C, constant weight) is defined as C (g).
(5) The value obtained by dividing B by C is the degree of cold water swelling.

The content of component (A) on the undersieve of a sieve with 0.5 mm openings and on the oversieve of a sieve with 0.038 mm openings in the JIS-Z8801-1 standard is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, is preferably 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, even more preferably 65% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, still more preferably 75% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and still more preferably 83% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
Here, the oversieve content and the undersieve content are specifically the oversieve fraction content and the undersieve fraction content, respectively.

In addition, the content of component (A) under the 0.25 mm sieve and over the 0.038 mm sieve in a JIS-Z8801-1 standard sieve is, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, preferably from 30% by mass to 100% by mass, more preferably from 33% by mass to 100% by mass, even more preferably from 35% by mass to 100% by mass, still more preferably from 40% by mass to 100% by mass, and even more preferably from 60% by mass to 100% by mass.

In addition, the content of component (A) under the 0.15 mm sieve and over the 0.038 mm sieve in a JIS-Z8801-1 standard sieve is, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, preferably from 10% by mass to 100% by mass, more preferably from 12% by mass to 100% by mass, even more preferably from 15% by mass to 100% by mass, still more preferably from 20% by mass to 100% by mass, even more preferably from 25% by mass to 100% by mass, and still more preferably from 50% by mass to 100% by mass.

In addition, the content of component (A) that is under the 1.0 mm sieve and over the 0.5 mm sieve in the JIS-Z8801-1 standard sieve is, from the viewpoint of improving meltability in the mouth, preferably 0% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 0% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 0% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, still more preferably 0% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. In addition, the content of component (A) that is under the 1.0 mm sieve and over the 0.5 mm sieve in the JIS-Z8801-1 standard sieve may be 0% by mass.

In this embodiment, various starches can be used as starch components other than the low molecular weight starch in component (A). Specifically, any type of starch may be used as long as it is a starch that is generally commercially available depending on the application, for example, starch for food use, and one or more types may be appropriately selected from starches such as corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, and the like; and processed starches obtained by chemically, physically, or enzymatically processing these starches. Preferably, the starch contains one or more types of starch selected from the group consisting of corn starch, wheat starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, and crosslinked starches thereof, and more preferably contains corn starch.

Furthermore, component (A) in this embodiment can also contain components other than starch.
Specific examples of components other than starch include insoluble salts such as calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, and pigments. It is preferable to incorporate an insoluble salt, and more preferably, the amount of the insoluble salt incorporated is 0.1% by mass or more and 2% by mass or less.

Next, a method for producing the component (A) will be described. The method for producing the component (A) includes, for example, the following steps.
(Preparation process of low molecular weight starch) A process of subjecting raw starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more to a low molecular weight treatment to obtain low molecular weight starch having a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less .
(Granulation process) A process of heating, gelatinizing and granulating a raw material, the raw material containing 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of low molecular weight starch and the total content of low molecular weight starch and starches other than low molecular weight starch being 75% by mass or more.

The process for preparing low molecular weight starch involves decomposing starch with an amylose content of 5% by mass or more to produce low molecular weight starch. Decomposition here refers to decomposition that involves breaking down starch into smaller molecules, and representative decomposition methods include acid treatment, oxidation treatment, and enzyme treatment. Of these, acid treatment is preferred from the standpoints of decomposition speed, cost, and reproducibility of the decomposition reaction.

In addition, in the granulation step, a general method used for granulating starch can be used, but in order to obtain a predetermined cold water swelling degree, it is preferable to use a general method used for heat gelatinization of starch. Specifically, methods using machines such as a drum dryer, a jet cooker, an extruder, and a spray dryer are known, but in this embodiment, in order to more reliably obtain component (A) whose cold water swelling degree satisfies the above-mentioned specific condition, heat gelatinization using an extruder or drum dryer is preferable, and an extruder is more preferable.
When treating with an extruder, water is usually added to a raw material containing starch to adjust the moisture content to about 10 to 60% by mass, and then the raw material is heated and expanded under conditions of, for example, a barrel temperature of 30 to 200° C., an outlet temperature of 80 to 180° C., a screw rotation speed of 100 to 1,000 rpm, and a heat treatment time of 5 to 60 seconds.

In this embodiment, for example, by a process of heat-gelatinizing the specific raw materials, component (A) having a cold water swelling degree that satisfies a specific condition can be obtained. In addition, the granulated product obtained by heat-gelatinization can be crushed and sieved as necessary, and the size can be appropriately adjusted to obtain component (A).

