JP7679183B2 - Bakery fat composition - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bakery fat composition that contains an enzyme.

It is known that bakery products such as bread, which are primarily made from starch, lose texture, such as crispness and melt-in-the-mouth feel, over time as the starch contained in the starch ages. In order to inhibit this ageing and improve the texture, various enzymes are added when preparing the bakery dough in the manufacturing process of bakery products.

When incorporating enzymes into dough, it has been known that if the enzymes are incorporated directly into the dough, the enzyme's action may occur immediately or may be stronger than desired, causing the bakery dough to become sticky and loose during preparation, making it difficult to handle. For this reason, when incorporating enzymes into bakery dough, a method has been adopted in which the enzymes are incorporated into an oil composition, and this oil composition is then incorporated into the bakery dough.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for producing an anti-aging agent for food, which is characterized by melting and mixing a glycerin mono-fatty acid ester with fats and oils, and further mixing amylase or protease into the molten mixture, with the aim of imparting a significant anti-aging effect to foods such as bread. In addition, in view of the fact that dough tends to become sticky when enzymes such as amylase are added to it, Patent Document 2 proposes an oil and fat composition for breadmaking that contains edible oils and fats, hemicellulase (H) having an optimum temperature of 45°C or higher and 60°C or lower, and maltose-forming α-amylase (mA) having an optimum temperature of 65°C or higher and 85°C or lower, with the aim of maintaining softness and moistness for a long period of time while maintaining good workability of the dough and without reducing its firmness or melt-in-the-mouth properties even without the use of an emulsifier, and that contains 1 to 100 u of hemicellulase (H) and 50 to 5,000 u of maltose-forming α-amylase (mA) per 100 g. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes an oil and fat composition for bread making which contains edible oils and fats, a protease <A> having an optimum pH of 2 to 4, and a carbohydrate-degrading enzyme <B>, the protease <A> being 0.05 to 0.2 parts by mass based on an activity level of 50,000 u/g and the carbohydrate-degrading enzyme <B> being 0.05 to 0.3 parts by mass based on an activity level of 10,000 u/g, per 100 parts by mass of edible oil and fat, with the aim of improving the texture of bread and imparting a high softening effect and crispness-enhancing effect while reducing the amounts of synthetic emulsifiers and food additives that must be labeled on the final product. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 focuses on the fact that the softer the bread, the greater the shrinkage it undergoes when toasted, and proposes a dough improver for bread making that contains enzyme A (at least one selected from maltose-producing α-amylase and maltotetraose-producing α-amylase) and enzyme B (hemicellulase) for the purpose of producing bread that shrinks less when toasted and has suppressed aging, and that is less sticky and easier to work with.

The applicant also provides a fat composition for kneading into bread, which contains maltogenic amylase and hemicellulase, to steadily produce soft bread that is moist and melts in the mouth without deteriorating the dough properties (Patent Document 5), and bread dough, which contains dietary fiber and an enzyme-containing fat composition, to produce bread that is soft and moist and melts in the mouth despite its high dietary fiber content (Patent Document 6). Furthermore, the applicant provides a fat composition for bakery, which contains tetrasaccharide-producing amylase, to produce bakery products that are inhibited from aging over time and have a soft texture, crispness, and melt-in-the-mouth quality (Patent Document 7).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 52-25046 JP 2017-176122 A JP 2018-50598 A JP 2018-186811 A JP 2017-189131 A JP 2018-64500 A JP 2019-71872 A

On the other hand, bakery products are often eaten as is (eaten raw), or after being reheated in a toaster or the like. The starch contained in bakery products ages over time, hardening the product and making it taste inferior, but reheating the product causes the starch to gelatinize again, improving the taste. Even when reheated, bread is required to have a crisp texture that is not chewy (melts easily in the mouth). However, as exemplified by Patent Documents 1 to 7, many studies have been conducted on bread that is soft and melts easily in the mouth when eaten raw by adding enzymes, but reheating the bread does not result in a crisp texture that is not chewy (melts easily in the mouth), and instead tends to be deteriorated.

For this reason, none of the conventional technologies have adequately considered the texture when reheated, and there has been a demand for bakery products that have a good texture when reheated and eaten as well as when eaten raw.

The objective and problem of the present invention is to provide a bakery product that has a soft texture when eaten raw, is crisp and melts in the mouth, and has a desirable texture even when reheated.

As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors discovered that by combining an acid protease and a specific amylase and adding the combined oil and fat composition to dough, a bakery product can be obtained that has a soft texture when eaten raw, is crisp and melts in the mouth, and is also meltable in the mouth and crisp even when reheated, and thus completed the present invention.

The present invention provides the following:
[1] A bakery fat and oil composition comprising:
- 1000 to 4000 units of acid protease per 100 g of the bakery fat composition; - 510 units or more of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per 100 g of the bakery fat composition. [2] The bakery fat composition according to 1, further comprising hemicellulase.
[3] The bakery fat and oil composition according to 1 or 2, wherein the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase contains maltose-forming amylase, and the content of the maltose-forming amylase is 700 to 2500 units per 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition.
[4] The bakery fat and oil composition according to 1 or 2, wherein the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase contains a maltose-forming amylase and a tetrasaccharide-forming amylase.
[5] The bakery fat composition according to 4, wherein the content of the maltose-producing amylase is 50 to 700 units per 100 g of the bakery fat composition, and the content of the tetrasaccharide-producing amylase is 400 to 1500 units per 100 g of the bakery fat composition.
[6] The bakery fat and oil composition according to any one of 1 to 5, further comprising a propylene glycol fatty acid ester.
[7] The bakery fat and oil composition according to any one of 1 to 6, which is a shortening.
[8] The bakery fat and oil composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a water-in-oil emulsified fat and oil composition.
[9] The bakery fat and oil composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the SFC of the fat and oil contained in the fat and oil composition at 10°C is 25 to 45% and the SFC at 20°C is 5 to 25%.
[10] A bakery dough comprising the bakery oil-and-fat composition according to any one of 1 to 9.
[11] A bakery product which is a heat-treated product of the bakery dough according to 10.
[12] A texture improver for use in reheating bakery products, comprising an acid protease and a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase.

By using the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, bakery products can be obtained that are not chewy (melt easily in the mouth) and have a good bite even when reheated.
By using the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, bakery products that have a soft texture when eaten raw and are crisp and melt in the mouth can be obtained.
Furthermore, by using the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, the workability of dough for bakery products can be improved.

<Bakery fat and oil composition>
The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention contains an acid protease and a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase.

(Acid protease)
Acid protease refers to a proteolytic enzyme with an optimum pH of 2 to 4. There are endo-type, exo-type, and mixed endo-exo-type acid proteases, and any of them may be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, but the endo-type is preferably used, because the endo-type provides bakery products that are not chewy even after reheating and have a good bite.

Various enzyme preparations containing acidic proteases that can be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention are commercially available, and examples include Denapsin 2P (Nagase ChemteX Corporation), Orientase AY and Orientase 20A (HBI Corporation), Protease YPSS (Yakult Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), Alcalase 2.4L FG (Novozymes), Sumiteam LPL-G and Sumiteam AP (Shin Nippon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), etc.

