JP7594479B2 - Method for manufacturing sandwiches and bread for sandwiches - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for making sandwiches and a method for making bread for sandwiches.

In recent years, with the rise in health consciousness, bakery foods such as bread and baked goods, and processed foods and beverages such as noodles are being produced using grain husks such as wheat bran, which is rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as functional ingredients and has a good flavor. Although such grain husks can give the consumer a good grain-like flavor, they can also produce an unpleasant bitter taste, such as a harshness that is unique to the husks. In particular, sandwiches, which are stored and distributed with other ingredients between the bread, are desired to have characteristics different from other bakery foods, as the texture and flavor may change depending on the moisture in the ingredients.

The applicant previously proposed a method for efficiently producing wheat bran that has excellent secondary processability and provides good appearance, flavor, and texture in secondary processed products (see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 2 discloses a wheat flour composition for bread, which is made by mixing 100 parts by mass of wheat flour derived from red wheat with wheat bran derived from white wheat in a ratio of 4 parts by mass to 25 parts by mass, with the aim of producing delicious bread with excellent flavor, texture, and appearance.

Patent Document 3 discloses a method for producing finely ground bran using Western White wheat, which is separated in the milling process to obtain wheat flour from the wheat, by extracting and roasting the bran from a medium particle size fraction, and then grinding it so that the median diameter in the particle size distribution is 100 μm or less, with the aim of reducing the bran odor.

JP 2013-243984 A JP 2009-254240 A JP 2017-12099 A

Sandwiches are generally stored and distributed in a packaged state, and the aroma of the wheat bran and other ingredients used in the sandwich, as well as moisture from the fillings, can become trapped inside the sandwich, easily affecting the flavor and texture of the bread used in the sandwich.

The manufacturing method of Patent Document 1 can efficiently produce wheat bran with good appearance, flavor and texture in secondary processed products, but does not consider the properties of this when used as a sandwich ingredient. Furthermore, the techniques of Patent Documents 2 and 3 do not provide satisfactory secondary processability of the wheat bran or texture of the resulting secondary processed products, and do not consider the properties of this when used as a sandwich ingredient.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing sandwiches and sandwich bread that are less likely to have the bitter taste of wheat bran and less likely to deteriorate in texture, even when filled with ingredients.

The present invention includes a step of disposing an ingredient between two slices of bread,
Each of the breads contains 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of flour,
The present invention provides a method for producing a sandwich, in which the bran is heat-treated.

The present invention also includes a step of baking dough containing 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of cereal flour,
The present invention provides a method for producing sandwich bread using heat-treated bran.

The present invention provides a sandwich that is less susceptible to the bitter taste of wheat bran and less prone to deterioration in texture, even when filled with ingredients.

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic plan view of one embodiment of a sandwich obtained by the method of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 1(a). FIG. 2(a) is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the sandwich obtained by the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2(a).

The present invention will be described below based on its preferred embodiments. In the following description, "X to Y" (X and Y are any numbers) means "X or more and Y or less" unless otherwise specified, and "X to Y[Z]" (X and Y are any numbers and [Z] is any unit) means "X[Z] or more and Y[Z] or less" unless otherwise specified.

The present invention relates to a method for making a sandwich, and a method for making bread (white bread) suitable for use in a sandwich. In this specification, a sandwich refers to two separate slices of bread with ingredients placed between them. For example, hot dogs and other non-separate slices of bread in which ingredients are placed by making cuts in the slices are excluded from the present invention.

Furthermore, the sandwich in this specification may be in a form in which the peripheral portions 40 of each piece of bread 20, 20 constituting the sandwich 10 are open so that the ingredients 30 can be seen from the side of the sandwich, for example as shown in Figures 1(a) and (b).
Alternatively, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the breads 20, 20 may be pressed together at the peripheral edge 40, so that the ingredients 30 cannot be seen from the sides of the sandwich. For ease of explanation, the sandwiches shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a) are shown to have a square shape in plan view, but are not limited to this shape and may be circular, such as a perfect circle or an ellipse, or a geometric shape such as a triangle, rectangle, or pentagon.

Below, one embodiment of a method for manufacturing a sandwich is described. In this manufacturing method, a sandwich is obtained through a step of distributing ingredients between at least two slices of bread. It is also preferable to include a step of baking dough containing wheat bran and flour to obtain sandwich bread prior to the step of distributing ingredients between the two slices of bread. In other words, it is preferable to incorporate the method for manufacturing sandwich bread as one step in the method for manufacturing sandwiches.

In the following description, for convenience of explanation, an embodiment in which only two slices of bread are used and ingredients are arranged between the two slices of bread will be described as an example, but as long as there is a step of arranging ingredients between the two slices of bread, it is not prevented to use three or more slices of bread or two or more kinds of ingredients to make the sandwich of the present invention. For example, the present invention also includes an embodiment in which a first bread, a second bread, and a third bread are used, a first ingredient is arranged between the first bread and the second bread, and an ingredient that is the same as or different from the first ingredient is further arranged between the second bread and the third bread. The following description can also be appropriately applied even when three or more slices of bread are used or two or more kinds of ingredients are used.