Component (A) obtained as described above is a starch composition containing low molecular weight starch, and the starch content, cold water swelling degree, and peak molecular weight of the low molecular weight starch all satisfy specific conditions, so that it can improve the moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth feel of flour-based foods.
In the powder food product of this embodiment, the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw materials and component (A) is, from the viewpoint of improving moistness, fluffyness, and melt-in-the-mouth feel, preferably 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, even more preferably 5.7% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, still more preferably 8% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, even more preferably 11.4% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and still more preferably 12% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less. From a similar viewpoint, the content of component (A) in flour-type foods relative to the total content of powder raw materials and component (A) is preferably 3 mass% or more, more preferably 5 mass% or more, even more preferably 5.7 mass% or more, even more preferably 8 mass% or more, even more preferably 11.4 mass% or more, still more preferably 12 mass%, and also preferably 60 mass% or less, more preferably 55 mass% or less, even more preferably 50 mass% or less, even more preferably 45 mass% or less, even more preferably 40 mass% or less, and still more preferably 37.2 mass% or less.
In addition, the content of component (A) in the flour-type food product in this embodiment relative to the total content of the powder raw materials and component (A) is, from the viewpoint of improving the fluffy feeling when reheated after refrigeration, preferably 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, even more preferably 5.7% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, still more preferably 8% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, even more preferably 11.4% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, especially preferably 12% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and further preferably 12% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less. From a similar viewpoint, the content of component (A) in flour-type foods relative to the total content of powdered raw materials and component (A) is preferably 3 mass% or more, more preferably 5 mass% or more, even more preferably 5.7 mass% or more, even more preferably 8 mass% or more, even more preferably 11.4 mass% or more, still more preferably 12 mass% or more, and also preferably 60 mass% or less, more preferably 55 mass% or less, even more preferably 50 mass% or less, even more preferably 45 mass% or less, even more preferably 40 mass% or less, especially preferably 37.2 mass% or less, and still more preferably 35 mass% or less.

In the flour food of this embodiment, the content of component (A) is preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or more and 16% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or more and 12% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the dough, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melting in the mouth. From the same viewpoint, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.2% by mass or more, even more preferably 2% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 4% by mass or more, and also preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 16% by mass or less, and even more preferably 12% by mass or less.
In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the fluffy feeling when reheated after refrigeration, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 4.3% by mass or more and 11.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4.5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the dough. From the same viewpoint, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 2% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 4.3% by mass or more, even more preferably 4.5% by mass or more, and also preferably 20% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 11.5% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less.

[1-2. Powder raw materials]
Next, we will explain about powdered ingredients. Powdered ingredients are raw materials that are mixed in powder form when preparing dough for flour-based foods. However, component (A) is not included in the powdered ingredients. The powder component is specifically a component that is blended independently of component (A).
Specific examples of powder raw materials include cereal flours such as wheat flour, rice flour, rye flour, and soy flour (e.g., defatted soy flour); yam flour; proteins such as gluten and soy protein; unmodified starch, esterified starch, etherified starch, Starches such as pregelatinized starch, acid-treated starch, oxidized starch, enzyme-treated starch, and resistant starch; polysaccharides such as dextrin; sugar, fructose, glucose, isomerized sugar, invert sugar, oligosaccharides, trehalose, and sugar alcohols. Sugars such as; Powdered sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium; dairy products such as skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and cheese powder; salt, powdered soy sauce, granulated soup stock, powdered soup stock, kelp powder, kelp tea base, dried sardine powder, and dried bonito flakes. Examples of suitable ingredients include seasonings such as flour and monosodium glutamate; dietary fibers such as bran, cellulose, and indigestible dextrin; eggs such as egg white powder and whole egg powder; thickeners such as guar gum and alginate esters; and leavening agents.
The powdered food preferably contains one or more powdered ingredients selected from grain flour, starch, yam flour, thickeners and seasonings, more preferably one or more powdered ingredients selected from grain flour, starch and seasonings. The food product preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of flour and starch, more preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of flour and starch, and even more preferably contains flour, and even more preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and rice flour. It contains two or more kinds, and further preferably contains wheat flour.

[1-3. Other raw materials]
In this embodiment, the flour-based food may contain ingredients other than these powder raw materials and component (A). Specific examples of ingredients contained in the dough for the flour-based food include water; liquid seasonings such as soup stock, soy sauce, sake, and mirin; and eggs such as whole eggs, egg yolks, and egg whites. It is preferable that the flour-based food contains liquid ingredients such as these.
Furthermore, flour-based foods can contain ingredients in addition to the raw materials contained in the dough described above. The ingredients are added after the dough for flour-based foods is prepared, and specific examples include vegetables such as cabbage and green onions; seafood such as octopus and squid; meat such as pork and beef; oils and fats such as drizzling oil and undercooking oil; red pickled ginger; fried tempura bits; noodles; cheese, etc. Also, eggs such as fried eggs may be placed on top as a topping, but in this case the eggs are not included in the raw materials of the dough for flour-based foods.

[1-4. Types of flour-based foods]
Examples of flour-based foods obtainable in this embodiment include okonomiyaki-type foods such as Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and Osaka-yaki; takoyaki; chijimi; Akashiyaki; and the like. From the viewpoint of improving the moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth feel, the food is preferably one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki-type foods, takoyaki, and chijimi, and more preferably one selected from okonomiyaki-type foods and takoyaki.
Moreover, takoyaki is preferable in terms of improving the thick texture.
Specifically, flour-based foods do not include foods using noodle strips, and preferably do not include confectioneries.