The enzyme activity of an acid protease can be defined as the amount of enzyme that produces a certain number of moles of decomposition products per unit time when the target enzyme acts on a substrate under optimal conditions (optimum temperature, optimum pH). Specifically, when 1 ml of enzyme solution is added to 5 ml of 0.6% milk casein (pH 3.0, M/10 phosphate buffer) and reacted at 30°C for 10 minutes, the amount of enzyme that releases Folin color equivalent to 1 μg of tyrosine as a TCA-soluble component per minute can be defined as 1 unit. When referring to the enzyme activity of an acid protease in this invention, the above definition is used unless otherwise specified. According to this definition, 1 g of the commercially available enzyme Denapsin 2P (Nagase Chemtex Corporation) is 20,000 units. The enzyme unit may be expressed as unit or u.

The bakery fat composition of the present invention may contain 1000 to 4000 units of acid protease per 100 g of the bakery fat composition. The content of acid protease per 100 g of the bakery fat composition is preferably 1000 to 3000 units, more preferably 1200 to 2300 units, and even more preferably 1500 to 2300 units. Within this range, when used in bakery dough, the workability is good, and when eaten raw, a soft texture and crispness and melting in the mouth are both achieved, and even when reheated, a bakery product is obtained that is not chewy (melts easily in the mouth) and is crisp. The amount of acid protease used is about 30 to 150 ppm per 100 parts by mass of starch used in bakery dough (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "flour"). In this invention, when referring to the workability of bakery dough, unless otherwise specified, it refers to the workability of the bakery dough at any stage of dividing, rolling, or molding. Specifically, the workability at such stages can be judged from the standpoint of the stickiness of the bakery dough or the poor extensibility that accompanies stickiness.

(Maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase)
Maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase is an exo-type amylase that uses α-glucan such as starch as a substrate to produce maltooligosaccharides in which glucose is linked by α-1,4 bonds at a certain degree of polymerization. Maltooligosaccharides include maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose, etc.

Examples of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylases include maltose-producing amylases that produce maltose and tetrasaccharide-producing amylases that produce maltotetraose.

The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention contains 510 units or more of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition. This allows bakery products produced using the bakery fat and oil composition to have good melt-in-the-mouth and crispness when reheated.

[Maltose-forming amylase]
One of the preferred examples of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention is maltose-producing amylase.

Various enzyme preparations containing maltose-producing amylase that can be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention are commercially available, and examples include Novamyl 10000 BG, Novamyl 3D BG, Opticake Fresh 50 BG (Novozymes A/S, Denmark), Coclase (registered trademark) (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Foods Corporation), Grindamyl (registered trademark) MAX-LIFE 100 (manufactured by Danisco Japan Co., Ltd.), etc.

In the present invention, among maltose-forming amylases, high-temperature thermostable maltose-forming amylases with an optimum enzyme temperature of 60°C or higher are preferred from the viewpoints of improving workability when preparing bakery dough and of producing bakery products that are not mushy even after reheating and have good bite. The optimum temperature for high-temperature thermostable maltose-forming amylases is preferably 40 to 95°C, more preferably 50 to 95°C, and even more preferably 60 to 90°C.

The enzyme activity of maltose-producing amylase can be defined as the amount of enzyme that produces a predetermined number of moles of maltose per unit time when the target enzyme acts on a substrate such as maltotriose under optimal conditions (optimum temperature, optimal pH). Specifically, for example, one unit of maltose-producing amylase activity can be defined as the amount of enzyme required to release 1 nmole of maltose per second at a concentration of 10 mg of maltotriose substrate per ml of 0.1 M citrate buffer at pH 5.0 at 37°C. Alternatively, the enzyme activity of producing maltose equivalent to 1 mg of glucose per minute when 1 mL of enzyme solution is added to 5 mL of 1.2% starch substrate solution and reacted at 40°C for 10 minutes can be defined as 1 u/g. Maltose can be measured with reference to "Quantitative Method of Reducing Sugars, Second Edition" (by Sakuzo Fukui, Academic Press Center).

In the present invention, when referring to the enzyme activity of maltogenic amylase, unless otherwise specified, 1 g of the commercially available enzyme Novamyl 10000 BG (Novozymes A/S, Denmark) or 1 g of the commercially available enzyme Novamyl 3D BG (Novozymes A/S, Denmark) is defined as 10,000 units.

When maltose-producing amylase is used, its content per 100 g of bakery fat and oil composition is preferably 700 to 2500 units, more preferably 1000 to 2000 units, and even more preferably 1300 to 2000 units. This range ensures good workability when used in bakery dough, and also provides a soft texture and good crispness and melt-in-the-mouth texture when eaten raw, and even when reheated, produces bakery products that melt in the mouth and are crisp. The amount of maltose-producing amylase used is about 30 to 150 ppm based on flour.

[Tetrasaccharide-forming amylase]
In the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, tetrasaccharide-forming amylase may be used together with maltose-forming amylase as the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase. Maltotetraose produced in the bakery dough by the tetrasaccharide-forming amylase can reduce the moisture loss over time of the bakery dough and bakery products, and inhibit aging over time. In addition, by using the tetrasaccharide-forming amylase together with the maltose-forming amylase, the total amount of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase can be reduced.

The tetrasaccharide-producing amylase used in the present invention is not particularly limited. Various enzyme preparations containing tetrasaccharide-producing amylase that can be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention are commercially available, and examples include POWERFresh 3050, POWERFresh 3150, POWERFresh 4150 (Danisco), and Denabake Extra (Nagase ChemteX). The origin of the tetrasaccharide-producing amylase used is not particularly limited, and it may be obtained from animals, plants, mold, bacteria, etc.

The optimum temperature for the tetrasaccharide-producing amylase used in the present invention is preferably 30 to 90°C, more preferably 40 to 80°C, and even more preferably 45 to 75°C, since it acts during the process of gelatinization of starch in the dough during heat treatment.

The enzyme activity of a tetrasaccharide-forming amylase can be defined as one unit, which is the amount of enzyme that produces a certain number of moles of decomposition products per unit time when the target enzyme acts on a substrate under optimal conditions (optimum temperature, optimum pH), or the amount of enzyme that produces reducing power equivalent to 1 μmol of glucose per minute.