First, the process for making sandwich bread will be described below, prior to the process for placing ingredients between two slices of bread. A preferred embodiment of the process for making sandwich bread includes a process for obtaining white wheat bran, and a process for obtaining bread by baking a dough containing a mixture of white wheat bran and cereal flour, and preferably further includes a process for cutting the bread.

First, the wheat kernels used as the raw material are pulverized, and the endosperm and germ are separated to obtain wheat bran, which is the outer husk of the grain. The wheat kernels used for pulverization may be conditioned by adding water to the kernels, or may be pulverized without adding water and conditioning. There are no particular limitations on the method for extracting the wheat bran fraction from the pulverized grains. For example, a method can be used in which the pulverized grains are separated into a wheat bran fraction and other components by a known classification method such as sieving, and the wheat bran fraction can be extracted.

The grains can be ground by any grinding method commonly used in this technical field, such as roll grinding, impact grinding, airflow grinding, etc. The grains can be ground once, or multiple times using the same or different grinding methods. For example, roll grinding and impact grinding can be combined and performed in that order, or roll grinding can be performed multiple times in multiple stages. The grinder used for impact grinding is not particularly limited as long as it grinds the grains by mechanical impact between an impact plate and a rotating rotor. It is preferable to use roll grinding from the viewpoint of simultaneously improving the grain grinding efficiency and the bran separation efficiency.

In the present invention, a method for producing sandwich bread uses wheat bran obtained from wheat, a species of the genus Triticum in the family Poaceae, as a raw material. Generally, wheat caryopsis (wheat kernels) are roughly divided into the endosperm, the outer skin (the outer skin and the seed coat), and the germ (the germ). Wheat bran is obtained by crushing wheat kernels and removing the endosperm and germ to obtain a fraction derived from the outer skin.

Wheat is broadly divided into two types, red wheat and white wheat, according to the color observed when the kernel is visually inspected. Red wheat is wheat that contains a red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually inspected, it is observed as red, reddish brown, or brown. On the other hand, white wheat is wheat that contains almost no red pigment in the outer skin, and when the wheat kernel is visually inspected, it is observed as white or pale yellow. Of these, it is preferable to use white wheat as a raw material for wheat bran. By using white wheat, the processing suitability of bread can be improved, and the obtained bread, even when stored and distributed in the form of a sandwich, has a good flavor due to reduced unpleasant tastes such as bitterness and astringency derived from wheat bran, and has a smooth texture and excellent appearance.

Specific examples of white wheat that can be used in the present invention include, for ordinary wheat, Australian Standard White (ASW, produced in Australia), Prime Hard (PH, produced in Australia), Soft White (SW, produced in the United States), Western White (WW, produced in the United States), and durum wheat (produced in various countries around the world). These white wheats can be appropriately selected, for example, based on genetic characteristics.

In addition, ordinary wheat is roughly divided into three types according to the hardness of the wheat kernel: hard wheat, soft wheat, and medium wheat having a hardness intermediate between hard and soft wheat. Among these types, from the viewpoint of further improving the flavor and texture of the obtained wheat bran-containing bread, it is preferable to use white wheat classified as hard wheat or medium wheat, and it is more preferable to use white wheat classified as medium wheat.
Taking the above-mentioned white wheat and common wheat as an example, PH is an example of hard wheat, Australian Standard White is an example of medium wheat, and Western White is an example of soft wheat. In other words, ASW is preferably used as white wheat classified as medium wheat.

In other words, among the wheat bran used to make sandwiches, it is preferable to use wheat bran derived from white wheat (white wheat bran), more preferably to use at least one of ASW and PH, and even more preferably to use ASW. Using such white wheat bran as an ingredient in sandwich bread is useful from the standpoint of ease of handling during processing, expression of a good grain-like flavor, and health promotion. Furthermore, even when stored and distributed in the form of a sandwich with ingredients, the bitter taste derived from the wheat bran is unlikely to occur, and the texture of the sandwich containing the bread is good.

The white wheat bran fraction thus obtained may be used as it is as wheat bran as an ingredient for bread, or the processed product obtained after carrying out at least one of the steps described below may be used as an ingredient for bread. In other words, white wheat bran includes both the fraction derived from the outer husk of white wheat used as is, and wheat bran processed products in which the fraction has been further subjected to grinding, classification, heat treatment, etc. In either form, from the viewpoint of obtaining high quality wheat bran and bread using it, and ultimately sandwiches, the moisture content of the white wheat bran is preferably 3 to 15% by mass.

It is preferable to use white wheat bran that has been subjected to heat treatment such as dry heat treatment and moist heat treatment, and it is more preferable to use white wheat bran that has been subjected to moist heat treatment. By subjecting the bran to such heat treatment, the processability during the manufacture of sandwich bread and sandwiches is further improved. In addition, the resulting bread and sandwiches made using the same have a good cereal-like flavor, and the texture is even better when stored and distributed with ingredients in between.