In the present embodiment, the moisture content of the dough before baking of the food product is, in the case of okonomiyaki, for example, 50% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less, and preferably 60% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the dough excluding the ingredients. Also, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, or the melt-in-the-mouth feeling, the moisture content of the dough before baking of okonomiyaki is, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, and for example, 85% by mass or less, and preferably 80% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the dough excluding the ingredients.
In the present embodiment, the moisture content of the dough before baking of the food product is, for example, 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, and preferably 70% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, based on the total amount of dough, in the case of takoyaki. In addition, the moisture content of the dough before baking of takoyaki is, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 70% by mass or more, and for example, 95% by mass or less, and preferably 90% by mass or less, based on the total amount of dough, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, or the melt-in-the-mouth feeling.
Here, the moisture content of the food dough before baking does not include the moisture content of the powder ingredients themselves.

In the flour food of this embodiment, the content of component (A) is preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, more preferably 0.8% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, even more preferably 3% by mass or more and 14% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melting in the mouth. From the same viewpoint, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.8% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, even more preferably 5% by mass or more, and also preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 14% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food.
In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the plumpness when reheated after refrigeration, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, more preferably 0.8% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more and 18% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more and 6% by mass or less, and even more preferably 3% by mass or more and 6% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food. From the same viewpoint, the content of component (A) in the flour food is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 0.8% by mass or more, even more preferably 1.7% by mass or more, even more preferably 3% by mass or more, and also preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 6% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food.

In the present embodiment, the total content of the powdered raw material and component (A) in the flour-type food is preferably 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, more preferably 12% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 14% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 16% by mass or more and 28% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food, from the viewpoint of improving the moist feeling, the fluffy feeling, and the melting in the mouth. From the same viewpoint, the total content of the powdered raw material and component (A) in the flour-type food is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 12% by mass or more, even more preferably 14% by mass or more, even more preferably 16% by mass or more, and also preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 28% by mass or less, based on the total amount of the food.

[2. Manufacturing method of flour-based foods]
Next, a method for producing flour-based foods will be described.

[2-1. Dough preparation process for flour-based foods]
The method for producing flour-based foods in this embodiment includes a step of preparing dough for flour-based foods by blending the powdered raw materials and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A) is, for example, 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. The component (A) is as described in the section [1. Flour-based foods].
In the process of preparing the dough for flour-based foods, the timing of adding the component (A) is not limited, and the component (A) and other raw materials may all be mixed at the same time, or the component (A) and the powdered raw materials may be mixed and then mixed with the other raw materials. However, from the viewpoint of obtaining a uniform dough, it is preferable to mix the component (A) and the powdered raw materials in advance. For example, in the case of okonomiyaki, the component (A) and the powdered raw materials are mixed, and a liquid such as water and eggs are added to prepare a batter-like dough for flour-based foods. If the flour-based foods contain ingredients, the process may include a step of adding the ingredients after the step of preparing the dough for flour-based foods.
The dough preparation process for flour-based foods specifically includes a step of mixing a powdered raw material, component (A) and a liquid raw material, or a step of preparing a dispersion liquid (batter) containing a powdered raw material, component (A) and a liquid. On the other hand, the dough preparation process for flour-based foods specifically does not include any step of kneading raw materials containing a powdered raw material and component (A) or a step of preparing a dough containing a powdered raw material and component (A).

In this embodiment, the manufacturing process of the flour food may further include the following steps.
(Heat cooking process)
After the step of preparing dough for flour-based foods, a step of cooking the dough (including ingredients in some cases) to obtain a food product;
(Preservation process)
A step of preserving the obtained flour-based food in one or more storage methods selected from the group consisting of hot storage, room temperature storage, refrigerated storage, and frozen storage after the step of cooking the dough for the flour-based food.

[2-2. Heat cooking process]
Specific examples of the cooking include baking, steaming, and deep-frying. One or two types of cooking selected from baking and steaming are preferred, and baking is more preferred. Specific examples of baking include: Examples of the baking method include baking on a hot plate and convection heating, and one or two types of baking selected from hot plate and steam convection heating are preferred. In addition, baking using a mold, such as takoyaki and Osakayaki, can also be used. The cooking temperature is preferably 150 to 230° C., more preferably 170 to 230° C. The cooking time is preferably 2 to 50 minutes, more preferably 4 to 40 minutes, and even more preferably The time is 4 to 30 minutes.

[2-3. Preservation process]
In addition, in this embodiment, the flour food may be eaten immediately after cooking, or after a storage process.
In the case where the food is eaten after the preservation step, the preservation is one or more selected from the group consisting of warm preservation, room temperature preservation, refrigerated preservation, and frozen preservation, and the group consisting of refrigerated preservation and frozen preservation is one or more selected from the group consisting of cold preservation and frozen preservation. Specifically, the storage temperature is preferably −50° C. or higher and 90° C. or lower, more preferably −50° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, and even more preferably −30° C. or higher. The storage temperature is preferably −50° C. or higher and 30° C. or lower, and more preferably −30° C. or higher and 10° C. or lower. From the viewpoint of improving the texture after storage, the storage temperature is preferably −50° C. or higher. It is more preferably −30° C. or higher, and also preferably 90° C. or lower, more preferably 80° C. or lower, further preferably 30° C. or lower, and even more preferably 10° C. or lower.
Furthermore, the food product in this embodiment may be eaten after being reheated in a microwave oven, a steam convection oven, or the like after the preservation step.

