JP2024143014A - Quality improver for baked goods - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a quality improver for baked goods that allows good moldability of the dough for baked goods, excellent shape retention of baked goods after baking, and maintains the original texture and flavor of the baked goods, even when the fat and oil content is high. [Solution] To provide a quality improver for baked goods that contains, as an active ingredient, sorbitol having a specific surface area of 1 m2/g or more as measured by BET single point method and a pore volume of 0.2 mL/g or more as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, and a composition for baked goods that contains the quality improver for baked goods and one or more selected from the group consisting of sugars, grain flours, and fats and oils. [Selected Figures] None

Description

The present invention relates to a quality improver for baked goods.

Baked goods such as biscuits, cookies and pies are made by forming dough made from ingredients such as flour, fats and oils, sugars and other raw materials into various shapes and baking them, and the ratio of ingredients is adjusted according to the purpose, such as improving the texture or flavor.

In the manufacture of such baked goods, a problem has been the phenomenon known as "dragging," in which the shape of the molded dough changes before and after baking. When dough droops, not only does the shape after baking become uneven, but the dough sticks to tools and the like, making molding itself difficult, which is one of the factors that reduces production efficiency. In addition, a commonly known method of improving the crispy texture and melt-in-the-mouth quality required of baked goods is to increase the ratio of fats and oils used, but as the fat content increases, the dough becomes more sticky, which tends to reduce moldability. Another problem is that fats and oils melt and flow out during baking, causing the shape to collapse, such as cracks. Therefore, efforts have been made to solve this problem.

Patent Document 1 proposes an oil-type kneading fat composition for wheat flour food products, which is composed of calcium stearate, diglycerol mono fatty acid ester, and edible fats and oils. Patent Document 2 proposes a fat composition for baked goods, which has a specific ratio of POP (1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol) content and lauric acid content. Patent Document 3 proposes a quality modifier for baked goods, the active ingredient of which is triacylglycerol containing medium-chain fatty acids with 6 to 10 carbon atoms. However, these fat compositions and quality modifiers contain ingredients that affect the flavor of baked goods, or require the preparation of special fats and oils, making them difficult to implement and not necessarily satisfactory.

Therefore, there was a need for a quality improver that would allow the easy production of baked goods that have excellent moldability of the dough, do not lose their shape after baking, have a good flavor, and maintain a crispy texture.

JP 2006-129755 A JP 2010-4806 A JP 2015-116128 A

The present invention aims to provide a quality improver for baked goods that has good moldability for the dough of baked goods, excellent shape retention of baked goods after baking, and maintains the original texture and flavor of the baked goods, even when the fat and oil content is high.

As a result of intensive research, the inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by blending sorbitol having a specific surface area of 1 ^m2 /g or more as measured by BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) single-point method and a pore volume of 0.2 mL/g or more as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry to baked goods, and have thus completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention relates to a quality improver for baked confectionery, which contains, as an active ingredient, sorbitol having a specific surface area of 1 m ² /g or more as measured by a BET single point method and a pore volume of 0.2 mL/g or more as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry.

By using the quality preservation agent for baked goods of the present invention, it is possible to produce high-quality baked goods that have good shape retention even when the oil content is high, have an enhanced oil flavor, and have a crispy texture. In addition, adhesion of oil to the equipment used during baking is reduced, which helps maintain hygienic conditions at the production site and reduces the environmental burden of wastewater generated during cleaning.

Photographs of the sticking of the material to the palm when molding the dough and the appearance of the cookies after baking in Examples 7 and 8 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4. Photographs of cross sections of baked pie dough in Examples 9 and 10 and Comparative Examples 5 to 7.

In the present invention, "baked goods" refers to goods produced by baking dough whose main ingredients are grain flour, fats and oils, and sugars. Examples include, but are not limited to, cookies (rotary mold cookies, wire cut cookies, squeezed cookies, etc.), biscuits, crackers, sables, pies, wafers, snacks, melon bread biscuit dough, etc. Among these, cookies, sables, pies, etc. are preferred as baked goods that contain a lot of fats and oils.