In addition, the heat treatment process can be used to finely pulverize the white wheat bran, which is advantageous in terms of obtaining wheat bran with a small white particle size with high productivity. In addition, the heat treatment process can reduce or inactivate various enzymes such as amylase and protease, which is particularly advantageous in terms of further improving the processability and texture of bread.
Whether or not the white wheat bran has been heat-treated can be determined, for example, by measuring the enzyme activity or gluten vitality. Specifically, in the case of enzyme activity, the heat-treated white wheat bran has less enzyme activity than the unheated white wheat bran, or the enzyme activity is below the detection limit, so that the heat-treated white wheat bran can be distinguished from the unheated white wheat bran in this respect.

When dry heat treatment is used as the heat treatment, the product temperature of the white wheat bran is preferably 80 to 200°C, more preferably 90 to 150°C, and the treatment is preferably performed for 1 to 120 minutes, more preferably 3 to 50 minutes. In the dry heat treatment, the wheat bran is introduced into an apparatus having a configuration similar to that of the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP-A-2004-9022, for example, and the above-mentioned temperature and time are set. This heat treatment stirring apparatus is equipped with a cylindrical container that contains the material to be treated, a hollow rotating shaft provided inside the container, a hollow pipe screw formed in communication with the shaft, and a steam supply source that supplies steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, and is configured to transmit the heat generated by supplying steam into the rotating shaft and the pipe screw to the material to be treated via the rotating shaft and the pipe screw, thereby performing the dry heat treatment.

When the heat treatment is performed using moist heat, the temperature of the white wheat bran is preferably 80 to 110°C, more preferably 85 to 95°C, in a closed container into which steam is introduced, and the bran is allowed to remain there for preferably 1 to 60 seconds, more preferably 3 to 30 seconds. In the moist heat treatment, the wheat bran to be treated and saturated steam are introduced into the powder/granule heating device described in Patent Publication No. 2784505, for example, so that the temperature and time are as described above. This powder/granule heating device is equipped with a cylindrical pressure vessel having an inlet for saturated steam and containing the material to be treated, and a stirring means having a rotating shaft with multiple rod-shaped blades with dimensions close to the inner diameter of the cylinder, so that the powder/granule introduced from an inlet at one end of the vessel is stirred and transported toward an outlet at the other end of the vessel. In particular, by performing moist heat treatment, the workability is further improved, and the flavor and texture of the resulting bread and sandwiches using the bread are further improved.

When white wheat bran is used to produce sandwich bread, in order to ensure that the resulting bread, and in turn the sandwiches made using said bread, have a smooth and good texture, the wheat bran preferably has an average particle size of 10 to 200 μm, more preferably 20 to 150 μm, even more preferably 30 to 120 μm, and even more preferably 50 to 100 μm. The average particle size in this invention refers to the volume cumulative particle size D50 at 50% cumulative volume when measured in a dry state using a laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measuring device (for example, the "Microtrack Particle Size Distribution Measuring Device 9200FRA" manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

In order to sharpen the particle size distribution and reduce roughness and chipping when slicing bread, and efficiently obtain bread with a smooth texture, it is preferable to use white wheat bran with an average particle size of preferably 200 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, even more preferably 120 μm or less, and even more preferably 100 μm or less. White wheat bran with such an average particle size can be easily obtained by classification, for example, using a sieve or an air classifier.

When classifying wheat bran using a sieve, a sieve with mesh size of preferably 150 to 200 μm, more preferably 150 to 180 μm, and even more preferably 150 μm is used, and the fraction that passes through the sieve is collected.
When the wheat bran is classified using an air classifier, a classifier capable of accurately separating fractions with particle sizes between 150 and 200 μm is used, and preferably fractions with average particle sizes of 200 μm or less, more preferably fractions with average particle sizes of 150 μm or less are collected. From the viewpoint of space saving, it is preferable to perform the pulverization and classification using an impact pulverizer with an air classifier built in. An example of an impact pulverizer with an air classifier built in is ACM Pulverizer (product name) manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation.

From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining wheat bran capable of producing bread with less bitterness and good texture, it is preferable to obtain a finely pulverized product by finely pulverizing the heat-treated white wheat bran. This fine pulverization step is also preferably performed by impact fine pulverization. The fine pulverization process is preferably performed so that the ratio of the fraction with an average particle size of less than 200 μm to the total mass of the white wheat bran is about 50 to 100 mass%, and more preferably 70 to 100 mass%.

Through the above-mentioned process, wheat bran suitable as a raw material for making sandwich bread can be obtained. In detail, white wheat kernels are pulverized to obtain a wheat bran fraction, which is then heat-treated, and the heat-treated fraction is further finely pulverized to obtain white wheat bran having various physical properties suitable as a raw material for making sandwich bread. The white wheat bran obtained in this manner is typically a powdery product.

Next, the raw material white wheat bran is mixed with cereal flours other than white wheat bran to obtain dough for bread. The mixing method is not particularly limited as long as it can uniformly mix the raw materials to be mixed, and a known mixing device commonly used in this technical field can be used.

The content of white wheat bran in the dough is preferably 10 to 40 parts by mass, more preferably 10 to 30 parts by mass, and even more preferably 10 to 25 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the cereal flours including the bran. By mixing white wheat bran in such an amount, the bread has better slicing properties than regular wheat bran, and the sliced surface of the bread tends to be more uniform. In addition, it is possible to obtain bread and sandwiches that have a moist texture, are highly flexible, are crisp, and melt in the mouth.