In this embodiment, in the process of preparing dough for flour-based foods, component (A) is included, so that even if the amount of water is increased, the dough has an appropriate viscosity, is less likely to flow during heating, and has excellent moldability.
Furthermore, in the step of cooking the dough, the inclusion of component (A) makes it possible to shorten the cooking time. For example, when water is increased, the cooking time tends to be extended if component (A) is not included, whereas the cooking time does not extend if component (A) is included, and can even be shortened.
Furthermore, since the flour-based food product of this embodiment contains component (A), the dough does not sag after baking, even when it is subjected to a storage process or reheating, and has excellent shape retention.

[3. Composition for flour-based foods]
In this embodiment, a composition for flour-based foods is provided, which contains component (A). Component (A) is as described in the section [1. Flour-based foods].
The composition for flour food may contain only component (A), or may be prepared by mixing component (A) with a portion of the raw materials for the flour food. The composition for flour food preferably contains one or more types selected from grain flour, starch, yam flour, thickeners, and seasonings as components other than component (A), i.e., components blended independently of component (A), more preferably one or more types selected from grain flour, starch, and seasonings, and even more preferably one or two types selected from grain flour and starch.
The content of component (A) in the composition for flour food is preferably 3% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less. From the viewpoint of obtaining the effect on flour food more stably, the content of component (A) in the composition for flour food is preferably 3% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, even more preferably 20% by mass or more, and also preferably 100% by mass or less, and more preferably 90% by mass or less.
Here, the content of component (A) in the composition for flour food products is the content of component (A) relative to the entire composition for flour food products.
The composition for floury foods of this embodiment is preferably in powder form.

The composition for flour-based foods of this embodiment can be suitably used for dough for flour-based foods. The composition for flour-based foods of this embodiment can also be used to improve the moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth feel of flour-based foods.

In this embodiment, the flour-based food obtained by adding component (A) contains the above-mentioned component (A), and therefore can improve the moist feeling. The above-mentioned flour-based food preferably contains a powdered raw material, and the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and component (A) is preferably 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

In addition, it is preferable that the content of component (A) in the powder food product capable of improving the moist feeling described above, which is under the sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and over the sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm, is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned improvement in moistness preferably refers to an improvement in moistness after storage.

In this embodiment, the flour-based food obtained by adding component (A) contains the above-mentioned component (A), and therefore the fluffy feeling can be improved. The above-mentioned flour-based food preferably contains a powdered raw material, and the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and component (A) is preferably 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

In addition, it is preferable that the content of component (A) in the flour-based food product capable of improving the fluffy feel described above is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less in the undersieve portion of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm and onsieve portion of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned improvement in fluffiness is preferably an improvement in fluffiness after storage.

In this embodiment, the flour-based food obtained by incorporating component (A) contains the above-mentioned component (A), and therefore can improve meltability in the mouth. The above-mentioned flour-based food preferably contains a powdered raw material, and the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and component (A) is preferably 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

In addition, it is preferable that the content of component (A) in the powder-type food product capable of improving the melt-in-the-mouth property described above is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less of the undersieve of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.25 mm and the oversieve of a sieve with a mesh size of 0.038 mm.

The improvement in meltability in the mouth is preferably improvement in meltability in the mouth after storage.
Below, examples of reference forms are given.
1. A flour-type food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
2. The food according to 1., wherein the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
3. The food according to 1. or 2., wherein the content of component (A) that is under the sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and over the sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
4. The food product according to any one of 1. to 3., wherein the powder raw material includes cereal flour.
5. The food according to any one of 1. to 4., wherein the food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and chijimi.
6. A method for producing a flour-based food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
The method for producing the powdered raw material includes a step of preparing a dough for a flour-based food product by blending the powdered raw material and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 3 mass% or more and 60 mass% or less relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A).
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
7. The method according to 6., wherein the content of component (A) that is undersieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
8. The method according to 6. or 7., further comprising a step of cooking the dough.
9. A composition for flour-based foods, comprising a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
10. The composition according to 9., wherein the component (A) is present in an amount of 3% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less in the composition.
11. The composition according to 9. or 10., wherein the content of component (A) that is undersieved through a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieved through a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
12. The composition according to any one of 9. to 11., further comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of cereal flour, starch, yam flour, thickeners and seasonings.
13. The composition according to any one of 9. to 12., which is used in dough for flour-based foods.
14. The composition according to any one of 9. to 13., which is used to improve the moistness of the flour-based food.
15. The composition according to any one of 9. to 13., which is used to improve the fluffy feeling of the floury food.
16. The composition according to any one of 9. to 13., which is used to improve the meltability in the mouth of the floury food.
17. A method for improving the moistness of a flour-based food, comprising incorporating into the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
18. The method according to 17., wherein the content of component (A) that is undersieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
19. The method according to 17. or 18., wherein the floury food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
20. The method according to any one of 17 to 19, wherein the improvement in moist feeling is an improvement in moist feeling after storage.
21. A method for improving the fluffy feel of a flour-based food, comprising incorporating into the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
22. The method according to 21., wherein the content of component (A) that is undersieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
23. The method according to 21. or 22., wherein the flour-type food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
24. The method according to any one of 21 to 23, wherein the improvement in fluffiness is an improvement in fluffiness after storage.
25. A method for improving the meltability in the mouth of a flour-based food, comprising incorporating into the flour-based food a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to (4):
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more
(2) The starch has an amylose content of 5% by mass or more and contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch, and the peak molecular weight of the degraded starch is 3 x 10 ³ or more and 5 x 10 ⁴ or less.
(3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 to 20
(4) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.5 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
26. The method according to 25., wherein the content of component (A) that is undersieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.25 mm and oversieve through a sieve with an opening of 0.038 mm is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
27. The method according to 25. or 26., wherein the flour-type food contains a powdered raw material, and the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw material and the component (A) is 3% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.
28. The method according to any one of 25. to 27., wherein the improvement in meltability in the mouth is an improvement in meltability in the mouth after storage.