The quality improver for baked goods of the present invention is made of water-soluble sorbitol, and if it is dissolved in water before baking, it cannot exert its effect. Therefore, the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention is used in a form that does not come into contact with moisture before baking. "A form that does not come into contact with moisture before baking" means that it is added to dough to which moisture is not added, or to ingredients to which moisture is not added.
"No moisture is added" means that no moisture-rich ingredients such as water, milk, fruit juice, fresh cream, or raw eggs (including whole eggs, egg whites, and egg yolks) are added to ingredients such as grain flour, oils and sugars. This does not exclude the moisture contained in the grain flour, oils and sugars themselves being included in the dough. Therefore, the "baked confectionery" of the present invention does not include so-called cakes such as sponge cake, castella, and pancakes, which are produced by baking dough to which moisture has been added.

The term "material to which no moisture is added" refers to a material in which the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention is used in a manner that does not allow it to come into contact with moisture. One example is when making a pie, where a fat to which no moisture is added is mixed with a quality improver for baked goods and formed into a sheet, and a dough obtained by adding moisture and other ingredients to grain flour is separately formed into a sheet, and the two are layered alternately.

The "quality improver for baked goods" of the present invention improves the moldability of baked goods dough and the shape retention of baked goods after baking, and helps maintain the original texture and flavor of baked goods. The quality improver for baked goods of the present invention particularly improves shape retention when the baked goods have a high oil content, but can be used regardless of the oil content.

The quality improving agent for baked goods of the present invention contains sorbitol (sometimes referred to simply as "porous sorbitol" in this specification) having a specific surface area of 1 ^m2 /g or more as measured by a BET single-point method and a pore volume of 0.2 mL/g or more as measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry.

The porous sorbitol used in the present invention is described in detail below.

The porous sorbitol used in the present invention may be adjusted so that the average particle size is within a specific range, and the average particle size is preferably 1 to 600 μm, more preferably 20 to 550 μm, and even more preferably 30 to 500 μm, as measured with a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer (Mastersizer (registered trademark) 3000, manufactured by Malvern Instruments).

The porous sorbitol can be produced, for example, by kneading molten sorbitol with ethanol, followed by drying under reduced pressure. In one preferred embodiment, the method for producing the porous sorbitol of the present invention comprises the following steps:
a) feeding molten sorbitol and ethanol into a kneading device;
b) kneading the molten sorbitol and ethanol in a kneading device while maintaining the temperature at 50 to 78°C; and c) drying the kneaded mixture obtained in b) at 25 to 90°C and under reduced pressure at 100 to 30,000 Pa to remove the ethanol.

The above manufacturing method will now be described in more detail. First, in step a), 10 to 70 parts by weight of molten sorbitol and 30 to 90 parts by weight of ethanol are fed into a kneading device. The amounts fed into the kneading device are preferably 15 to 68 parts by weight of molten sorbitol and 32 to 85 parts by weight of ethanol, and more preferably 20 to 65 parts by weight of molten sorbitol and 35 to 80 parts by weight of ethanol.

The amount of water contained in the ethanol used in step a) is, for example, 10% by weight or less. The amount of water contained in the ethanol is preferably 8% by weight or less, more preferably 5% by weight or less, even more preferably 2% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0% by weight (ethanol only). The lower the amount of water contained in the ethanol, the more likely it is that the specific surface area of the "porous sorbitol" produced will be improved.

Next, in step b), the molten sorbitol and ethanol are kneaded in the kneading device while maintaining the temperature at 50 to 78°C. By maintaining the temperature in the kneading device at 50 to 78°C, the molten sorbitol and ethanol can be kneaded without the molten sorbitol in the kneading device rapidly solidifying and while suppressing the evaporation of ethanol. The temperature in the kneading device is preferably 55 to 78°C, more preferably 60 to 75°C.