Specifically, it may be defined as follows:
Add exactly 0.2 mL of the sample solution to 5 mL of substrate solution (*1) heated to 40±0.5°C, mix, and allow to react at 40±0.5°C for exactly 20 minutes.
Next, measure out 1 mL of the reaction solution and immediately add it to 2 mL of previously prepared Somogyi copper test solution to stop the reaction. Then place a glass bead in the test tube and heat in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
After cooling this solution, 2 mL of Nelson's test solution is added, mixed thoroughly, and allowed to stand for 30 minutes. Then, exactly 5 mL of water is added, and the absorbance AT at a wavelength of 520 nm is measured.
Separately, add exactly 0.2 mL of the sample solution to 5 mL of substrate solution that has been heated to 40±0.5°C and mix. Immediately measure out 1 mL and add to 2 mL of previously prepared Somogyi copper test solution to stop the reaction. Proceed in the same manner as when measuring absorbance AT, and measure absorbance A0.
In addition, accurately measure 1 mL each of the glucose standard solution and water, add it to 2 mL of the previously prepared Somogyi copper test solution, and repeat the procedure to measure the absorbances AS and AB, and calculate the enzyme activity using the following formula.
(Enzyme activity) = {(AT-A0) x 300 x 5.2 x n}/{(AS-AB) x 180.16 x 0.2 x 20}
However, each algebra and number has the following meaning:
AT: absorbance of reaction solution A0: absorbance of reaction stop solution AS: absorbance of glucose standard solution AB: absorbance of water 300: concentration of glucose standard solution (μg/mL)
180.16: Molecular weight of glucose 5.2: Total volume of reaction solution (mL)
0.2: Amount of sample solution (mL)
20: Reaction time (min)
n: Dilution factor of sample solution *1: Weigh out 5.000 g of pre-dried soluble starch (for enzyme testing) accurately, suspend in 300 mL of water, and heat while shaking occasionally to prevent starch from precipitating. Boil for 5 minutes and then cool thoroughly. Add 50 mL of 200 mmol/L phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and water to make exactly 500 mL, and this will be used as the substrate solution for measuring the enzyme activity of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase.

In the present invention, when referring to the enzyme activity of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase, the above definition applies unless otherwise specified. According to this definition, 1 g of the commercially available enzyme preparation Denabake (registered trademark) Extra has 6,500 units.

When tetrasaccharide-forming amylase is used together with maltose-forming amylase in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, it is preferable to use 50 to 700 units of maltose-forming amylase and 400 to 1500 units of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition, more preferably 80 to 600 units of maltose-forming amylase and 500 to 1200 units of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase, and even more preferably 100 to 400 units of maltose-forming amylase and 600 to 900 units of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase. By using a tetrasaccharide-forming amylase content of 400 units or more, it becomes easy to obtain a sufficient effect of inhibiting the aging phenomenon, and by using a content of 1500 units or less, it is possible to prevent the final bakery product, particularly bread, from becoming excessively chewy and sticky in texture.

When maltose-producing amylase and tetrasaccharide-producing amylase are used in combination, the bakery fat and oil composition preferably contains 1.5 to 10 units of tetrasaccharide-producing amylase per unit of maltose-producing amylase, more preferably 3 to 8 units, and even more preferably 4 to 7 units. By containing them in such a ratio, the total amount of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase is reduced, while the workability is good when used in bakery dough, and a soft texture and crispness/melt-in-the-mouth balance is achieved when eaten raw, and even when reheated, a bakery product is obtained that melts in the mouth well and is crisp.

(Other enzymes)
The fat and oil composition for bakery of the present invention can contain, in addition to the above-mentioned acid protease and maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, other enzymes having an effect of improving confectionery and bread-making. Examples of such enzymes include proteases other than acid proteases, amylases other than maltooligosaccharide-forming amylases, hemicellulase, cellulase, glucoamylase, glucose oxidase, and lipase.

(Hemicellulase)
It is preferable to use hemicellulase in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention, because it is possible to achieve the desired soft texture and crispness/melt-in-the-mouth texture when eaten raw, and to further improve the melt-in-the-mouth texture and crispness when reheated, without impairing the workability of the bakery dough.

Hemicellulase is a general term for enzymes that hydrolyze hemicellulose as a substrate. Hemicellulose is a polysaccharide that constitutes the cell walls of land plant cells, other than cellulose and pectin, and can be water-soluble or insoluble, with specific examples being xylan, arabinoxylan, arabinan, mannan, galactan, xyloglucan, glucomannan, etc. Therefore, hemicellulase can be specifically classified into xylanases that break down xylan, arabinoxylanases that break down arabinoxylan, etc., but in reality, they often have a mixture of these activities, and in fact, many commercially available enzyme products also have a mixture of these activities.

Various types of enzyme preparations containing hemicellulase that can be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention are commercially available, and examples include Hemicellulase "Amano" (Amano Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), Bakezyme BXP5001BG, Bakezyme HS2000, Bakezyme I Conc (DMS Corporation), Enchiron LQ (Rakuto Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Hemicellulase M (all manufactured by HI Corporation), and Sumiteam (registered trademark) X (manufactured by Shin Nippon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

In the present invention, it is preferable to use, among hemicellulases, a hemicellulase that uses arabinoxylan as the main substrate and has a ratio of substrate affinity to insoluble arabinoxylan to substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan (decomposition activity ratio: insoluble arabinoxylan/water-soluble arabinoxylan) of 10 or more, in order to obtain bakery dough that is less sticky and maintains workability. An example of an enzyme preparation containing such a hemicellulase is Bakezyme BXP5001BG (DSM Corporation).

"Using arabinoxylan as the main substrate" means that the activity of decomposing arabinoxylan is preferably 1000 units/g or more, more preferably 2000 units/g or more, and even more preferably 3000 units/g or more. Arabinoxylan as referred to here is not limited to insoluble or water-soluble arabinoxylan, and any activity that is equal to or greater than the lower limit when any arabinoxylan is used as a substrate is considered to be using arabinoxylan as the main substrate.

The enzyme activity of hemicellulase can be defined as the amount of enzyme that produces a certain number of moles of decomposition products per unit time when the target enzyme acts on a substrate under optimal conditions (optimum temperature, optimum pH). When referring to the enzyme activity of hemicellulase in this invention, unless otherwise specified, the commercially available enzyme agent Bakezyme BXP5001BG (DSM Corporation) is defined as 5,000 units/g.

The ratio of substrate affinity to insoluble arabinoxylan to substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan (decomposition activity ratio: insoluble arabinoxylan/water-soluble arabinoxylan) is preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, and even more preferably 20 or more. In either case, the upper limit is preferably 40 or less, more preferably 35 or less, and even more preferably 30 or less. By having a decomposition activity ratio of 10 or more, for example, in the case of bakery dough with a high moisture content such as bread dough or sweet bread dough, it is possible to prevent the dough from becoming too sticky and the workability from becoming poor.

Methods for calculating the ratio of substrate affinity to water-insoluble arabinoxylan to substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan include, for example, the following methods (1) to (3).
(1) Measurement of enzyme activity against insoluble arabinoxylan 300 μl of a suspension (40 mg of sample suspended in 8 ml of deionized water) of an insoluble arabinoxylan preparation (Xylazyme AX: manufactured by Megazyme) was dispensed into a microplate and lyophilized for measurement. 25 μl of enzyme solution (0 to 40 units of enzyme suspended in 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.6, containing bovine serum albumin (0.5 mg/ml)) and 25 μl of the buffer were dispensed into each well of the microplate to start the enzyme reaction, and the enzyme reaction was allowed to proceed at 37° C. for 1 hour, after which 200 μl of 1% (w/v) Tris buffer was added to stop the enzyme reaction. After leaving the mixture at room temperature for 10 minutes, the mixture was centrifuged (3000 g, 15 minutes) and the absorbance of the resulting supernatant was read at 600 nm using a spectrophotometer. A blank was used to which a buffer solution had been added instead of the enzyme solution.