(raw materials)
In the following examples, the following materials were mainly used:
(Component A)
Starch compositions 1 to 3: Starch compositions (powder raw material) produced by the method of Production Example 2 described below.
Weak flour 1: Flower, manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd. Weak flour 2: Heart, manufactured by Nippon Flour Mills Co., Ltd. Granulated soup stock: Hondashi, manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. Kombucha base: Kombucha, manufactured by Gyokuroen Food Industry Co., Ltd. Acetylated tapioca starch: Actbody A700, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. Alpha-modified high amylose corn starch: Gelcol AH-F, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. Acid-treated starch: Gelcol R-100, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. Defatted soy flour: Nikka Milky S, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd. (Other raw materials)
Stock: 3 g of the above stock granules was diluted with 50 g of water and used as stock.

(Production Example 1) Production of Acid-treated Starch Acid-treated starch was produced as a low molecular weight starch to be used as a raw material for starch compositions 1 to 3.
(Method for producing acid-treated high amylose cornstarch)
High amylose cornstarch (HS-7, amylose content 70% by mass, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) was suspended in water to prepare a 35.6% (w/w) slurry, which was then heated to 50° C. To the slurry, a 4.25 N aqueous hydrochloric acid solution was added at 1/9 of the slurry mass ratio while stirring to initiate the reaction. After reacting for 16 hours, the mixture was neutralized with 3% NaOH, washed with water, dehydrated, and dried to obtain an acid-treated high amylose cornstarch.
The peak molecular weight of the resulting acid-treated high amylose cornstarch was measured by the method described below and was found to be 1.2×10 ⁴ .

(Method of measuring peak molecular weight)
The peak molecular weight was measured using an HPLC unit manufactured by Tosoh Corporation (pump DP-8020, RI detector RS-8021, degasser SD-8022).
(1) The sample was pulverized, and the fraction that passed through a sieve with a mesh size of 0.15 mm according to JIS-Z8801-1 was collected. The collected fraction was suspended in a mobile phase to a concentration of 1 mg/mL, and the suspension was heated at 100° C. for 3 minutes to completely dissolve. Filtration was performed using a 0.45 μm filter (manufactured by ADVANTEC, DISMIC-25HP PTFE 0.45 μm), and the filtrate was used as the analytical sample.
(2) The molecular weight was measured under the following analytical conditions.
Column: TSKgel α-M (7.8 mmφ, 30 cm) (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation) 2 columns Flow rate: 0.5 mL/min
Mobile phase: 90% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide solution containing 5 mM sodium nitrate Column temperature: 40°C
Analysis volume: 0.2 mL
(3) Detector data was collected using software (Multistation GPC-8020 model II data collection ver. 5.70, manufactured by Tosoh Corporation), and molecular weight peaks were calculated.
For the calibration curve, pullulan with a known molecular weight (Shodex Standard P-82, Showa Denko KK) was used.

(Method for measuring cold water swelling degree)
(1) The sample was heated and dried at 125° C. using a moisture meter (Kensei Kogyo Co., Ltd., Model No. MX-50) to measure the moisture content, and the amount of dry matter was calculated from the obtained moisture value.
(2) 1 g of the sample, calculated as the amount of dry substance, was dispersed in 50 mL of water at 25°C, and the dispersion was gently stirred in a thermostatic bath at 25°C for 30 minutes. The dispersion was then centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes (centrifuge: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd., Hitachi tabletop centrifuge CT6E type; rotor: T4SS type swing rotor; adapter: 50TC x 2S adapter) to separate the sample into a precipitate layer and a supernatant layer.
(3) The supernatant layer was removed, and the mass of the precipitate layer was measured and designated as B (g).
(4) The mass of the precipitate layer when it was dried (105° C., constant weight) was defined as C (g).
(5) The value obtained by dividing B by C was determined as the degree of cold water swelling.