In step c), the kneaded product obtained in step b) is dried under reduced pressure at 25 to 90°C and 100 to 30,000 Pa to remove ethanol, thereby obtaining "porous sorbitol." The reduced pressure drying is performed using a reduced pressure dryer such as an evaporator. The porous sorbitol obtained in step c) can be pulverized or sized using a blender or the like to obtain a powder.

The apparatus used to produce the porous sorbitol described above includes kneading machines such as a KRC kneader, a horizontal kneader, and a vertical kneader. From the viewpoint of quality, the KRC kneader and the horizontal kneader are preferred, and the KRC kneader is more preferred from the viewpoint of the excellent balance with production efficiency.

The specific surface area of the porous sorbitol that can be used in the present invention is 1 m ² /g or more, and examples thereof include those having a specific surface area of 5 m ² /g or more, those having a specific surface area of 7 to 30 m ² /g, and those having a specific surface area of 8 to 15 m ² /g.

The specific surface area in the present invention means a value measured by a BET single point method using, for example, a MONOSORB (manufactured by Yuasa Ionics Co., Ltd.) or an equivalent specific surface area measuring device. For example, the specific surface area can be measured under the following measurement conditions.
[Measurement conditions]
Method: BET single point method Carrier gas: Nitrogen/helium mixed gas ( _N2 :He=30:70)
Measurement gas flow rate: 15 cc/min Degassing conditions: 60°C, 20 minutes

The pore volume of the porous sorbitol that can be used in the present invention is 0.2 mL/g or more, and examples include 0.3 mL/g or more, 0.4 to 2.5 mL/g, and 0.5 to 1.5 mL/g.

The pore volume referred to in the present invention means a value measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry using, for example, a Pascal 240 (manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific) or an equivalent pore volume measuring device.

Without wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention, which contains porous sorbitol as an active ingredient, facilitates the molding of the dough and reduces the adhesion of the dough to tools, etc., by absorbing liquid low-melting-point oils and fats into the interior of the porous sorbitol particles during the preparation and molding of the dough.

When a dough for baked goods containing a large amount of starch is baked, the starch gelatinization is completed in the process of reaching about 80 degrees, and the fluidity of the dough is almost lost. On the other hand, the melting point of sorbitol is about 90 degrees. The quality improver for baked goods of the present invention, which contains porous sorbitol as an active ingredient, suppresses the softening of the dough due to the rise in temperature during baking, and after the starch gelatinization is completed, the porous sorbitol melts and the fat and oil components held inside are released into the dough. As a result, not only is the moldability of the dough for baked goods and its shape retention during baking improved, but the fat and oil blended in the dough is retained even after baking, enhancing the flavor of the fat and oil and giving it a crispy texture. In addition, the adhesion of fat and oil to the equipment used during production is reduced, which not only maintains the sanitary conditions of the production site, but also reduces the environmental burden of wastewater generated by cleaning the equipment.

As one aspect of the present invention, a composition for baked goods is provided, which contains a quality improver for baked goods containing porous sorbitol as an active ingredient, and one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of sugars, grain flours, and fats and oils, which are ingredients of baked goods.

In one preferred embodiment of the composition for baked goods of the present invention, it contains 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of sugar per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. More preferably, it contains 15 to 500 parts by weight of sugar, and even more preferably, it contains 20 to 200 parts by weight of sugar per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods.

The sugars used in the present invention include, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, sorbitol, maltitol, and reduced palatinose. Among them, sucrose (ground sucrose) is the most common, but it is also possible to replace part or all of the sucrose with sucrose or to use a combination of two or more types in order to adjust the texture or calorie content of baked goods or to eliminate the use of sucrose.

In one preferred embodiment of the composition for baked goods of the present invention, it contains 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of grain flour per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. More preferably, it contains 100 to 500 parts by weight of grain flour, and even more preferably 200 to 300 parts by weight of grain flour per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods.