As the cereal flour other than white wheat bran, at least one of cereal flour and starch can be used.
Examples of flour include flours of various grains such as the above-mentioned various wheats and durum wheat, rice, barley, corn, sorghum, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, millet, oats (oats), and rye, and preferably flours of the above-mentioned various wheats and durum wheat, i.e., wheat flour. In particular, by using wheat-derived flour such as wheat flour as the flour, even when bread is used for sandwiches, it is possible to reduce the bitterness derived from wheat bran, while expressing the fragrant taste unique to wheat, and increase the sweet aroma and good flavor unique to wheat, and furthermore, it is more preferable in that the texture of the bread can be well maintained.
Examples of starch include unprocessed starches such as potato starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, corn starch, waxy corn starch, and rice starch, and various processed starches such as those obtained by subjecting the above-mentioned unprocessed starches to etherification, esterification, acetylation, crosslinking, oxidation, and the like.
These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In addition to white wheat bran and cereal flours other than white wheat bran, other ingredients may also be included depending on the type and shape of the desired sandwich.
Other ingredients include, for example, one or more of preparation liquids such as water, milk, soy milk, etc., proteins such as gluten, sugars such as sugar and oligosaccharides, fats and oils such as shortening, butter, margarine, etc., fermentation bacteria such as yeast, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria, salt, skim milk powder, thickeners, emulsifiers, pH adjusters, spices, and leavening agents, etc. The content of each of these ingredients can be appropriately adjusted depending on the desired sandwich.

When water is used as the preparation liquid and the dough being prepared is a dough, the amount of preparation liquid added is preferably about 35 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of ingredients other than the preparation liquid.

The dough thus obtained may be baked as it is, or may be fermented according to conventional bread-making methods before being baked.
Specifically, various ingredients including white wheat bran, cereal flour, and preferably a preparation liquid are kneaded to form bread dough. Then, primary fermentation is performed, and the fermented dough is divided, and if necessary, rolled or rested. After that, it is molded into a predetermined shape and then proofing (secondary fermentation) is performed. When kneading the ingredients, each ingredient may be added all at once or sequentially.

The temperature of the dough before the primary fermentation, and the temperatures and times of the primary fermentation and the final proofing can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of bread to be produced, etc., but the temperature of the dough before the primary fermentation is preferably 18 to 30° C., the subsequent primary fermentation is preferably carried out at 25 to 30° C. for 10 to 120 minutes, and the final proofing is preferably carried out at 30 to 40° C. for 30 to 90 minutes. Furthermore, the final proofing is preferably carried out at a relative humidity of 70 to 90%.

The unleavened or leavened dough obtained by the above-mentioned method can be baked to obtain bread for sandwiches. This bread is typically a sliced bread. Even when this sliced bread is used as a sandwich ingredient, it can reduce the bitterness derived from wheat bran, and while expressing the fragrant taste unique to wheat, it allows the eater to perceive the sweet aroma and good flavor unique to wheat. Furthermore, even when the sandwich is stored and distributed, the texture and flavor of the bread are unlikely to deteriorate over a long period of time. Furthermore, there is substantially no change in the white wheat bran and flour content before and after baking between the dough and the bread obtained by baking the dough.

The baking temperature for the dough can be selected appropriately depending on the type and size of bread, but is preferably 160 to 240°C, more preferably 200 to 230°C. The baking time under the above temperature conditions is preferably 5 to 60 minutes, more preferably 25 to 50 minutes.

The obtained sandwich bread is preferably cut to a predetermined thickness to obtain bread pieces, and then subjected to the subsequent steps. In detail, the bread is cut under no load to a thickness of preferably 0.5 to 5.5 cm, more preferably 0.6 to 3.0 cm, even more preferably 0.8 to 2.0 cm, and even more preferably 0.8 to 1.5 cm to obtain bread pieces. In addition, in terms of sandwich production efficiency, it is preferable to cut the bread to the above-mentioned thickness using a slicer in the above-mentioned step. In other words, in this manufacturing method, it is preferable to cut the bread obtained by baking to the above-mentioned thickness to obtain bread pieces. In addition, from the viewpoint of uniformly and easily obtaining bread having the above-mentioned thickness, it is also preferable that the sandwich bread is not a round bread (so-called bun) that is cut and processed, for example, that is typically used for hamburgers.

In the manufacture of sandwiches, industrial food cutting devices such as slicers are used to slice bread thinly in order to perform continuous cutting at high speed and in large quantities in order to improve production efficiency. In this case, bread containing wheat bran has more fiber than bread not containing wheat bran, so the cut surface of the bread is uneven or chipped, making it difficult to form a smooth cut surface. As a result, sliced bread may have to be discarded due to the uniformity of dimensions and quality, or even if the bread is used for sandwiches, the bread may have a rough texture or a deteriorated flavor.
In this regard, compared to other wheat brans, white wheat bran contains a sufficient amount of fiber that contributes to health promotion, but the fiber is relatively soft. Therefore, by using white wheat bran at the above-mentioned content, even if the cutting process is performed at high speed and in large quantities, the cut surface of the bread is likely to be smooth, so that high-quality bread with a fragrant flavor unique to bran and sandwiches using the same can be produced with high productivity. This advantageous effect is more pronounced by using white wheat bran with the above-mentioned preferred average particle size or bran derived from ASW.