(2) Measurement of enzyme activity against water-soluble arabinoxylan 33 μl of water-soluble arabinoxylan solution (AZOWAX: manufactured by Megazyme) and 33 μl of enzyme solution (0 to 40 units of enzyme suspended in 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.6, containing bovine serum albumin (0.5 mg/ml)) are dispensed into each well of a microplate to initiate the enzyme reaction. After the enzyme reaction is carried out at 37° C. for 1 hour, 140 μl of ethanol is added to stop the enzyme reaction. After leaving the mixture at room temperature for 10 minutes, the mixture is centrifuged (3000 g, 15 minutes) and the absorbance of the obtained supernatant is read at 600 nm using a spectrophotometer. Note that a solution containing a buffer solution instead of the enzyme solution is used as a blank.

(3) Calculation of the ratio of substrate affinity to insoluble arabinoxylan to substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan Both enzyme activity (1) and (2) are measured for each enzyme, and the ratio of substrate affinity to insoluble arabinoxylan to substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan is calculated from the results as follows.
A nonlinear regression curve Y=Ymax×(1−e−K*X) (Y is absorbance, X is the amount of enzyme) is plotted for each absorbance and enzyme content, and the slope (S) of the linear portion, preferably within a range of 1/10 or less of the maximum value of Y, is calculated using the following formula.
Slope (S) = (Ymax x K) / 1.0536
Here, the ratio of these slopes, i.e., the value of S (insoluble arabinoxylan)/S (water-soluble arabinoxylan), is taken as the ratio of substrate affinity to insoluble arabinoxylan and substrate affinity to water-soluble arabinoxylan.

The origin of the hemicellulase used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and hemicellulase obtained from animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. can be used. The optimal temperature of the hemicellulase used in the present invention is preferably 20 to 90°C, more preferably 25 to 50°C, and even more preferably 25 to 40°C, for the purpose of allowing it to act mainly on insoluble arabinoxylan during mixing and achieving favorable gluten formation.

The content of hemicellulase in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention is preferably an amount such that the activity when arabinoxylan is used as a substrate is 75 to 700 units, more preferably 100 to 650 units, and even more preferably 125 to 625 units per 100 g of the fat and oil composition. When the hemicellulase content is 75 units or more per 100 g of the fat and oil composition, the effect of adding hemicellulase is easily obtained. On the other hand, when the bakery dough used is bread dough, when the dough is 700 units or less, the dough is less sticky, and it is easy to prevent the resulting bread from having a mushy texture.

(Lipase)
Lipase may be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention. Lipase is an enzyme that acts on triglycerides in fats and oils to hydrolyze the triglycerides into monoglycerides, diglycerides, glycerin, and fatty acids, and mono- and diglycerides are produced during the reaction. This is because lipase is expected to not only impart softness and moist texture to bakery products, but also to improve the volume, aging resistance, and mechanical resistance of bakery dough.

The lipase that can be used in the bakery fat composition of the present invention is not particularly limited. Various enzyme preparations containing lipase that can be used in the bakery fat composition of the present invention are commercially available, and examples thereof include Lipase A "Amano" 6, Lipase AH "Amano" SD, Lipase AY "Amano" 30, Lipase PS "Amano" SD, Lipase DF "Amano" 15, Lipase M "Amano", Lipase G "Amano" 50, Lipase R "Amano" (all manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.), Lipase A-10D (all manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), Grindamyl EXEL 639 (Danisco ) Japan), Diet Lenz Lipase CR, Varidase Lipase MJ, Bakezyme L80.000B, Picantase A, Picantase AN, Picantase R800, Picantase C3X, Picantase K, Picantase KL, Panamore Golden, Panamore Spring (all manufactured by DSM Japan), Lipopan 50BG, Lipopan FBG (all manufactured by Novozymes Japan), Enthiron AKG (manufactured by Rakuto Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.), etc.

The origin of the lipase used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and lipases obtained from animals, plants, molds, bacteria, etc. can be used. The optimal temperature for the lipase used in the present invention is preferably 20 to 90°C, more preferably 25 to 50°C, and even more preferably 25 to 40°C, since the lipase is allowed to act during mixing to produce bakery dough with favorable workability and bakery products with a favorable texture.

The content of lipase in the product of the present invention is preferably 0.03 to 50 ppm by mass in the oil and fat composition, more preferably 0.09 to 40 ppm, and even more preferably 0.15 to 30 ppm. If the content is 0.03 ppm or more, it becomes possible to confirm changes in the physical properties of the bakery dough due to the effect of lipase, and by adding a lipase content of 50 ppm or less, it becomes easier to prevent the effects of various side activities such as protease activity, and it is also possible to prevent the resulting bakery dough from becoming excessively soft and the floating from becoming worse.

(Oils and fats)
The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is edible, and various fats and oils can be used. For example, vegetable fats and oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, shea fat, monkey fat and cocoa fat, animal fats and oils such as beef tallow, milk fat, lard, fish oil and whale oil, and processed fats and oils obtained by subjecting these fats and oils to one or more treatments selected from hydrogenation, fractionation and interesterification. Examples of processed fats and oils include palm olein (a low melting point fraction obtained by fractionating palm oil), palm superolein (a low melting point fraction obtained by further fractionating the low melting point fraction of palm oil), and interesterified oils thereof. In the present invention, these fats and oils can be used alone, or two or more types can be combined and used as fat and oil blends.

The content of fats and oils in the bakery fat composition (the content as the fat and oil blend in the case of a fat and oil blend) is preferably 10 to 99% by mass, more preferably 50 to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 60 to 90% by mass.

The term "oil and fat composition" refers to a composition containing oil and fat. In the present invention, enzymes such as acid protease and maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase are used in the bakery dough in a state of being contained in the oil and fat composition. By using the enzymes as an oil and fat composition, the timing at which the enzymes act on the dough can be delayed. Therefore, particularly when the type of bakery dough used is bread dough, the dough can be prevented from becoming sticky and reducing workability. In addition, by using the enzymes as an oil and fat composition, the enzymes can be delayed in their action on the bakery dough and the timing at which they act, and can be uniformly dispersed in the bakery dough, improving the texture of the resulting bakery product.

(SFC)
The fats and oils used in the bakery fat composition of the present invention (as a fat and oil blend when two or more types are combined and used as the fat and oil blend) preferably have an SFC (Solid Fat Content) of 20 to 50%, more preferably 30 to 45%, at 10°C. Also, the SFC of the fat and oil at 20°C is preferably 5 to 30%, more preferably 10 to 25%. By using fats and oils with an SFC in the above range, the hardness of the fat and oil composition at a predetermined temperature is adjusted, thereby adjusting the action of the enzyme on the dough and improving the ease of kneading during dough preparation, which is expected to improve the workability of the dough and the texture.

