LALLEMAND VOLUME 1 / NUMBER 15

Enzymes
BAKING UPDATE in Flour

Practical technology from Lallemand Inc., parent of American Yeast Sales, AMERICAN
YEAST
producers and distributors of Eagle yeast, fresh and instant. SALES

Measuring Standardizing Enzyme Levels

Enzyme Activity in Flour

B
Measuring amylase activity in flour is a EFORE MILLING, wheat starch is the damaged starch in a dough as soon as
challenge because the enzyme and the made up of microscopically small mixing starts. Alpha-amylase converts the
starch substrate are both present and inter- granules that are completely in- damaged starch into dextrins, while beta-
act. There is a wide variety of methods, but soluble in cold water and resistant to en- amylase converts the dextrins into maltose
they can be grouped according to some zymes. During milling, 5 to 10 percent of sugar. There is usually plenty of beta-
common characteristics. the granules are damaged so that they be- amylase present, so the amount of sugar
Autolytic methods are used on flour come soluble and available to enzymes as formed depends on the amount of damaged
samples to measure the amount of enzyme soon as water is added. During baking, un- starch and the rate of formation depends on
activity occurring as the flour acts on itself. damaged starch granules swell and become the amount of alpha-amylase.
They cannot be used directly on enzyme soluble (gelatinize) at about 140F, so the Maltose formation is important because
preparations. remainder of the starch then becomes avail- it affects the amount of yeast fermentation,
Defined substrate methods are used on able to enzymes. which in turn affects dough development,
enzyme preparations to measure their ac- Wheat also contains alpha-amylase and flavor, and leavening. The importance of
tivities as they act on purified starch. They beta-amylase enzymes that act on starch. alpha-amylase to yeast fermentation is
cannot be used directly on flour samples. Beta-amylase is normally produced in wheat greatest in a straight lean dough process
An exception is the Grain Amylase Ana- at relatively high, consistent amounts. where maltose is the main fermentable
lyzer, which extracts the enzyme activity Alpha-amylase is produced at lower and sugar. It is also important in a sponge or
from flour samples before reacting it with a more variable amounts depending on the brew preferment where maltose production
defined substrate. wheat variety and weather during growth, may be limited by the level of either alpha-
Alpha-amylase methods are used harvest, and storage. amylase activity or damaged starch. Alpha-
mostly on flour and enzyme preparations. Alpha- and beta-amylase begin to act on amylase has little influence on fermenta-
Continued Continued