The grain flour used in the present invention may be, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of wheat flour (strong flour, medium flour, weak flour and whole wheat flour), rye flour, corn flour, soy flour (full fat soy flour and defatted soy flour), rice flour (joshin flour, shiratamako flour, kanbai flour, rakugan flour, minced flour, domyoji flour and brown rice flour), almond flour and tapioca flour.

The quality improver for baked goods of the present invention can be mixed with sugars, grain flour, etc. using conventional equipment, such as a paddle mixer or a V-type mixer.

One preferred embodiment of the composition for baked goods of the present invention is a premix for baked goods that contains 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of grain flour per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. The premix for baked goods may further contain 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of sugar.

In one preferred embodiment of the composition for baked goods of the present invention, the composition contains 100 to 10,000 parts by weight of fats and oils per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. More preferably, the composition contains 200 to 5,000 parts by weight of fats and oils per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods, even more preferably 300 to 2,500 parts by weight of fats and oils, and particularly preferably 400 to 1,250 parts by weight of fats and oils. If the amount of fats and oils is less than 100 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods, not only will the dough become hard and difficult to mold, but the sorbitol content of the baked goods will tend to increase, increasing the hygroscopicity of the baked goods, and if the amount exceeds 10,000 parts by weight, the quality retention effect will tend to be reduced.

The fats and oils used in the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are edible fats and oils, and examples thereof include animal butter and lard, as well as one or more selected from the group consisting of vegetable margarine, shortening, fat spreads, and powdered fats and oils. These may be molded into a sheet or chip shape depending on the type of baked confectionery.

There are no particular limitations on the conditions or equipment used when mixing the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention with fats and oils, but the product can be prepared by mixing porous sorbitol with fats and oils heated to 20-30°C, then transferring the mixture to a tray or the like and refrigerating and solidifying the mixture at 10°C or below. The product may also be molded into a sheet or chip shape depending on the type of baked goods.

The composition for baked goods of the present invention, obtained by mixing a quality improver for baked goods with an oil and fat component, is molded into a sheet-like dough, which is then layered alternately with another sheet-like dough and baked to produce a voluminous pie dough.

As one preferred embodiment of the composition for baked goods of the present invention, a dough for baked goods is provided that contains 100 parts by weight of a quality improver for baked goods, 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of sugar, 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of grain flour, and 100 to 10,000 parts by weight of fats and oils.

When the dough for baked goods of the present invention is formed into a sheet and cut into a mold for use, if no quality improver for baked goods is added, it is necessary to cut the dough quickly at 10 to 15°C to prevent the shape from collapsing due to the liquefaction of the fats and oils. However, since the dough for baked goods of the present invention has good shape retention, it can be worked with at higher temperatures.

The dough for baked goods of the present invention may also be provided in a frozen state. Compared to normal dough, it is harder and less likely to break, which reduces loss. The frozen dough for baked goods may be shaped so that it can be baked as is, or it may be provided in a shape such as a sheet or stick before being finally shaped.

The composition for baked goods of the present invention may be provided as a pre-baked product in combination with other ingredients. For example, the composition for baked goods of the present invention, obtained by mixing a quality improver for baked goods with an oil and fat component, may be molded into a sheet-like dough, which may then be layered alternately with another sheet-like dough to obtain a pie dough that is then frozen, or the pie dough may be used to wrap a filling and molded.

The baked goods composition containing the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention and the baked goods obtained by baking dough containing the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the above-mentioned ingredients.

Other ingredients include, for example, cocoa powder, chocolate, chocolate chips, caramel, cheese, nuts, honey and processed products thereof, corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, rice starch and various processed starches, thickening polysaccharides, emulsifiers such as dextrin, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, monoglycerides and organic acid monoglycerides, vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E and vitamin C, dairy products such as whole milk powder, skim milk powder, milk powder and creaming powder, oryzanol, iron, calcium, lecithin, coenzyme Q, yeast extract, amino acids, eggshell powder, fruits soaked in sugar and liquor, dried fruits, dried vegetables, fried fruits, fried vegetables, salt and seasonings, highly sweetened sweeteners, food colorings, flavors, etc. These are used for the purpose of imparting color and flavor to baked goods, adjusting the texture, and enhancing nutrition.