(Production Example 2) Production of Starch Compositions 1 to 3 79% by mass of cornstarch ("J-Oil Mills Cornstarch Y", manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.), 20% by mass of acid-treated high amylose cornstarch obtained by the above-mentioned method, and 1% by mass of calcium carbonate were mixed in a bag until sufficiently uniform. The mixture was pressurized and heated using a twin-screw extruder (KEI-45 manufactured by Kowa Kogyo Co., Ltd.). The treatment conditions were as follows:
Raw material supply: 450g/min Hydration: 17% by mass
Barrel temperature: 50°C, 70°C and 100°C from the raw material inlet to the outlet
Outlet temperature: 100-110℃
Screw rotation speed: 250 rpm
The heated gelatinized material thus obtained by the extruder treatment was dried at 110° C. to adjust the moisture content to 10% by mass.
Next, the dried heat-gelatinized material was pulverized with a benchtop cutter pulverizer and then sieved with a JIS-Z8801-1 sieve. The sieved heat-gelatinized material was mixed in the blending ratios shown in Table 1 to prepare starch compositions 1 to 3. The cold water swelling degrees at 25° C. of starch compositions 1 to 3 were measured by the method described above and the values are also shown in Table 1.

(Method of measuring dough viscosity using a B-type viscometer)
The dough viscosity was measured for the dough of this example shown in Tables 3 and 4. However, for Table 3, dough prepared by excluding fried tempura bits and cabbage from the raw materials was used.
300 mL of the prepared dough was transferred to a 300 mL tall beaker (PYLEX, manufactured by IWAKI) and the viscosity was measured at 25° C. The viscosity was measured at the 60th rotation at 60 rpm using a B-type viscometer (BM model, manufactured by Tokyo Keiki Co., Ltd.). However, the dough in Table 3 was measured using rotor No. 3, and the dough in Table 4 was measured using rotor No. 1.

(Experiment 1)
(Preparation of okonomiyaki)
Each example of okonomiyaki was prepared using the formulation shown in Table 3 and the manufacturing method described below.

(How to make okonomiyaki)
1. All ingredients except for shredded cabbage, eggs, and fried tempura bits were placed in a bowl and mixed thoroughly for 30 seconds at power 1 using a hand mixer (IWATANI, IMX-610).
2. Eggs were added to the above mixture in 1 and mixed lightly to obtain a dough.
3. Add shredded cabbage and fried tempura bits to the dough obtained in step 2 above and mix thoroughly.
4. Heat a hot plate (ZOJIRUSHI, EA-DD10) to 200°C and coat it lightly with oil. Place an 8 cm mold ring on it and pour 100 g of dough into each mold, forming it into a mold about 2 cm high. Remove the mold ring immediately.
5. After baking for 3 minutes, flip it over, cover and steam bake for another 3 minutes to obtain okonomiyaki.
6. Of the okonomiyaki obtained in each example, some were allowed to cool and then evaluated for texture (evaluation immediately after baking), some were stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for two days, then placed two on a plate and heated in a microwave at 700W for 1 minute 30 seconds, and then evaluated for texture (evaluation after refrigeration and reheating), and the remaining parts were stored in a freezer at -30°C for two days, then placed two on a plate and heated in a microwave at 700W for 3 minutes, and then evaluated for texture (evaluation after refrigeration and reheating).

(Formability evaluation)
Of the okonomiyaki obtained in the above (Okonomiyaki manufacturing method) 5., one piece from each example was cut in half passing through the thickest center, and the thickness of the cross section was measured with a vernier caliper.

(Cooking yield)
The mass of each okonomiyaki after baking was measured, and the cooking yield was calculated using the following formula.
Cooking yield (mass%) = mass of food after baking / total mass of dough and ingredients before baking × 100

The resulting okonomiyaki was evaluated by four panelists for moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth texture immediately after baking, for those that had been refrigerated and then reheated, and for those that had been frozen and then reheated, using the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2, and the average score for each was calculated.
Regarding moistness, fluffyness and creaminess, a bread was deemed to pass if it was rated 3.0 or higher immediately after baking and 2 points or more both in the evaluations after refrigerating and reheating and after refrigerating and reheating.
Regarding melt-in-the-mouth properties, a score of 2.5 or more immediately after baking and a score of more than 2 in both the evaluations after refrigerating and reheating and the evaluation after refrigerating and reheating were considered to be acceptable.
The evaluation results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, the okonomiyaki obtained in each Example was superior in moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth texture to the okonomiyaki obtained in Comparative Example 1, whether it was prepared immediately after baking, when reheated after refrigerated storage, or when reheated after frozen storage.
Furthermore, when the okonomiyaki of Examples 1-2 and 1-3 were stored in a refrigerator and then eaten without reheating, they were superior to the okonomiyaki of Control Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 in terms of moistness, fluffiness, and melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Furthermore, in Examples 1-3 and 1-4, the moisture content in the dough was 10% by mass or more higher than in Comparative Example 1, but the viscosity of the dough was almost the same as that of Comparative Example 1. In addition, Control Example 1 contains yam, so it takes a lot of effort to mix and homogenize the dough when making it, whereas the dough of each Example was very easy to mix and had excellent workability. Furthermore, each Example had excellent moldability compared to Control Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.
The content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw materials and component (A) ((A/A+X)) was good in terms of moist feeling immediately after baking, from 5.7% by mass or more to 37.2% by mass or less, better in terms of 11.4% by mass or more to 37.2% by mass or less, and even better in terms of 22.9% by mass or more to 37.2% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of moist feeling after refrigeration and reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even better when it was 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of moistness after freezing and reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even better when it was 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
The content of component (A) ((A/A+X)) relative to the total content of the powder raw materials and component (A) was favorable in a range of 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less from the viewpoint of fluffy feeling immediately after baking, and was even more favorable in a range of 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of the fluffy feeling after refrigerated reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 22.9% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of the fluffy feeling after freezing and reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even better when it was 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
The content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw materials and component (A) ((A/A+X)) was, from the viewpoint of melt-in-the-mouth property immediately after baking, favorable at 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, more favorable at 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even more favorable at 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of meltability in the mouth after refrigerated reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, better when it was 11.4% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and even better when it was 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
From the viewpoint of meltability in the mouth after frozen reheating, ((A/A+X)) was good when it was 5.7% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less, and was even better when it was 22.9% by mass or more and 37.2% by mass or less.
Furthermore, in the case of okonomiyaki, when the moisture content in the dough before baking was 52.5% by mass or more and 64.8% by mass or less of the total amount of dough, the moistness was good, and when it was 60.2% by mass or more and 64.8% by mass or less, the moistness was even better.
When the content of component (A) on the 0.038 mm sieve and under the 0.5 mm sieve was 80.7% by mass or more and 95.8% by mass or less, the moist feeling, fluffy feeling and melt-in-the-mouth feeling were good.
Furthermore, when the content of component (A) on the 0.25 mm sieve or smaller and the 0.038 mm sieve or larger was 38.7% by mass or more and 95.8% by mass or less, the moist feeling, fluffy feeling, and melt-in-the-mouth feeling were good.
Furthermore, with regard to the particle size distribution of component (A), when the content of particles under the 0.15 mm sieve and over the 0.038 mm sieve was 23.7% by mass or more and 59.4% by mass or less, the moist feeling, fluffy feeling and melt-in-the-mouth feeling were good.

