Characteristics of rice flour suitable for the production of rice flour bread containing gluten and methods of reducing the cost of producing rice flour

The production of various rice flour-based food products such as bread, noodles, and cakes is expected to increase the consumption of rice and the utilization of rice paddies in Japan. This paper reviews studies conducted on the characteristics of rice flour and the rice cultivars suitable for the production of rice flour bread containing gluten. The challenges of reducing the cost of producing rice bread are also reviewed. The production of rice flour bread containing gluten of a highly specific loaf volume requires the use of rice flour with a low damaged starch content that can be produced by jet milling wet rice after water or enzyme treatment. The amylose content of rice flour affects the quality of bread, including its shape and hardness. Rice flour with an amylose content of 16% to 20% forms a chewy and moderately soft bread. When rice flour with a low damaged starch content (less than 5%) and a desirable amylose content (16% to 20%) is used, the production of rice flour bread containing gluten is easy without being different from how wheat flour bread is made. In order to reduce the cost of producing rice flour, high-yielding cultivars or a pin milling system using floury rice cultivars should be employed; high-yielding cultivars are now being used for the production of rice flour. With the pin milling system, rice flour belonging to the floury rice cultivar has a low damaged starch content. However, there is a need to develop a high-yield floury rice with reduced weight loss during polishing, as well as new polishing processes. Furthermore, the production of brown rice flour contributes to reducing the cost of producing rice flour because no polishing process is required. Brown rice flour with a low damaged starch content can be produced using a jet mill after soaking for more than 12 h. And given its favorable high nutritional properties, bread made from brown rice flour will prove appealing to consumers. Despite expectations of increasing of the consumption of rice through the use of rice flour as in the production of rice flour bread, the cost reduction of rice flour production and the development of delicious rice flour bread desired by consumers are still insufficient. By understanding the requirements of bread-making companies and obtaining a deeper knowledge about the quality characteristics of rice flour, such as amylose content and protein composition, the production of rice flour bread appealing to consumers can be expected.