The method for producing baked goods using the composition for baked goods containing the quality improver for baked goods of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the baked goods can be produced by a general method such as baking in an oven, microwave cooking in a microwave oven, or superheated steam cooking.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Test Example

Preparation of Porous Sorbitol (1) Powdered sorbitol was heated to prepare molten sorbitol at 90°C. Molten sorbitol and ethanol (25°C) were mixed in a weight ratio of 6:4 and fed to a continuous kneader (jacket temperature 70°C) at a rate of 20 kg/Hr. The discharged flake-like product was collected and dried under reduced pressure (1,300 Pa, jacket temperature 60°C, 180 minutes) using a drying device. The dried product was pulverized (15,700 rpm, 30 seconds) using a pulverizer to obtain porous sorbitol (1). The materials used are shown below.

<Ingredients>
Powdered sorbitol "Ueno" 20M (manufactured by Ueno Food Techno Co., Ltd., sorbitol purity 92%)
Ethanol: Fermented ethanol (manufactured by Daiichi Alcohol Co., Ltd., 95% ethanol (92.3% by weight))
<Apparatus>
・Continuous kneader: KRC kneader (S2 type, manufactured by Kurimoto Iron Works, Ltd.)
Grinding device: Blender (16 Speed Blender, manufactured by Oster)
Drying device: Rotary evaporator (N-1 type, EYELA manufactured by Tokyo Rikakikai Co., Ltd.)

The specific surface area and pore volume of the prepared porous sorbitol (1) and the following commercially available products were measured by the following evaluation methods. The measurement results are shown in Table 1.
Porous sorbitol (2): Partec (registered trademark) SI 150 (Merck, sorbitol purity 98.4%)
Powdered sorbitol: Powdered sorbitol "Ueno" 20M (manufactured by Ueno Food Techno Co., Ltd., sorbitol purity 92%)

<Evaluation method>
Specific surface area
The sample was placed in a measuring cell (volume: 1.7 cm ³ ) of a BET type specific surface area meter (MONOSORB, manufactured by Yuasa Ionics Co., Ltd.) so as to fill about half the volume of the cell, and measurement was performed under the following conditions.
[Measurement conditions]
Method: BET single point method Carrier gas: Nitrogen/helium mixed gas ( _N2 :He=30:70)
Measurement gas flow rate: 15 cc/min Degassing conditions: 120°C, 20 minutes

Pore volume: Measured using a mercury porosimeter (Pascal 240, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific).

Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 2
Cookies
<Ingredients>
"Oils and fats"
・Unsalted butter (Meiji Dairies Co., Ltd.)
"Grain flour"
・Weak flour (Nissin Flour Wellna Co., Ltd.)
"Sugars"
・Powdered sugar (Tokukura Co., Ltd.)
"others"
・Cocoa powder (Daito Cocoa Co., Ltd.)

<Preparation of composition for baked goods>
"Sugar" + "Porous Sorbitol"
Various types of sorbitol and powdered sugar (ground granulated sugar) were mixed in advance in the weight ratios shown in Table 2 and used as compositions for baked confectionery.

<Dough preparation and shaping>
160g of unsalted butter adjusted to room temperature was placed in a bowl and kneaded with a rubber spatula until creamy, then 60g of the composition for baked confectionery prepared was added and mixed. 150g of weak flour and 50g of cocoa powder were mixed and passed through a kitchen sieve, then mixed and left to stand at 25°C for 30 minutes to prepare dough. The dough was stretched into a sheet of 10mm thickness on cooking paper, left to stand at 4°C for 30 minutes, and then cut into a circular mold with a diameter of 50mm. The dimensions of the cut dough were measured and all were within the range of 10±1mm thickness and 47±1mm diameter.