Next, two slices of bread (i.e., bread pieces) cut to a predetermined thickness are used, and ingredients are placed between the slices of bread. There are no limitations on the method for placing ingredients between the slices of bread, and any method generally used in this technical field can be used. From the viewpoint of improving the appearance of the resulting sandwich, it is preferable that the thicknesses of the two slices of bread used are both within the above-mentioned range, and it is also preferable that the difference in thickness between the slices of bread is within 0.5 cm. Similarly, when three or more slices of bread are used, it is preferable that the thicknesses of the slices of bread are all within the above-mentioned range, and it is also preferable that the difference in thickness between the slices of bread is within 0.5 cm.

The ingredients constituting the sandwich can be any ingredients used in this technical field without any particular limitations.
Examples of ingredients include chunks of meat such as chicken, pork, and beef; processed meat such as sausage, ham, and bacon; unheated or heated vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, cucumber, and tomato; root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes; fruits such as mandarin oranges, strawberries, peaches, pears, melons, figs, and pineapples; eggs such as chicken eggs; creams such as custard cream, whipped cream, and fresh cream; spreads such as butter, jam, and margarine. In addition to these, various seasonings such as sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise, salt, soy sauce, and oils and fats, and spices such as pepper may also be included. The above-mentioned ingredients can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds. These ingredients may be layered between two pieces of bread or may be mixed.

The thus obtained laminate with ingredients arranged between two slices of bread can be used as is to form the desired sandwich. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the sides of the obtained sandwich have the peripheral edge 40 of each of the slices of bread 20, 20 constituting the sandwich 10 open, allowing the ingredients 30 to be seen from the side of the sandwich. The area over which the ingredients are arranged in this embodiment may be the same as the planar area of the bread used, or may be greater or less than the planar area of the bread.

Alternatively, it is also preferable to obtain the desired sandwich by further performing a step of pressing the two slices of bread together in a position where no ingredients are placed on the laminate in which the ingredients are placed between the two slices of bread. In other words, it is also preferable that the slices of bread are not pressed together in the area where the ingredients are placed. This makes it possible to prevent the ingredients from accidentally scattering or spilling out from the sides of the sandwich during storage, distribution, or eating, improving its appearance and ease of handling. In order to make this effect more pronounced, it is preferable to press the slices of bread together in a position outside the outer periphery of the area where the ingredients are placed in a plan view, and over the entire outer periphery of the bread. In other words, this embodiment is preferably a form in which the ingredients are hermetically contained between two slices of bread.

Methods for bonding bread together include applying pressure to a predetermined position on each loaf in the thickness direction of the loaf, and for example, a known press or die-cutting machine can be used. Specific examples of methods for bonding bread together include a method of bonding a part or the entire outer edge of the bread that is located outside the periphery of the area where the ingredients are placed, and a method of pressing the bread together at a position outside the periphery of the area where the ingredients are placed while cutting the bread.

In order to improve workability by pressing the bread together without the ingredients being unintentionally sandwiched, and to obtain a sandwich with better appearance and ease of handling, it is preferable that the area in which the ingredients are arranged in a plan view is smaller than the plan area of the bread used. It is also preferable that the ingredients are arranged in the central region of the bread in a plan view, and not arranged on the periphery of the bread. One such method is to align the centroid of the bread in a plan view with the centroid of a similar shape obtained by reducing the plan view shape of the bread by a predetermined ratio, and then arrange the ingredients within the area represented by the plan view shape of the similar shape.

The sandwich obtained through the process of pressing the edges of the bread together has sides in which the edges 40 of the breads 20, 20 are pressed together, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), such that the ingredients 30 cannot be seen from the sides of the sandwich 10. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2(b), for ease of explanation, the boundaries between the breads 20, 20 after pressing are clearly drawn, but depending on the pressure applied, the boundaries between the breads may be unclear.

In either the non-crimped or crimped embodiment described above, the maximum thickness of the sandwich under no load is preferably 0.5 to 5.5 cm, more preferably 0.6 to 3.0 cm.
The thickness is preferably 0.5 to 1.0 mm, and more preferably 0.6 to 2.8 cm. This thickness improves the ease of eating of the sandwich. This thickness can be achieved by appropriately adjusting the thickness of the bread and the amount of ingredients. Furthermore, the obtained sandwich may be cut along the thickness direction with the ingredients still in between, as necessary, and further divided into smaller pieces.

Finally, it is preferable to further include a step of placing the sandwich obtained by each of the above methods in a packaging bag. By passing through this step, the sandwich becomes suitable for storage and distribution. The packaging bag can be made of a sealable material such as a bag or molded body made of, for example, a plastic film, glass, metal, or a combination of these.

In addition, it is preferable that packaged sandwiches, specifically sandwiches sealed in a packaging bag, are stored, distributed, and preserved while maintaining the state in which the ingredients are arranged between the bread pieces in the sandwich. The storage, distribution, and preservation may be carried out at room temperature or refrigerated, but from the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of the ingredients for a long period of time, it is preferable that the sandwiches are stored, distributed, and preserved under refrigerated conditions.