The SFC value indicates the amount of solid fat contained in fats and oils at a given temperature, and can be measured by standard methods. In the present invention, the SFC of the sample to be measured is measured using pulse NMR (direct method) described in AOCS official method cd16b-93, and the measured value is converted to the amount of oil phase. In other words, when a sample that does not contain an aqueous phase is measured, the measured value is the SFC as is, and when a sample that contains an aqueous phase is measured, the measured value converted to the amount of oil phase is the SFC. (The same applies to the measurement of SFC below.)

(Propylene glycol fatty acid ester)
Propylene glycol fatty acid esters may be used in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention. The fatty acid of the propylene glycol fatty acid ester may be a saturated fatty acid or an unsaturated fatty acid. The number of fatty acid carbons of the propylene glycol fatty acid ester is preferably 12 to 22. Specific examples of the fatty acid include saturated fatty acids such as lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and behenic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids such as myristoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, hiragonic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. The fatty acid of the propylene glycol fatty acid ester may be one of these fatty acids alone or a combination of two or more of them. Specific examples of the propylene glycol fatty acid ester include propylene glycol palmitic acid ester, propylene glycol stearic acid ester, and propylene glycol behenic acid ester. One of the preferred examples is propylene glycol behenic acid ester.

When a propylene glycol fatty acid ester is used in the bakery fat composition of the present invention, its content per 100 g of the bakery fat composition is preferably 0.3 to 1.5 g, more preferably 0.5 to 1.2 g, and even more preferably 0.8 to 1.2 g. This range ensures good workability when used in bakery dough, and also provides a soft texture and good crispness and melt-in-the-mouth texture when eaten raw, and even when reheated, produces bakery products that melt in the mouth and are crisp. The amount of propylene glycol fatty acid ester used is 0.1% by mass or less based on the flour.

(Other ingredients)
The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention may contain raw materials other than those mentioned above, so long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. Examples of other raw materials include water, sugars, emulsifiers, starches, dextrin, dietary fiber, salt seasonings such as salt and potassium chloride, acidulants such as acetic acid, lactic acid, and gluconic acid, milk and dairy products such as skim milk powder, casein, whey powder, concentrated skim milk, and concentrated protein whey, sweeteners such as stevia and aspartame, colorants such as β-carotene, caramel, and red koji pigment, antioxidants such as tocopherol and tea extract, vegetable proteins such as wheat protein and soy protein, eggs and various egg products such as whole eggs, egg yolks, enzyme-treated egg yolks, egg whites, and egg proteins, flavorings, seasonings, pH adjusters, food preservatives, shelf life enhancers, fruits, fruit juices, coffee, nut pastes, spices, cacao mass, cocoa powder, grains, beans, vegetables, meat, and seafood, as well as food ingredients and food additives.

Other ingredients can be included in the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention in any amount as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. The content of other ingredients can be, for example, 50% by mass or less, and preferably 30% by mass or less.

(form)
Examples of the form of the oil and fat composition for bakery include foods containing oil and fat, such as plastic oil and fat compositions such as margarine, fat spread, shortening, butter, etc., fluid shortening, fluid margarine, liquid oil compositions, powdered oil and fats, pure fresh cream, whipping cream (compound cream), vegetable whipping cream, cream cheese, chocolate paste, etc. In the present invention, a plastic oil and fat composition is preferred because the effects of the product of the present invention can be easily obtained.

When the bakery oil-and-fat composition is a plastic oil-and-fat composition, the form of use during the manufacture of bakery products is preferably in the form of kneaded oil-and-fat or folded oil-and-fat, but it is particularly preferred to use the composition as kneaded oil-and-fat during the manufacture of bakery products from the viewpoint of uniformly dispersing the enzyme in the bakery dough.

When the bakery fat and oil composition is an emulsion, the emulsion form is not particularly important and may be any of water-in-oil, oil-in-water, and double emulsions, but is preferably a water-in-oil emulsion.

Preferred examples of the bakery fat composition of the present invention include shortening and a water-in-oil emulsified fat composition, but the same effects can be obtained whether the bakery fat composition of the present invention is in the form of a shortening or a water-in-oil emulsified fat composition.

(Action and Effects)
The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention contains at least an acid protease and a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, which act appropriately on bakery dough. This allows a soft texture and crispness/melt-in-the-mouth balance when eaten raw, and also provides a bakery product that is not chewy (melt-in-the-mouth well) and crisp even when reheated. The bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention can also be said to be a texture improver for reheating bakery products.

<Method for producing bakery fat and oil composition>
The method for producing the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the composition can be produced by any known method as long as the fat and oil composition contains the final required enzyme.

In the method for producing the bakery oil composition, each enzyme can be added to the oil separately in sequence, or the powdered enzymes can be mixed in advance and then added to the oil. Also, an aqueous solution containing each enzyme can be added to the oil and mixed.

When the bakery fat composition of the present invention is in the form of a plastic fat composition (e.g., shortening), the plastic fat composition can be produced by dispersing the enzymes described above separately or a mixture of multiple enzymes in advance directly in the fat during the production process of the plastic fat composition, and then rapidly plasticizing the fat composition. When the fat composition contains an aqueous phase, the plastic fat composition can be produced by dispersing the enzymes described above separately or a mixture of multiple enzymes in advance in the aqueous phase, and then rapidly plasticizing the fat composition together with the oil phase. In addition, the plastic fat composition can be produced by adding and mixing the enzymes described above or an aqueous solution containing the enzymes after rapid plasticization during the production process of the plastic fat composition.

In the present invention, the method of adding and mixing an enzyme or an aqueous solution containing an enzyme after rapid cooling and plasticization is preferable because it has high enzyme activity and prevents a decrease in enzyme activity during storage. Furthermore, when the bakery oil and fat composition of the present invention is a plastic oil and fat composition, it may or may not be aerated with a gas such as nitrogen or air during the production process.

<Dough and products using bakery fat and oil composition>
(bakery dough)
The bakery dough of the present invention can be prepared using the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention. The type of bakery dough is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include bread dough and confectionery dough. More specifically, examples of bread dough include white bread dough, sweet bread dough, variety bread dough, butter roll dough, soft roll dough, hard roll dough, sweet roll dough, Danish dough, pastry dough, and French bread dough. Examples of confectionery dough include pie dough, choux dough, donut dough, butter cake dough, sponge cake dough, hard biscuit dough, waffle dough, and scone dough.

The content of the bakery oil composition in the bakery dough varies depending on the type of bakery dough and the number of enzyme units in the bakery oil composition, but for example, in the case of bread, it is preferably 30 parts by mass or less, more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 15 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of starch used in the bakery dough. Furthermore, the content of the bakery oil composition in the bakery dough, regardless of the upper limit, is preferably 0.5 parts by mass or more, more preferably 1 part by mass or more, and even more preferably 1.5 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of starch used in the bakery dough.

The starches used in the bakery dough are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include wheat flours such as strong flour, semi-strong flour, medium flour, weak flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, and germ flour, other grain flours such as rye flour, barley flour, and rice flour, nut flours such as almond flour, hazelnut flour, cashew nut flour, oat flour, and pine nut flour, starches such as corn starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, and rice starch, and modified starches obtained by subjecting these starches to one or more treatments selected from enzyme treatment, gelatinization treatment, decomposition treatment, etherification treatment, esterification treatment, crosslinking treatment, and grafting treatment, and the like. One or more types selected from these can be used.
In the present invention, among these, wheat flour is used in an amount of preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100% by mass of the starches.