<Baking the dough>
The cut-out dough pieces were left to stand at 25° C. for 10 minutes, and then baked in an oven at 180° C. for 15 minutes. After baking, the pieces were removed from the oven and cooled at 25° C. for 30 minutes to prepare cookie samples.

<Evaluation method>
Evaluation of shape stability after baking
The following measurements and observations were made on five cookie samples.
Thickness (mm): The thickness of the central part of the cookie sample was measured using a vernier caliper.
Top diameter (mm) and bottom diameter (mm): The maximum and minimum diameters of the cookie samples were measured using a vernier caliper, and the average value was calculated.
- Degree of cracks: The cookie samples were observed for the presence or absence of cracks that reached the inside.

<Results>
The evaluation results and the judgments are shown in Table 3.
In Examples 1 to 6, the thickness after firing was maintained, the expansion of the top and bottom diameters was suppressed, there was almost no cracking, and the shape was maintained. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the thickness after firing was reduced, both the top and bottom diameters were significantly expanded, cracks were generated, and the shape was maintained sufficiently.

Examples 7 to 8 and Comparative Examples 3 to 4
Manually molded cookies
<Ingredients>
"Oils and fats"
・Unsalted butter (Meiji Dairies Co., Ltd.)
"Grain content"
・Weak flour (Nissin Flour Wellna Co., Ltd.)
"Sugars"
・Powdered sugar (Tokukura Co., Ltd.)
"others"
・Cocoa powder (Daito Cocoa Co., Ltd.)

<Preparation of composition for baked goods>
"Grain flour" + "Porous sorbitol"
Various types of sorbitol and soft flour were mixed in advance in the weight ratios shown in Table 4 and used as compositions for baked goods.

<Dough preparation and shaping>
160 g of unsalted butter was placed in a bowl and kneaded with a rubber spatula until creamy, then 210 g of the quality improver and 50 g of cocoa powder were mixed in and left to stand at 25° C. for 30 minutes, and then left to stand at 4° C. for another 30 minutes to prepare the dough. 10 g of the dough was weighed out and molded into spheres by hand, and arranged on cooking paper. The diameter before baking was approximately 4.7 to 4.8 mm.

<Baking the dough>
After being left to stand at 25° C. for 10 minutes, the mixture was baked in an oven at 180° C. for 12 minutes. After baking, the mixture was removed from the oven and cooled at 25° C. for 30 minutes to prepare a cookie sample.

<Evaluation method>
Evaluation of dough moldability and adhesion
The shape after molding and the adhesion of the material to the palm during molding were observed.
Evaluation of shape stability after baking
The shape of the cookie samples was observed with the naked eye.

<Results>
The shape after molding, adhesion to the palm, photographs after baking, and the evaluation results are shown in FIG.
Regarding the molding (before firing), adhesion was suppressed during molding and moldability was good in Examples 7 and 8. In Comparative Example 3, moldability was acceptable but adhesion was high. In Comparative Example 4, adhesion was high and molding was difficult.
After firing, in Examples 7 and 8, the particles were spherical to elliptical and were able to maintain their shape to a certain extent, whereas in Comparative Examples 3 and 4, the particles were significantly deformed and were unable to maintain their original shape.

Examples 9 to 10 and Comparative Examples 5 to 7
Pie crust
<Ingredients>
"Oils and fats"
・Unsalted butter (Meiji Dairies Co., Ltd.)
・Shortening (Nisshin Oillio Group, Ltd.)
"Grain flour"
・Strong flour (Nissin Flour Milling Co., Ltd.)
・Weak flour (Nissin Flour Wellna Co., Ltd.)
"Sugars"
・Powdered sugar (Tokukura Co., Ltd.)
"others"
・Skimmed milk powder (Yotsuba Dairy Co., Ltd.)
・Salt (Nihonkaisui Co., Ltd.)