Bread containing wheat bran and sandwiches using said bread tend to retain unpleasant tastes and odors such as bitterness derived from wheat bran in their packaged state, and are more likely to have quality problems due to the appearance of unpleasant flavors, compared to bakery foods such as bread distributed under open conditions. In particular, sandwiches contain ingredients such as raw vegetables (uncooked vegetables) that contain a lot of moisture, so the presence of a large amount of moisture from the ingredients makes it easy for the bread to develop unpleasant flavors derived from wheat bran. This can be particularly noticeable when distributed under refrigerated conditions.
In this regard, according to the present invention, by using bread containing a specified amount of white wheat bran, the resulting sandwich effectively expresses the good flavor of the ingredients even when using ingredients with a high moisture content such as raw vegetables, while effectively reducing unpleasant flavors such as the bitterness derived from wheat bran, and is expected to promote health. In addition, the sandwich can be stored, distributed, and preserved while maintaining its quality such as freshness and texture.

According to the above-mentioned manufacturing method, it is possible to obtain sandwich bread and sandwiches using the same that exhibit good flavors such as sweet aroma and fragrant aroma derived from grains while reducing unpleasant tastes and flavors such as bitterness derived from wheat bran, and that are less susceptible to deterioration in texture. These advantageous effects are particularly evident when the sandwich bread or sandwiches are packed in a packaging bag, stored and distributed under refrigerated conditions, or when ingredients with a high moisture content such as raw vegetables are used.
In addition, even if the bread used for making sandwiches is cut, the cut surface of the bread becomes smooth, which increases the processing productivity, and the texture of the bread and, in turn, the texture of the sandwiches made using the bread becomes good. Furthermore, bread and sandwiches made using wheat bran have improved appearance, flavor, and texture, and can efficiently exert the health-promoting effects of dietary fiber intake.

Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, when making a sandwich using three or more slices of bread, the outer edges of all the slices of bread may be crimped, or all the slices of bread may not be crimped, or two slices of bread crimped together and one slice that is not crimped may be included in one sandwich. Also, when making a sandwich using three or more slices of bread, the ingredients placed between the two slices of bread may be the same or different, or the same and different ingredients may be included in one sandwich.

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.

[Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3]
The following white wheat or red wheat was used as the wheat used as the raw material for wheat bran. The wheat berries were selected and pulverized in a roll mill, and the pulverized material was classified using a sieve with an opening of 200 μm, and the wheat bran fraction was collected as the residue on the sieve. The collected wheat bran fraction was then impact-pulverized using a turbo mill (manufactured by Tokyo Flour Mills Co., Ltd.), and the pulverized material was subjected to moist heat treatment at a product temperature of 90° C. for 5 seconds while introducing saturated steam using a powder heating device described in Patent No. 2784505. The pulverized product after the wet heat treatment was then pulverized using an impact mill (ACM Pulverizer, manufactured by Hosokawa Micron Corporation), and then classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm. The fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain powdered wheat bran (average particle size of about 90 μm, moisture content of 13.5% by mass). Hereinafter, the wheat bran obtained by this method is also referred to as "wet heat treated wheat bran".

The raw wheat used in each of the Examples and Comparative Examples was as follows:
Example 1: ASW (white and medium wheat)
Example 2: PH (white and hard wheat)
Example 3: WW (white and soft wheat)
Comparative Example 1: 1CW (No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring; red and hard wheat)
Comparative Example 2: DNS (Dark Northern Spring; red and hard wheat)
・Comparative Example 3: Domestic wheat (Kitahonami; red wheat and medium wheat)

Next, the moist heat treated wheat bran from each Example and Comparative Example was mixed with the ingredients shown below in the ratios shown below to prepare dough, and bread for use in making sandwiches was produced through the bread making process shown below.

<Bread ingredients> (The units of ingredients shown below are "parts by mass.")
・Wheat flour (strong flour): 80
・Heat-moisture treated wheat bran: 20
Gluten: 7
Wheat germ: 0.5
Fermented starter: 5
・Fabric improver: 0.8
Fresh yeast: 3.5
・Salt: 2
・White sugar: 8
・Skimmed milk powder: 2
・Shortening: 8
Water: 78
(Gluten: H-10 by Ogawa Flour Mills, Wheat Germ: Hygy SP by Fresh Food Services, Fermented Starter: Creme de Levain by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., Dough Conditioner: Eurobake Sirius by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

<Bread manufacturing process>
Each raw material was put into a mixing device (Kanto Mixing Machine Co., Ltd., vertical mixer HPi-20M) at once, and mixed in the order of 25 ° C., low speed 7 minutes, medium-low speed 10 minutes, and medium-high speed 2 minutes to prepare a dough. This dough was left to stand for 80 minutes under conditions of 27 ° C. and 75% RH to perform primary fermentation. The fermented dough was divided into 260 g portions and left to stand for 20 minutes with a bench time. These doughs were formed into rolls and placed in a one-loaf bread mold (specific mold volume: 3.8), and left to stand for 50 minutes under conditions of 38 ° C. and 85% RH to perform proofing. Finally, the dough after proofing was baked at 220 ° C. for 40 minutes to obtain sandwich bread (Pullman type 3 loaf bread) containing wheat bran of the examples and comparative examples.