When preparing bakery dough, such as bread dough, and starches other than wheat flour are used, it is preferable to add gluten separately. The amount of gluten added is preferably such that the protein content is 5 to 20% by mass, more preferably 10 to 18% by mass, based on the total amount of flour and gluten combined.

Bakery dough can be mixed with other ingredients that can be used as ingredients for general breads and confectioneries, if necessary. Examples of such ingredients include water, oils and fats, yeast, sugars and sweeteners, thickening stabilizers, colorants, antioxidants, dextrin, milk and dairy products, cheeses, distilled alcohol, brewed alcohol, various liqueurs, emulsifiers, leavening agents, inorganic salts, salt, baking powder, yeast food, cacao and cacao products, coffee and coffee products, herbs, beans, proteins, preservatives, bittering agents, acidulants, pH adjusters, shelf life enhancers, fruits, fruit juices, jams, fruit sauces, seasonings, spices, flavorings, various food ingredients and food additives, etc.

The other ingredients can be used in any amount as long as it does not impair the intended effect, but for example, in bakery dough for bread, water is preferably used in the range of 30 to 100 parts by mass, more preferably 30 to 70 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of starch. In addition, other ingredients other than water are preferably used in a total amount of 100 parts by mass or less, more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, per 100 parts by mass of starch. Note that when ingredients containing moisture are used as other ingredients, the amount of water referred to here includes the amount of moisture contained in the other ingredients.

The method for producing bakery dough is not particularly limited, and any commonly used method for producing breads and confectioneries can be applied. Examples of methods for producing breads include the sponge dough method, the straight kneading method, the liquid dough method, the medium dough method, and the tang dough method, and examples of methods for producing confectioneries include the sugar batter method, the flour batter method, the all-in-mix method, the joint mixing method, and the separate mixing method.

When producing the bakery products of the present invention, particularly breads, by the sponge dough method, the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention can be kneaded into the sponge dough and/or the main kneaded dough to contain the composition, but it is preferable to knead it into the main kneaded dough to contain the composition. The obtained bakery dough can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer.

(Bakery products)
The bakery product of the present invention can be obtained by heat-treating a bakery dough containing the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention. The method of heat-treating the bakery dough is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include baking, frying, steaming, and microwave oven treatment.

The type of bakery product obtained by the heat treatment is not particularly limited, and may be various types of bread and confectionery. The bakery oil and fat composition of the present invention can improve the melting and crispness of the bread when it is reheated, so the present invention is suitable for use in bread that may be reheated before eating. Examples of such bread include white bread, soft rolls, semi-hard rolls, hard rolls, French bread, butter rolls, hamburger buns, English muffins, sweet rolls, Danish, and pastries.

The method of reheating is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include toasting in a toaster, heating in a microwave oven, baking in a frying pan, on a griddle or on a grill, steaming, etc. The obtained bakery product of the present invention can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer, and can also be heated in a microwave oven after storage.
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples.

Preparation of oil and fat blends
25 parts by mass of palm oil, 22 parts by mass of randomly interesterified palm olein oil, 5 parts by mass of palm stearin, and 48 parts by mass of randomly interesterified palm superolein oil were each heated to 60° C., dissolved, and mixed to prepare an oil and fat blend. Hereinafter, the term "oil and fat blend A" refers to this blend.

The SFC of this oil blend A was 40% at 10°C and 19% at 20°C.

<Enzymes, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, etc. used>
The following enzymes were used in the following Examples and Comparative Examples. Note that u/g is the activity per gram of enzyme preparation. Each 1 u is defined by the manufacturer.
Acid protease: Denapsin 2P (20,000 u/g, Nagase ChemteX Corporation) (enzyme preparation made by purifying and powdering the acid protease produced by Aspergillus niger)
Maltogenic amylase: Novamyl 10000BG (10000 u/g, Novozymes A/S)
Maltogenic amylase: Novamyl 3D BG (10000 u/g, Novozymes A/S)
Hemicellulase: Bakezyme BXP5001BG (5000 u/g, DSM Corporation) (hemicellulase derived from Bacillus subtili)
Tetrasaccharide-forming amylase: Denabake (registered trademark) Extra (6500 u/g, Nagase ChemteX Corporation)
Endo-type α-amylase: Fungamil 2500SG (5300 u/g, Novozymes A/S)
Propylene glycol fatty acid ester A: Rikemal PB-100 (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.) (propylene glycol fatty acid ester in which the bound fatty acid is behenic acid)
Propylene glycol fatty acid ester B: Rikemal PS-100 (Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd.)
(Propylene glycol fatty acid ester in which the bound fatty acid is stearic acid)

<Preparation of fat and oil composition for bakery>
(Comparative Examples 1 to 7, Examples 1 to 4)
Shortening-type bakery fat and oil compositions containing various enzymes were prepared for Comparative Examples 1 to 7 and Examples 1 to 4 (Test Area 1).
Specifically, the fat and oil blend A was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amounts shown in the table below per 100 g of the fat and oil composition for bakery to prepare the fat and oil composition for bakery.

(Examples 5 to 8)
A shortening-type bakery fat and oil composition containing the hemicellulase of Examples 5 to 8 (Test Group 2) was prepared.
Specifically, the fat and oil blend A was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amounts shown in the table below per 100 g of the fat and oil composition for bakery to prepare the fat and oil composition for bakery.

(Examples 9 to 13)
In Examples 9 to 13 (Test Group 3), shortening-type bakery fat and oil compositions containing acid protease, maltogenic amylase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester were prepared.
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in the oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below, and the mixture was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amount shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

(Examples 14 to 16)
In Examples 14 to 16 (Test Group 4), shortening-type bakery fat and oil compositions containing acid protease, maltogenic amylase, hemicellulase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester were prepared.
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in the oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below, and the mixture was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amount shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

In Examples 17 to 19 (Test Group 5), bakery fat and oil compositions were prepared as water-in-oil emulsions containing acid protease, maltogenic amylase, hemicellulase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester.
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in 85 parts by mass of oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below to form an oil phase, and 15 parts by mass of water was mixed into the oil phase, followed by heat sterilization, cooling, and plasticization according to a conventional method. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amounts shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

(Examples 20 to 26)
In Examples 20 to 26 (test group 6), shortening-type bakery fat and oil compositions containing acid protease, maltose-producing amylase, tetrasaccharide-producing amylase, hemicellulase, endo-type α-amylase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester were prepared.
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in the oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below, and the mixture was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amount shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

(Examples 27 to 30)
Except for using Novamyl 3D BG instead of Novamyl 10000BG used in Test Plot 4, shortening-type bakery fat and oil compositions containing acid protease, maltogenic amylase, hemicellulase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester were prepared in the same manner as in Test Plot 4, as in Examples 27 to 30 (Test Plot 7).
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in the oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below, and the mixture was heat sterilized and cooled to plasticize in a conventional manner. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amount shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

Except for using Novamyl 3D BG instead of Novamyl 10000BG used in Test Plot 5, the same procedure as in Test Plot 5 was repeated to prepare water-in-oil emulsion bakery fat compositions containing acid protease, maltogenic amylase, hemicellulase, and propylene glycol fatty acid ester, as in Examples 31 to 34 (Test Plot 8).
Specifically, propylene glycol fatty acid ester was added and dissolved in 85 parts by mass of oil and fat blend A in the amount shown in the table below to form an oil phase, and 15 parts by mass of water was mixed into the oil phase, followed by heat sterilization, cooling, and plasticization according to a conventional method. Subsequently, various enzymes were added and mixed in the amounts shown in the table below per 100 g of the bakery oil and fat composition to prepare the bakery oil and fat composition.

