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When flour has low cereal alpha-amylase content (high falling number), Fungamyl^® Prime can help. Adding Fungamyl^® Prime corrects flour so it can deliver the expected end-product characteristics. Some fungal amylases have low response in the falling number test. That makes it difficult for them to meet flour specifications. Fungamyl^® Prime consistently reduces the falling number according to dosage. That makes it easier for you to deliver measurably high-quality flours. Fungamyl^® Prime offers the same or better performance as malt flours. It delivers excellent baking performance in various dough-making procedures and bread types. 

How fungal alpha-amylases correct flour

Adding fungal α-amylases to flour supplements native α-amylase activity. Fungal α-amylases boost dextrin production rates with no risk of excessive dextrinization. The result is better fermentation rates, gas production, crumb structure and volume. 

Starch is made up of two types of polymers; amylose and amylopectin. Both are made up of α-D-glucose molecules linked together.   

Cereal α-amylase  randomly cleaves the α-1,4 bonds of damaged or gelatinized starch into smaller fragments  called  dextrins. Cereal β-amylase generates maltose from the  dextrins  with  low  molecula r weight. Yeast contains a maltase (α-glucosidase). This breaks the maltose into glucose molecules. This glucose is an energy source for the yeast to ferment. It also contributes to crust color.   

The amount of α-amylase is dependent on growth conditions. Sound flour has enough native β-amylase for this process. But it doesn't always have enough native  α-amylase to produce the  dextrin s needed. That limits the ability of β-amylase to produce maltose and slows dough fermentation rates.  

Adding α-amylase to flour to supplement native α-amylase activity corrects this problem. That results in a consistent flour that has the same amount of α-amylase every time. It also leads to faster fermentation rates, improved gas production and oven spring. The final bread has better volume, a finer, more even crumb structure and improved crust color.   

There’s no risk of excessive dextrinization with fungal α-amylases. That’s because wheat starch begins to gelatinize at 60°C, and fungal α-amylases become inactive at around 55°C. So when most starch is available for dextrinization, much of the enzyme is already inactive.