Then, the obtained loaf of bread was cut into 10 slices using a bread slicer (AT700Z, manufactured by Hakura Seiki Co., Ltd., cutter blade: diameter 203 mm) to obtain bread slices with plan dimensions of 9.0 mm x 10.5 mm and thickness of 10.8 mm. Two slices of this loaf of bread were used, and a slice of ham (thickness of each slice: 2 mm), a slice of sliced tomato (thickness of each slice: 8 mm) as raw vegetables, and two slices of lettuce (thickness of each slice: approximately 5 mm) were stacked between the two slices of bread to obtain a sandwich in which the entire outer edge of the bread was not pressed (hereinafter, this is also referred to as a non-sealed sandwich) as shown in Figures 1(a) and (b). The maximum thickness of this sandwich was 3.66 cm.

Separately, egg filling (a fluid mixture of boiled eggs, strained, and various seasonings such as mayonnaise and thickeners) was sandwiched between two slices of bread having the above dimensions, and then a crimping tool was used to apply pressure to the bread in the thickness direction to crimp the two slices together, resulting in a sandwich in which the entire outer periphery of the bread was crimped and the filling was sealed between the two slices of bread, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b) (hereinafter this will be referred to as a sealed sandwich). The maximum thickness of this sandwich was 2.5 cm.

[Examples 4 to 6 and Comparative Examples 4 to 6]
In the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3, the above-mentioned wheat bran fraction of white wheat or red wheat was collected and subjected to impact pulverization using a turbo mill. The pulverized material was then heated for 25 minutes using an apparatus similar to the heat treatment stirring apparatus described in JP-A-2004-9022 so that the product temperature of the dried heat object reached 120° C., and dry heat treatment was performed. The pulverized material after the dry heat treatment was then finely pulverized using the above-mentioned impact type fine grinder, and then classified using a sieve with an opening of 150 μm. The fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain powdered wheat bran (average particle size about 90 μm, moisture content 13.5% by mass). Hereinafter, the wheat bran obtained by this method is also referred to as "dry heat treated wheat bran".

Except for using this dry-heat-treated wheat bran instead of the moist-heat-treated wheat bran, sandwich bread and non-sealed and sealed sandwiches having the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2 were obtained in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3.

[Comparative Examples 7 to 8]
In the same manner as in the above-mentioned examples, the bran fraction of the above-mentioned ASW (white wheat) or 1CW (red wheat) was collected and impact-pulverized using a turbo mill. Then, without heat treatment, it was finely pulverized using the above-mentioned impact-type fine pulverizer, and then classified using a sieve with a mesh size of 150 μm. The fraction with a particle size of less than 150 μm that passed through the sieve was collected to obtain powdered wheat bran (average particle size about 90 μm, moisture content 13.5% by mass). Hereinafter, the wheat bran obtained by this method is also referred to as "unheated wheat bran".

Except for using this unheated wheat bran instead of the moist heat-treated wheat bran, sandwich bread and non-sealed and sealed sandwiches having the shapes shown in Figures 1 and 2 were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[Example 7 and Comparative Examples 9 to 11]
ASW (Example 7) and 1CW (Comparative Example 9)
), 1CW dry heat treated wheat bran (Comparative Example 10), and 1CW moist heat treated wheat bran (Comparative Example 11) were used to prepare dough by mixing the following raw materials in the following ratios, and bread for sandwich production was produced through the same bread production process as in Example 1. Then, using the obtained sandwich bread, non-sealed and sealed sandwiches having the shapes shown in Figures 1 and 2 were produced, respectively, in the same manner as in Example 1.

<Bread ingredients> (The units of ingredients shown below are "parts by mass.")
・Wheat flour (strong flour): 60
・Wheat bran: 40
Gluten: 14
Wheat germ: 0.5
Fermented starter: 5
・Fabric improver: 0.8
Fresh yeast: 3.5
・Salt: 2
・White sugar: 8
・Skimmed milk powder: 2
・Shortening: 8
Water: 88
(Gluten: H-10 by Ogawa Flour Mills, Wheat Germ: Hygy SP by Fresh Food Services, Fermented Starter: Creme de Levain by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd., Dough Conditioner: Eurobake Sirius by Oriental Yeast Co., Ltd.)

[Evaluation of durability over time (1): Refrigerated conditions]
The non-sealed sandwiches of each Example and Comparative Example were sealed in a plastic film packaging bag, and the sandwiches were stored at 4° C. for 24 hours with the ingredients sandwiched and wrapped. The packaging bag was then opened, and the sandwiches in the bag were eaten by 10 expert panelists. In Table 1, Comparative Example 1 is treated as a control (score: 3 points), and in Table 2, Comparative Example 11 is treated as a control (score: 3 points). The sandwiches were evaluated for texture and bitterness according to the following evaluation criteria (1). The arithmetic mean values of the scores are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The higher the arithmetic mean value of the scores, the better the texture of the sandwiches and the less bitterness derived from the bran.