AMYLASE ACTIVITY TEST METHODS

Method Where Used Principle Procedure Typical Values
Amylograph Flour Viscosity BU = peak viscosity on scale of 1000 800900 BU (untreated flour)
(Brabender) Flour with malt for flour heated 1.5C/min. to 95C 450550 BU (treated flour)
Modified Amylograph Flour with Viscosity BU = minimum viscosity on scale of 1000 150200 BU (treated flour)
(Brabender) fungal amylase for flour/pregelatinized starch heated to 63C
Hagberg Flour Viscosity FN = seconds for stirrer to fall through >400 sec. (untreated flour)
(Falling Number) Flour with malt flour suspension after 1 min. at 100C 225275 sec. (treated flour)
Modified Hagberg Flour with Viscosity FN = seconds for stirrer to fall through
(Falling Number) fungal amylase flour/pregelatinized starch mixture at 30C
Wohlgemuth Malt Iodine SKB unit = 1g starch converted by 1g 5,000 SKB/enzyme tablet
(SKB) Fungal amylase Reaction malt in 1 hour at 30C
Fungal Amylase Fungal amylase Iodine FAU = 1g starch converted in 1 hour 1 FAU unit = 15.4 SKB units
(Gist-brocades) Reaction based on 1125 min. at pH 5.0, 30C
Fungal Amylase Fungal amylase Iodine FAU = 5.26g starch converted in 1 hour 1 FAU unit = 27.8 SKB units
(alternate) Reaction based on 720 min. at pH 4.7, 37C
Fungal Amylase Fungal amylase Dye FAU = 1g starch converted in 1 hour 1 FAU unit = 15.4 SKB units
(Phadebas) Release based on 1125 min. at pH 5.0, 30C
Grain Amylase Flour with malt Turbidity GAA unit = nephelos units from beta- 360560 GAA (treated flour)
Analyzer (GAA) or fungal amylase limit-dextrin conversion in 1 min. at 37C
Diastatic Activity* Flour Reducing DA unit = 1mg maltose from 10g flour <500 units (untreated flour)
(AACC) Sugar in 1 hour at pH 4.7, 30C >500 units (treated flour)
Lintner* Malt Reducing Lintner = maltose equivalents from 100Lintner (malt flour)
Sugar starch x 0.25 20Lintner (malt extract)
* Tests for beta-amylase (all others are for alpha-amylase)
 Standardizing Enzyme
FLOUR STANDARDIZATION WITH FUNGAL AMYLASE
Levels in Flour
(Continued)
STARTING VALUE OF FLOUR FUNGAL AMYLASE TO ADD
Falling Number (FN) Brabender Units (BU) SKB Units/cwt Enzyme Oz./cwt*
<225 <200 0 0 tion in doughs where excess sugar is
225 250 200 300 0 8,000 0 0.04 present.
250 300 300 500 8,000 16,000 0.04 0.08 During baking, alpha-amylase breaks
300 340 500 800 16,000 24,000 0.08 0.12 down a portion of the starch granules as
340 380 800 1500 24,000 32,000 0.12 0.16 they begin to gelatinize and before the en-
>380 >1500 32,000 0.16
zyme itself is inactivated. This increases loaf
* Bakezyme P20 (454 FAU/g) volume by delaying crumb setting and al-
lowing more expansion of the dough. The
Measuring Enzyme Activity (Continued) level of alpha-amylase affects the break-
down of starch during baking and so has an
This is the activity that varies in untreated activity. Iodine reaction methods use mod- effect on loaf volume even when it does not
flour and is the most important to standard- erate reaction conditions and so work on affect yeast fermentation.
ize for baking performance. both fungal and malt enzyme samples. The alpha-amylase level in most flour
Beta-amylase methods are traditionally Dye release is used by the Phadebas for breadmaking is standardized at the mill
used on malt, even though this activity is method and is based on the color produced by adding about 0.25 percent of malted bar-
not as important for flour standardization. when alpha-amylase converts a dyed insolu- ley or wheat flour. The amount of malt
Viscosity methods like the Amylograph bilized starch into soluble dextrins. It uses alpha-amylase is important because if too
and Falling Number rely on the principle moderate reaction conditions and is usually much is present during baking it will over-
that starch gets thicker when it gelatinizes used on fungal enzyme samples. convert the gelatinizing starch into dex-
and thinner when it is broken down by Turbidity is used by the Grain Amylase trins, which cause stickiness. The protease
alpha-amylases. Most are only suitable for Analyzer and is based on the clearing that content of the malt is also important be-
malt-treated flour because they use tem- takes place as a beta-limit-dextrin is hydro- cause this enzyme breaks down gluten and
peratures that inactivate fungal amylase. lyzed by alpha-amylase. It uses moderate can cause weakness and small volume.
Some modified viscosity methods use reaction conditions and will work on flour The alpha-amylase level in flour can
pregelatinized starch and lower tempera- with either malt or fungal amylase. also be standardized at the mill or adjusted
tures so they can be used to determine fun- Reducing sugar methods like Lintner at the bakery using fungal enzymes. The
gal amylase activity in flour. measure the maltose produced by beta- amount of fungal alpha-amylase is not as
Iodine reaction methods like the amylases in malt or flour. Alpha-amylase critical as with malt because it is inacti-
Wohlgemuth (SKB) are based on the blue also increases maltose production from vated earlier in the oven and will not cause
color that forms when long starch chains starch in the presence of excess beta- stickiness.
coil around iodine molecules. When alpha- amylase, but methods based on this prin-
amylases convert starch to dextrins, the ciple are not used for measuring fungal
blue color diminishes in proportion to the amylase activity.

Flour Treatment Alternatives LALLEMAND

With Bakezyme P BAKING UPDATE

B
AKEZYME P is a fungal alpha- prove crust color and crumb texture in a Lallemand Baking Update is produced by
Lallemand Inc. to provide bakers with a
amylase enzyme with advantages controlled way without the problems of source of practical technology for solving
over malt and other fungal enzymes. overdosing or weakening from protease. problems. If you would like to be on our
Malted wheat or barley flour are not In many situations, the best approach mailing list to receive future copies, or if
ideal for flour standardization because their is for the baker to purchase unstandardized you have questions or comments, please
alpha-amylase activities vary, overdosing can flour and add an optimum amount of contact us at:
cause sticky crumb texture, and protease can Bakezyme P or a dough conditioner con- LALLEMAND Inc.
reduce loaf volume. Some fungal amylases taining Bakezyme P. This avoids variations 1620 Prfontaine
also have significant protease levels and can caused by malt or other fungal enzymes and Montral, QC H1W 2N8 CANADA
also reduce loaf volume. Bakezyme P is free tel: (800) 840-4047 (514) 522-2133
allows the baker to tailor the amount of
fax: (514) 255-6861
of protease and can be used for flour stan- alpha-amylase to each recipe.
dardization to avoid the problems with malt Bakezyme P is available in a variety of To the best of our knowledge, the information in
Lallemand Baking Update is true and accurate. How-
or other fungal amylases. standardized activities, including concen- ever, any recommendations or suggestions are made
Bakezyme P can also be added to dough trated levels for use at the mill and less con- without warranty or guarantee.

conditioners and mixes or at the bakery to centrated for convenient scaling in the bak- 1996 Lallemand Inc.

provide an additional improvement, even ery. Bakezyme PS and PFP are also LALLEMAND products are distributed by its
when using properly standardized flour. The available with standardized levels of fungal subsidiaries, AMERICAN YEAST SALES and
LALLEMAND DISTRIBUTION.
additional improvement comes from the protease activity for applications where a
action of alpha-amylase in the oven where controlled amount of gluten modification AMERICAN
it delays crumb setting and increases loaf is desirable. YEAST LALLEMAND
SALES
volume. The same action also helps to im- Bakezyme is a trademark of Royal Gist-brocades NV, Delft, Holland.

Lallemand Baking Update Volume 1/Number 15