<Production of Pullman-type bread>
Using each of the prepared bakery fat and oil compositions, Pullman-type bread was produced by the following method. Hereinafter, the bread doughs using the bakery fat and oil compositions of Comparative Examples 1 to 7 and Examples 1 to 34 may be referred to as the bread doughs of Comparative Examples 1a to 7a and Examples 1a to 34a, and the breads obtained from these doughs may be referred to as the breads of Comparative Examples 1b to 7b and Examples 1b to 34b.

70 parts by weight of strong flour (product name "Camellia": manufactured by Nisshin Flour Milling Co., Ltd., protein content 11.8% by weight and ash content 0.37% by weight), 2 parts by weight of fresh yeast, 0.1 parts by weight of yeast food, and 40 parts by weight of water were placed in a mixer bowl, and mixed using a hook at low speed for 2 minutes and at medium speed for 2 minutes to obtain a sponge dough. The kneading temperature was 24°C.
The sponge dough was placed in a dough box and subjected to sponge fermentation for 4 hours in a thermostatic room at a temperature of 28° C. and a relative humidity of 85%. The final temperature was 29° C.
This dough after the sponge fermentation was again placed into the mixer bowl, and 30 parts by weight of strong flour, 5 parts by weight of white sugar, 2 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 1.5 parts by weight of salt, and 25 parts by weight of water were added, and the dough was kneaded at low speed for 3 minutes and then at medium speed for 3 minutes.
Then, 5 parts by mass of the bakery oil and fat composition was added, and the mixture was mixed using a hook at low speed for 3 minutes, at medium speed for 3 minutes, and at high speed for 1 minute to obtain a dough for bread. The kneading temperature of the obtained dough for bread was 28°C.

After a 20-minute floor time, the dough was divided into 230g pieces and rounded. After a 20-minute bench time, the dough was molded, and six pieces were cut into a U shape and placed into a 3-loaf Pullman mold. The dough was proofed for 50 minutes at 38°C and a relative humidity of 85%, and then baked in a fixed oven set at 200°C for 40 minutes to obtain Pullman-type bread.

<Evaluation>
The workability of the bread dough was evaluated by a panel of experts according to the following criteria. The texture of the resulting bread was also evaluated by 10 experts according to the following criteria. The results are shown in the following table.

+++: 43-50 points,
++: 37-42 points,
+: 31-36 points,
-: 24-30 points,
--: 18-23 points,
---: 17 points or less

Prior to the evaluation, the panelists agreed on the sensory level corresponding to each score. Products that received a + or higher rating in all categories were considered to have passed the test.

The reheating was performed by slicing the resulting bread into 2 cm thick slices and heating for 2 minutes and 30 seconds in a toaster oven (manufactured by Koizumi, heaters: quartz tube heaters on both the upper and lower tiers, power consumption 1000 W).

● Dough workability (workability during dough preparation)
5 points: No stickiness, good extensibility, and extremely good workability.
4 points: Good workability.
3 points: Slight stickiness or slightly poor extensibility was felt, but the workability was good.
2 points: The product felt slightly sticky or had slightly poor extensibility and was slightly poor in workability.
1 point: Sticky or poor extensibility, poor workability.

●Texture (softness)
5 points: Very soft compared to the control.
4 points: Slightly softer than the control.
3 points: Equal softness compared to the control.
2 points: Slightly more clogged than the control.
1 point: Clogged compared to control.

● Texture (melts in the mouth)
5 points: Very good melt-in-the-mouth feel compared to the control.
4 points: Has good melt-in-the-mouth feel compared to the control.
3 points: Has equivalent melt-in-the-mouth feel to the control.
2 points: Has a slightly chewier texture compared to the control.
Score 1: Has a very chewy texture compared to the control.

● Texture (crispness)
5 points: Very good crispness compared to the control.
4 points: Has good crispness compared to the control.
3 points: Equivalent crispness compared to the control.
2 points: Slightly less crisp than the control.
1 point: Less crisp than the control.

● Texture (melts in the mouth when reheated)
5 points: Very good melt-in-the-mouth feel compared to the control.
4 points: Has good melt-in-the-mouth feel compared to the control.
3 points: Has equivalent melt-in-the-mouth feel to the control.
2 points: Has a slightly chewier texture compared to the control.
Score 1: Has a very chewy texture compared to the control.

● Texture (crispness when reheated)
5 points: Very good crispness compared to the control.
4 points: Has good crispness compared to the control.
3 points: Equivalent crispness compared to the control.
2 points: Slightly less crisp than the control.
1 point: Less crisp than the control.

<Evaluation Results>
(Test group 1: Examination of enzyme combinations, examination of the amount of acid protease and maltogenic amylase)
The results of evaluation of bread dough and bread using the bakery fat and oil compositions containing various enzymes of Comparative Examples 1 to 7 and Examples 1 to 4 are shown in the table below, together with the units of each enzyme blended in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition. As a control for the evaluation, shortening without added enzymes was used instead of the bakery fat and oil composition.

The dough workability was good for all the samples except for the bread dough prepared using the bakery fat and oil composition containing relatively large amounts of acid protease and maltogenic amylase (Comparative Example 7a).
The bread using the bakery fat and oil composition using only acidic protease as an enzyme (Comparative Example 1b) and the bread using the bakery fat and oil composition using only maltogenic amylase as an enzyme (Comparative Example 2b) had insufficient texture, and in particular, the crispness, melting in the mouth when reheated, and crispness when reheated were inferior to the control. Even when hemicellulase was added (Comparative Examples 3b and 4b), there was no sufficient improvement.
The bread dough (Examples 2b and 3b) using the bakery fat and oil composition using acid protease and maltogenic amylase as enzymes had improved texture in all respects of softness, melting in the mouth, and crispness compared to Comparative Examples 1b and 2b. In addition, the combination of two types of enzymes provided the melting in the mouth and crispness upon reheating that could not be obtained by using only one of the enzymes.

In addition, a comparison of the evaluation results for each bread of Examples 1b to 4b and Comparative Examples 5b to 7b suggested that there is a preferred range for the amount of acid protease and maltogenic amylase to obtain the desired effect more effectively.