<Evaluation Criteria (1)>
5 points: Even when stored at low temperatures, the bitterness and unpleasant flavor derived from the bran is much weaker than in the control example, the texture is excellent, and it is very easy to eat.
4 points: Even when stored at low temperatures, the bitterness and unpleasant flavor derived from the bran is weaker than in the control example, and the texture is good and it is easy to eat.
3 points: The bitterness and unpleasant flavor derived from the bran, as well as the texture, are equivalent to the control example.
2 points: The bitterness and unpleasant flavor derived from the bran was stronger than in the control example, and the texture was slightly inferior, making it difficult to eat.
1 point: The bitterness and unpleasant flavor derived from the bran was much stronger than in the control sample, and the texture was poor, making it very difficult to eat.

[Evaluation of durability over time (2): Room temperature conditions]
The sealed sandwiches of each Example and Comparative Example were placed in a sealed state in a packaging bag made of resin film, and the sandwiches were stored in a packaged state with the ingredients sandwiched between them at 20° C. for 24 hours. The packaging bag was then opened, and the sandwiches in the bag were eaten by 10 expert panelists. In Table 1, Comparative Example 1 is shown as a control example (evaluation score: 3 points), and in Table 2, Comparative Example 11 is shown as a control example (evaluation score: 3 points). The texture and bitterness of the sandwiches were evaluated according to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria (1 point).
The arithmetic mean scores are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The higher the arithmetic mean score, the better the texture of the sandwich and the less bitterness derived from the bran.

[Evaluation of Productivity (1): Evaluation of Brittleness During Manufacturing]
Ten expert panelists made five sets of each of the sealed sandwiches of the Examples and Comparative Examples, and evaluated the brittleness of the bread when pressed and the brittleness of the product after pressing according to the following evaluation criteria (2). The arithmetic mean scores are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The higher the arithmetic mean score, the less brittle the bread or product felt, and the better the processing productivity.

<Evaluation Criteria (2)>
5 points: Bread and products can be molded without crumbling during compression, providing excellent sandwich processing productivity.
4 points: Bread or products can be molded with almost no crumbling during compression, and sandwich processing productivity is good.
3 points: Some brittleness was observed in the bread or product when it was pressed, but there was no problem with processing productivity.
2 points: The bread or product feels brittle when pressed, and sandwich processing productivity is poor.
1 point: The bread or product is noticeably brittle when pressed, and sandwich processing productivity is very poor.

[Productivity Evaluation (2): Evaluation of Smoothness of Cut Surface]
The sandwich bread produced in each Example and Comparative Example was cut into eight slices (13.5 mm thick) using the above-mentioned bread slicer to obtain bread slices. The condition of the cut surface of the bread slices was visually inspected by 10 expert panelists and evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria (3). The arithmetic mean scores are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below. The higher the arithmetic mean score, the smoother the cut surface of the bread and the better the processing productivity.

<Evaluation Criteria (3)>
5 points: The entire cut surface of the bread appears very smooth and has an excellent appearance.
4 points: The entire cut surface of the bread appears generally smooth.
3 points: There are some unevenness on the cut surface of the bread, but it is smooth enough to cause no problems.
2 points: The cut surface of the bread is uneven and has fibrous pieces from the bran, making the cut surface somewhat rough.
Score 1: The cut surface of the bread has many irregularities and fibrous pieces from the bran, making the cut surface very rough.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, compared to the comparative examples, sandwiches using heat-treated white wheat bran are less likely to develop the bitter taste of wheat bran and maintain a good texture, even when stored and distributed with ingredients with a high moisture content. In particular, by using moist heat-treated bran of ASW, which is white wheat and medium-quality wheat, as the white wheat bran, it is possible to reduce the bitterness of the sandwich and create an excellent texture, as well as to make the bread less brittle and have a smooth cut surface when making the sandwich, thereby improving processing productivity.

Claims (9)

The method includes a step of disposing an ingredient between two pieces of bread,
Each of the breads contains 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of flour,
A method for producing a sandwich using bran that has been heat-treated,
The method for producing a sandwich uses one or more of Australian Standard White and Prime Hard as the white wheat . The method includes a step of disposing an ingredient between two pieces of bread,
Each of the breads contains 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of flour,
A method for producing a sandwich, in which the bran used is one that has been subjected to moist heat treatment . The method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the bran has an average particle size of 200 μm or less. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the pan has a thickness of 0.5 to 5.5 cm. Prior to the step of distributing the ingredients between the two slices of bread,
The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of using a slicer to obtain the bread having the thickness. After placing the ingredients between the two slices of bread,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a step of pressing the bread pieces together in areas where the filling is not placed. The method further includes a step of packaging the sandwich having ingredients arranged between two slices of bread in a packaging bag;
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the sandwich is distributed in a packaging bag. The method includes a step of baking a dough containing 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of cereal flour,
A method for producing sandwich bread using heat-treated bran, comprising:
A method for producing sandwich bread, comprising using one or more of Australian Standard White and Prime Hard as the white wheat . The method includes a step of baking a dough containing 10 to 40 parts by mass of white wheat bran per 100 parts by mass of cereal flour,
A method for producing sandwich bread, in which the bran is subjected to a moist heat treatment .