Method for heat treating a bread baking wheat flour and resulting flour and dough
AssigneeConAgra, Inc.
InventorsMichael Wolt, Sambasiva R. Chigurupati, James Pulverenti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Wheat flour is heat treated by suspending it in a heated carrier gas having an outlet temperature of 50.degree.-130.degree. C. for 5-8 seconds to increase dough strength of the flour and to dry the flour to a moisture content of less than 7 wt %. Bread dough made with the heat treated flour exhibits improved baking characteristics with reduced requirements for chemical oxidizing agents, and this flour is therefore useful when eliminating potassium bromate from formulations. The heat treated flour makes an improved bread mix with an increased shelf life.
Claims32
A method for improving bread baking characteristics of a bread baking wheat flour comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a quantity of a bread baking wheat flour;
- (b) drying the flour by suspending the flour in a heated, oxygen-containing carrier gas having an outlet temperature in the range of about 50-130 degrees C. for a time less than about one minute sufficient to reduce moisture content of the flour by at least 5 wt % and to increase the ratio of extensigraph resistance to extensigraph extensibility of the flour by at least 20%, both as compared with the flour provided in step (a);
- (c) separating the flour from the carrier gas to provide a free flowing dry powder having a reduced moisture content and an increased value of said ratio as compared with the flour provided in step (a).
A method for making a bread dough with improved bread baking characteristics, said method comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a quantity of a bread baking wheat flour;
- (b) drying the flour by suspending the flour in a heated, oxygen-containing carrier gas having an outlet temperature in the range of about 50-130 degrees C. for a time less than about one minute sufficient to reduce moisture content of the flour by at least 5 wt % and to increase the ratio of extensigraph resistance to extensigraph extension of the flour by at least 2.0%, both as compared to the flour of step (a);
- (c) separating the flour from the carrier gas to provide a free flowing dry powder having a reduced moisture content and an increased value of said ratio as compared with the flour provided in step (a);
- and
- (d) mixing at least a portion of the dry powder of step (c) with dough forming ingredients comprising water to form a bread dough.
A bread baking wheat flour comprising a gluten fraction, wherein an amount greater than about 1 wt % and less than about 5 wt % of the gluten fraction is denatured, said flour having a moisture content less than about 8 wt %.
A yeasted bread mix comprising:
- a quantity of a dried flour having a moisture content of less than 8 wt %;
- and
- a quantity of dried yeast mixed with the flour;
- said yeasted bread mix providing a substantially increased shelf life as compared with a yeasted bread mix comprising flour at 13-15 wt % moisture content.
A method of making a bread mix comprising the following steps:
- (a) providing a quantity of a bread baking wheat flour;
- (b) drying the flour by suspending the flour in a heated, oxygen-containing carrier gas having an outlet temperature in the range of about 70-130 degrees C. for a time less than about one minute to reduce moisture content of the flour to less than 8 wt %;
- (c) separating the flour from the carrier gas;
- and
- (d) mixing the separated flour with additional ingredients comprising a quantity of dry yeast to form a yeasted bread mix;
- said yeasted bread mix providing a substantially increased shelf life as compared with a yeasted bread mix comprising flour at 13-15 wt % moisture content.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.