(Experiment 2)
(Preparation of takoyaki)
Each example of takoyaki was prepared using the formulation shown in Table 4 and the manufacturing method described below.

(Takoyaki manufacturing method)
1. The weak flour and the starch composition were placed in a bowl and mixed with a whisk to remove lumps, to obtain a composition for flour-based foods. In the comparative example, only the wheat flour was placed in a bowl and mixed with a whisk.
2. Add cold water to the above mixture and mix well.
3. Granulated stock, kombucha powder, and beaten eggs were added to the above 2. and mixed to obtain a dough.
4. 20g of oil was poured into 12 holes of a hot plate (ZOJIRUSHI, EA-GV35) with the included takoyaki plate attached, heated to 200℃, 300g of batter was poured in, and 30g of chopped octopus, 10g of pickled ginger, 10g of green onions, and 10g of fried tempura bits were sprinkled on top.
5. The octopus balls were baked while being turned over to obtain octopus balls. The above process was carried out three times for each example, and 36 octopus balls were made for each example.
6. After the takoyaki balls were cooled, 12 pieces were immediately subjected to a sensory evaluation (evaluation immediately after baking), 12 pieces were stored in a refrigerator at 4°C for 1 hour, then placed on a plate and heated in a microwave oven at 1500W for 1 minute, and then subjected to a sensory evaluation (evaluation after reheating in a refrigerator). In addition, 12 pieces were stored in a freezer at -18°C for 7 days, then placed on a plate and heated at 1500W for 1 minute and 30 seconds, and then subjected to a sensory evaluation (evaluation after reheating in a refrigerator).

(Cooking yield)
After baking, the mass of 12 takoyaki balls of each example was measured, and the cooking yield was calculated using the following formula.
Cooking yield (mass%) = mass of food after baking / total mass of dough and ingredients before baking × 100

Two panelists evaluated the moistness, fluffyness, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and creamy texture of the resulting takoyaki immediately after baking, those that had been refrigerated and then reheated, and those that had been frozen and then reheated, using the evaluation criteria shown in Table 2, and the average scores were calculated. The panelists also visually evaluated shape retention. Furthermore, one worker evaluated the ease of baking (workability). The evaluation results are shown in Table 4.

As shown in Table 4, the takoyaki obtained in each Example was equal to or superior to the takoyaki obtained in each Comparative Example in terms of moistness, fluffyness, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and gooeyness, whether it was immediately after baking, reheated after refrigerated storage, or reheated after frozen storage. In addition, the takoyaki obtained in each Example was superior in terms of workability during baking and shape retention after reheating.
Here, Comparative Example 2-2 contained too much water for a normal takoyaki batter and was insufficient in terms of performance, but was produced in order to match the amount of water added with Example 2-1.
Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the moisture content of the dough between the Examples and the Comparative Examples, but the viscosity of the dough was higher than that of the Comparative Examples.
From the viewpoint of workability, Comparative Example 2-1 required a baking time of about 10 minutes, whereas the takoyaki dough (Examples 2-1 and 2-2) in which the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and component (A) was 12.0% by mass or more and 13.7% by mass or less had a short baking time of about 7 minutes and good workability. On the other hand, Comparative Example 2-2 required a baking time longer than Comparative Example 2-1.
From the viewpoint of shape retention, the takoyaki dough (Examples 2-1 and 2-2) in which the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and component (A) was 12.0% by mass or more and 13.7% by mass or less showed the least change in shape from immediately after baking when reheated after refrigeration and freezing, and showed good shape retention. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the takoyaki became sagging and had poor shape retention when reheated after refrigeration and freezing.

