Sugar-producing and texture-improving bakery methods and products formed therefrom

Abstract

Novel yeast-raised and other bakery products and methods of making those products are provided. The products are formed from dough comprising a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase, and a raw starch degrading amyloglucosidase and/or an anti-staling amylase. The level of added sugar included in the dough can be substantially reduced, and even eliminated, while still achieving a sweet product. Additionally, the resulting bakery product is free of, or at least substantially free of, fructose. The final baked product will also have improved texture properties, including superior firmness, resilience, and adhesiveness and can be made with a reduced amount of yeast.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a bakery product, said method comprising:
 providing a dough comprising:
 yeast; 
 an initial quantity of sugar; 
 a source of starch; 
 a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase that exhibits activity at temperatures at which the starch gelatinizes; and 
 an enzyme selected from the group consisting of:
 raw starch degrading amyloglucosidases; 
 anti-staling amylases; and 
 mixtures thereof; and 
 
   baking the dough for a time and temperature sufficient to yield the bakery product, said bakery product having a final quantity of sugar that is greater than said initial quantity of sugar.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said initial quantity of sugar is less than about 1.0% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dough taken as 100% by weight;   said final quantity of sugar is at least about 5.0% by weight, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight; and   said bakery product comprises less than about 0.5% by weight fructose, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase being active at temperatures of from about 65° C. to about 85° C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said enzyme is a maltogenic amylase, and said bakery product has an adhesiveness of from about 5 g*mm to about 25 g*mm when measured at shelf life day 7. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bakery product has a percent resilience of at least about 28% when measured shelf life day 7. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said source of starch is flour. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase has an optimum temperature of at least about 60° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase has a half-life (T 1/2 ) of from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes at about 85° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from strains selected from the group consisting of  Penicillium oxalicum, Talaromyces emersonii, Talaromyces duponti, Talaromyces thermophilius, Clostridium thermoamylolyticum , and  Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said enzyme is a raw starch degrading amyloglucosidase having a half-life (T 1/2 ) of from about 1 minute to about 20 minutes at about 70° C. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said raw starch degrading amyloglucosidase is produced from  Aspergillus.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said initial quantity of sugar is less than about 3% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said initial quantity is greater than 0%. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said final quantity of sugar is at least about 10 times that of the initial quantity of sugar. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said final quantity of sugar is at least about 5% by weight, based upon the weight of the bakery product being taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bakery product comprises less than about 1% by weight fructose, based upon the weight of the bakery product being taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bakery product comprises about 0% by weight fructose, based upon the weight of the bakery product being taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising proofing said dough prior to said baking. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said dough has an initial quantity of glucose prior to said proofing and a final quantity of glucose after said proofing, said final quantity being at least about 5 times that of said initial quantity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said dough has greater than 0% by weight glucose prior to said proofing, based upon the total weight of the dough prior to said proofing taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said dough has a final quantity of glucose after said proofing, said final quantity being at least about 1.0% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dough after said proofing taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bakery product is selected from the group consisting of bread, English muffins, pretzels, buns, rolls, tortillas, pizza dough, bagels, and crumpets. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , where said bakery product has a firmness of less than about 250 g of force at shelf life day 7. 
     
     
         24 . In a dough useful for forming a yeast-raised bakery product and comprising a source of starch, yeast, and water, the improvement being that said dough comprises:
 a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase that exhibits activity at temperatures at which the starch gelatinizes; and   an enzyme selected from the group consisting of:
 raw starch degrading amyloglucosidases; 
 anti-staling amylases; and 
 mixtures thereof. 
   
     
     
         25 . The dough of  claim 24 , said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase being active at temperatures of from about 65° C. to about 85° C. 
     
     
         26 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said source of starch is flour. 
     
     
         27 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase has an optimum temperature of at least about 60° C. 
     
     
         28 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase has a half-life (T 1/2 ) of from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes at about 85° C. 
     
     
         29 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from strains selected from the group consisting of  Penicillium oxalicum, Talaromyces emersonii, Talaromyces duponti, Talaromyces thermophilius, Clostridium thermoamylolyticum , and  Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum.    
     
     
         30 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said enzyme is a raw starch degrading amyloglucosidase having a half-life (T 1/2 ) of from about 1 minute to about 20 minutes at about 70° C. 
     
     
         31 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said raw starch degrading amyloglucosidase is produced from  Aspergillus.    
     
     
         32 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said dough is unproofed dough. 
     
     
         33 . The dough of  claim 32 , wherein said unproofed dough comprises less than about 3% by weight sugar, based upon the total weight of the unproofed dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         34 . The dough of  claim 32 , wherein said unproofed dough comprises less than about 0.5% by weight sugar, based upon the total weight of the unproofed dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         35 . The dough of  claim 24 , wherein said dough is proofed dough. 
     
     
         36 . The dough of  claim 35 , wherein said proofed dough comprises at least about 1.0% by weight sugar, based upon the total weight of the proofed dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         37 . The dough of  claim 35 , wherein said proofed dough comprises less than about 0.2% by weight fructose, based upon the total weight of the proofed dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         38 . The dough of  claim 35 , wherein said proofed dough comprises about 0% by weight fructose, based upon the total weight of the proofed dough taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         39 . In a yeast-raised bakery product formed from flour, yeast, and water, the improvement being that said product comprises:
 an inactivated, thermally-stable amyloglucosidase derived from a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase that exhibits activity at temperatures at which starch gelatinizes;   at least about 5% by weight sugar, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight; and   less than about 0.5% by weight fructose, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight.   
     
     
         40 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said inactivated thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase that is active at temperatures of from about 650° C. to about 85° C. 
     
     
         41 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said inactivated thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase having an optimum temperature is from about 60° C. to about 850° C. 
     
     
         42 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said inactivated thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase having a half-life (T 1/2 ) of from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes at about 85° C. 
     
     
         43 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said inactivated thermally-stable amyloglucosidase is derived from a thermally-stable amyloglucosidase that is derived from strains selected from the group consisting of  Penicillium oxalicum, Talaromyces emersonii, Talaromyces duponti, Talaromyces thermophilius, Clostridium thermoamylolyticum , and  Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum.    
     
     
         44 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said sugar is present at a level of from about 6% to about 12% by weight, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         45 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said bakery product comprises about 0% by weight fructose, based upon the total weight of the bakery product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         46 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said bakery product has a percent resilience of at least about 28% when measured shelf life day 7. 
     
     
         47 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , where said bakery product has a firmness of less than about 250 g of force at shelf life day 7. 
     
     
         48 . The bakery product of  claim 39 , wherein said bakery product has an adhesiveness of from about 5 g*mm to about 25 g*mm when measured at shelf life day 7.