<Preparation of composition for baked goods>
"Oils and fats" + "Porous sorbitol"
The ingredients used were a mixture of various sorbitols or powdered sugar and unsalted butter in the weight ratios shown in Table 5. First, the unsalted butter was placed in a bowl and heated to 25°C in a hot water bath and kneaded with a rubber spatula until it became creamy, after which the various sorbitols or powdered sugar were added and further mixed with a rubber spatula until uniform. The mixture was then poured into a tray to a thickness of approximately 3 mm and stored overnight at 12 to 15°C to prepare a sheet-shaped composition for baked confectionery.

<Dough preparation and shaping>
The ingredients of the pie dough (75% by weight of strong flour, 25% by weight of weak flour, 5% by weight of shortening, 4% by weight of skimmed milk powder, 1.5% by weight of salt, 52% by weight of water) were mixed to prepare the dough, which was then aged overnight at 4°C. The aged dough was divided into four equal parts, and the dough and the sheet-like shape retention improving composition were alternately layered and folded three times. Finally, the dough was rolled out into a sheet with a thickness of 10 mm and left to stand at 4°C for 30 minutes. The dough was taken out of the refrigerator and cut into a circular mold with a diameter of 50 mm. The dimensions of the cut-out dough were measured, and all were within the range of 10±1 mm in thickness and 47±1 mm in diameter.

<Baking the dough>
The cut-out dough was left to stand at 25° C. for 10 minutes, and then baked in an oven at 220° C. for 18 minutes. After baking, the dough was removed from the oven and cooled at 25° C. for 30 minutes to prepare a pie dough sample.

<Evaluation method>
The following measurements and observations were made on five pie dough samples.
Height (mm): The height of the center of the pie dough sample before and after baking was measured using a vernier caliper, and the average value was calculated.
Weight (g): The weight of the pie dough was measured before and after baking and the average weight was calculated.
Layer formation: After baking, the pie dough was cut with a bread knife and the cross section was observed.
- Taste: The samples were actually eaten and the effect of enhancing the butter flavor and the effect of improving the texture (effect of imparting a crispy texture) were judged.

<Results>
A photograph of the cross section after baking and the results of the layer formation evaluation are shown in Figure 2, the average height and evaluation results before and after baking are shown in Table 6, the average weight and evaluation results are shown in Table 7, and the taste evaluation results and overall judgment are shown in Table 8.

In Examples 9 to 10, the layer formation of the pie dough after baking was promoted, resulting in a fluffy finished product with a rich buttery flavor and a light texture. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 5 to 7, the layer formation of the pie dough after baking was insufficient, resulting in a low bulk, a weak buttery flavor, and an unlight texture.

Claims (12)

A quality improver for baked goods, comprising, as an active ingredient, sorbitol having a specific surface area of 1 m ² /g or more as measured by a BET single point method and a pore volume of 0.2 mL/g or more as measured by a mercury intrusion porosimetry. A composition for baked goods, comprising the quality improver for baked goods according to claim 1 and one or more selected from the group consisting of sugars, grain flours, and oils and fats. The composition for baked goods according to claim 2, which contains 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of sugar per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. The composition for baked goods according to claim 3, wherein the sugar is one or more selected from the group consisting of sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, sorbitol, maltitol and reduced palatinose. The composition for baked goods according to claim 2, which contains 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of grain flour per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. The composition for baked goods according to claim 5, wherein the grain flour is one or more selected from the group consisting of wheat flour, rye flour, corn flour, soy flour, rice flour, almond flour and tapioca flour. The composition for baked goods according to claim 5, which is a premix for baked goods. The composition for baked goods according to claim 2, which contains 100 to 10,000 parts by weight of fats and oils per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. The composition for baked goods according to claim 8, wherein the fat is one or more selected from the group consisting of butter, margarine, shortening, fat spread and powdered fat. The composition for baked goods according to claim 8, which is formed into a sheet shape. The composition for baked goods according to claim 2, which is a dough for baked goods containing 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of sugar, 10 to 1,000 parts by weight of grain flour, and 100 to 10,000 parts by weight of fats and oils, per 100 parts by weight of the quality improver for baked goods. The composition for baked goods according to any one of claims 8 to 11, which is frozen.

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