(Preparation Example 1 of a Powder Food Composition)
100 g of acetylated tapioca starch and 100 g of starch composition 3 were mixed to obtain the composition of this example.

(Experiment 3)
(Preparation of Takoyaki 2)
The takoyaki of each example was prepared by the same manufacturing method as in Experiment 2, except that the formulation shown in Table 5 was used and that the weak flour, starch composition, and starch (in Example 3-1, defatted soy flour was also used) were placed in a bowl and mixed with a whisk to obtain a composition for flour-based foods.

All of the takoyaki balls of the present invention obtained with the formulations in Table 5 had excellent shape retention, moistness, fluffy texture, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and creamy texture after baking, and were also easy to work with in terms of ease of baking.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-090185, filed on May 10, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Claims (22)

A powder food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ):
The flour-based food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and chijimi, and is to be reheated and eaten after refrigerated or frozen storage;
A flour-type food product, in which the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and component (A) is 5 mass% or more and 45 mass% or less .
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The food product of claim 1 , wherein the powdered ingredient comprises flour. 3. The food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and the component (A) is 12 mass% or more and 45 mass% or less. A method for producing a flour-based food product comprising a powdered raw material and a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ):
The method includes a step of blending the powdered raw materials and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 5 % by mass or more and 45 % by mass or less with respect to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A), thereby preparing a dough for flour-based foods ,
The method for producing the flour-based food product is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki and chijimi, which is to be stored in a refrigerator or freezer and then reheated to be eaten.
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of cooking the dough. 6. The manufacturing method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein in the step of preparing dough for flour-based food products, the powdered raw materials and the component (A) are blended so that the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A) is 12 mass% or more and 45 mass% or less. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the step of preparing dough for flour-based food does not include any of the steps of kneading the powdered raw materials and raw materials containing component (A) and preparing dough containing the powdered raw materials and component (A). A composition for flour-based foods comprising a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ):
The flour-based food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and chijimi, and is to be reheated and eaten after refrigerated or frozen storage;
A composition for powdered foods, which is blended into the powdered foods so that the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and component (A) is 5 mass% or more and 45 mass% or less .
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The composition according to claim 8 , wherein the content of the component (A) in the composition is 3% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The composition according to claim 8 or 9 , further comprising one or more selected from the group consisting of flour, starch, yam flour, thickeners and seasonings. The composition according to claim 8 , which is used to improve the moistness of the flour-based food. The composition according to any one of claims 8 to 10 , which is used to improve the fluffy feeling of the flour food. The composition according to claim 8 , which is used to improve the melt-in-the- mouth properties of the flour-based food. A composition described in any one of claims 8 to 13, which is incorporated into the flour-type food product so that the content of component (A) relative to the total content of the powder raw material and component (A) is 12 mass% or more and 45 mass% or less. A method for improving the moistness of a flour-based food, comprising adding a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ) to the flour-based food,
The method includes a step of preparing a dough for flour-based foods by blending the powdered raw materials and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 5% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A),
The method, wherein the flour-based food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki and chijimi, and is to be refrigerated or frozen and then reheated to be eaten.
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the improvement in moist feeling is an improvement in moist feeling after storage. A method for improving the fluffy texture of a flour-based food, comprising adding a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ) to the flour-based food,
The method includes a step of preparing a dough for flour-based foods by blending the powdered raw materials and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 5% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A),
The method, wherein the flour-based food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki and chijimi, and is to be refrigerated or frozen and then reheated to be eaten.
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The method of claim 17 , wherein the improved fluffy feeling is improved fluffy feeling after storage. A method for improving the melt-in-the-mouth texture of a flour-based food, comprising adding a component (A) that satisfies the following conditions (1) to ( 5 ) to the flour-based food,
The method includes a step of preparing a dough for flour-based foods by blending the powdered raw materials and the component (A) so that the content of the component (A) is 5% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A),
The method, wherein the flour-based food is one selected from the group consisting of okonomiyaki, takoyaki and chijimi, and is to be refrigerated or frozen and then reheated to be eaten.
(1) Starch content is 75% by mass or more. (2) Contains 3% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less of degraded starch having an amylose content of 5% by mass or more, and the degraded starch has a peak molecular weight of 3 x ¹⁰³ or more and 5 x 104 or ^less . (3) Cold water swelling degree at 25°C is 5 or more and 20 or less. (4) The content of undersieve particles on a 0.5 mm sieve and oversieve particles on a 0.038 mm sieve is 75 % by mass or more and 100% by mass or less.
(5) The content of the undersize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.25 mm and the oversize particles on a sieve having an opening of 0.038 mm is 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the improvement in melt-in-the-mouth property is improvement in melt-in-the-mouth property after storage. 21. The method according to claim 15, wherein in the step of preparing a dough for flour-based food products, the powdered raw materials and the component (A) are blended so that the content of the component (A) relative to the total content of the powdered raw materials and the component (A) is 12% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the step of preparing dough for flour-based food does not include any of the steps of kneading the powdered raw materials and raw materials containing component (A) and preparing dough containing the powdered raw materials and component (A).