(Test area 2: Addition of hemicellulase and examination of the amount)
The results of evaluation of bread dough and bread made using the hemicellulase-containing bakery fat and oil compositions of Examples 5 to 8 are shown in the table below, together with the enzyme units blended in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition. The control used in the evaluation was the hemicellulase-free bakery fat and oil composition of Example 3.

All of the bread doughs (Examples 5a to 8a) using the bakery fat and oil composition to which hemicellulase was added maintained excellent dough workability.
Moreover, the breads prepared using hemicellulase (Examples 5b to 8b) were superior to the control in all respects regarding texture, especially in terms of softness.

In addition, a comparison of the evaluation results of Examples 5b to 8b suggested that there is a preferred range for the amount of hemicellulase to achieve the desired effect more effectively.

(Test areas 3 to 5: Use of propylene glycol fatty acid ester)
The results of evaluation of bread dough and bread using bakery fat and oil compositions containing propylene glycol fatty acid ester in Examples 9 to 13 (test area 3), Examples 14 to 16 (test area 4), and Examples 17 to 19 (test area 5) are shown in the table below together with the amount of each enzyme unit and propylene glycol fatty acid ester blended in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition. As a control for the evaluation, in test areas 3 and 4, the bakery fat and oil composition not containing hemicellulase of Example 3 was used, and in test area 5, a bakery fat and oil composition in which the same amount of enzyme as in Example 3 was added to margarine was used.

Test group 3: All of the bread doughs (Examples 9a to 13a) using the bakery fat and oil composition using propylene glycol fatty acid ester maintained excellent dough workability. Furthermore, the breads (Examples 9b to 13b) obtained from these bread doughs were superior to the control in all aspects of texture. In particular, the softness was increased. The use of propylene glycol fatty acid esters with behenic fatty acids was superior in terms of melting in the mouth and crispness, both with and without reheating, compared to the case where the fatty acid was stearic acid. Furthermore, a comparison of the evaluation results of Examples 9b to 13b suggested that there is a preferred range for the amount of propylene glycol fatty acid ester to improve melting in the mouth and crispness when reheated.

Test group 4: All of the bread doughs (Examples 14a to 16a) using bakery oil and fat compositions that further used hemicellulase and propylene glycol fatty acid ester maintained excellent dough workability. Furthermore, a comparison of the evaluation results of the breads (Examples 14b to 16b) obtained from these bread doughs with the evaluation results for Test group 2 and Test group 3 showed that the use of hemicellulase and propylene glycol fatty acid ester along with acid protease and maltogenic amylase resulted in better melting in the mouth and crispness when reheated.

Test group 5: All of the bread doughs (Examples 17a to 19a) in which the specified enzyme was incorporated into margarine maintained excellent dough workability. Furthermore, the breads (Examples 17b to 19b) obtained from these bread doughs were superior to the control in all respects regarding texture. It was also suggested that the same effect can be obtained regardless of whether the bakery fat and oil composition of the present invention is in the form of shortening or a water-in-oil emulsion.

(Test group 6: Examination of the combined use of maltose-producing amylase and tetrasaccharide-producing amylase)
The results of evaluation of bread dough and bread made using the bakery fat and oil compositions containing maltose-forming amylase and tetrasaccharide-forming amylase of Examples 20 to 26 are shown in the table below, together with the amounts of each enzyme unit and propylene glycol fatty acid ester blended in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition. The control used in the evaluation was the bakery fat and oil composition of Example 3 that does not contain hemicellulase.

By using maltose-producing amylase and tetrasaccharide-producing amylase in combination, the total amount of maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase used could be reduced.
In addition, a comparison of the sensory evaluation results of the breads of Examples 21b to 23b, in which the amount of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase used was approximately the same, and a comparison of the sensory evaluation results of the breads of Examples 24b and 25b, in which the amount of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase used was the same, suggested that there is a preferred range for the ratio of the number of units of maltose-forming amylase to that of tetrasaccharide-forming amylase in order to achieve the desired effect more effectively.

(Test areas 7 and 8: Use of different types of maltose-producing amylase)
The results of evaluation of bread dough and bread using the bakery fat and oil compositions containing maltose-producing amylase and tetrasaccharide-producing amylase of Examples 27 to 32 are shown in the table below, together with the amounts of each enzyme unit and propylene glycol fatty acid ester blended in 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition.
In the evaluation, shortening without added enzymes was used in Example 27 of Test Plot 7, and the bakery fat and oil composition of Example 27 was used as a control in Examples 28 to 30. Similarly, margarine without added enzymes was used in Example 31 of Test Plot 8, and the bakery fat and oil composition of Example 31 was used in Examples 32 to 34.

Novamyl 10000BG and Novamyl 3D BG have different tolerances to the amount of sugar contained in bread dough, with Novamyl 3D BG having a higher tolerance; however, even when using maltose-producing amylases with different properties, it was possible to obtain bread of comparable quality.
It was also suggested that even when a maltose-producing amylase with different properties is used, the use of hemicellulase and propylene glycol fatty acid ester together with acid protease can result in a product with better melt-in-the-mouth properties and crispness when reheated.
Furthermore, it was suggested that even when maltose-producing amylases with different properties are used, approximately the same effects can be obtained whether the bakery fat composition of the present invention is in the form of a shortening or a water-in-oil emulsion.
These results suggest that by combining with an acid protease, regardless of the properties of the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase, the texture of the resulting bakery product can be improved, and the product can have excellent melt-in-the-mouth and crispness when reheated.

Claims (12)

A bakery fat and oil composition comprising the following and further containing hemicellulase:
1000 to 4000 units of acid protease per 100 g of the bakery fat composition; 510 units or more of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per 100 g of the bakery fat composition. 2. The bakery fat and oil composition according to claim 1, which contains 75 to 700 units of hemicellulase per 100 g of the bakery fat and oil composition, in terms of activity when arabinoxylan is used as a substrate. The bakery fat composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase contains maltose-forming amylase, and the content of the maltose-forming amylase is 700 to 2500 units per 100 g of the bakery fat composition. The bakery fat and oil composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maltooligosaccharide-producing amylase contains a maltose-producing amylase and a tetrasaccharide-producing amylase. The bakery fat composition according to claim 4, wherein the content of maltose-producing amylase is 50 to 700 units per 100 g of the bakery fat composition, and the content of tetrasaccharide-producing amylase is 400 to 1500 units per 100 g of the bakery fat composition. The bakery oil and fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a propylene glycol fatty acid ester. The bakery fat and oil composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a shortening. The bakery oil composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a water-in-oil emulsified oil composition. The oil and fat composition for bakery use according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the SFC of the oil and fat contained in the oil and fat composition at 10°C is 25 to 45% and the SFC at 20°C is 5 to 25%. Bakery dough containing the bakery oil and fat composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A bakery product which is a heat-treated product of the bakery dough according to claim 10. A texture improver for bakery products when reheated, containing an acid protease and a maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase, and further containing hemicellulase, for adding 1,000 to 4,000 units of acid protease per 100 g of bakery oil composition, and 510 units or more of maltooligosaccharide-forming amylase per 100 g of bakery oil composition.