Pregerminated brown rice (PGBR) prepared by immersing in water was used for breadmaking, and effects on the dough properties and bread qualities were studied to compare with the ungerminated brown rice (BR). The substitution of BR or PGBR for wheat flour produced smaller specific volume in bread than in the control bread without BR or PGBR along with the increasing amount of substitution. However, the bread samples containing BR or PGBR suppressed staling during storage. The improving effect was especially obvious for substitutions of 10 and 20% PGBR as compared with BR. PGBR made viscous dough and retarded the staleness of bread compared with BR. γ‐Aminobutyric acid and oryzanol did not contain in the final BR and PGBR substituted bread, and phytic acid was decomposed ≈54 and 45% for 30% BR and 30% PGBR substituted breads, respectively. But ferulic acid was quite stable in the final baked product. As a result, substitution of PGBR for wheat flour improved the bread quality.

Pre-germinated brown rice (PGBR) having the germ length of 0.5-1.0 mm is produced as a healthy food by immersing the brown rice in water. In this article, various additives were used for making PGBR breads, and suitable combinations of PGBR and additives for breadmaking were evaluated to provide PGBR bread with high functional properties. The 30% of the wheat flour was substituted with PGBR (PGBR 30), and combined additions of phytase (PHY), hemicellulase (HEM) and sucrose fatty acid ester (SE) to PGBR 30 improved the bread qualities with more suitable dough properties, as compared with the sample without their addition. During fermentation, the amounts of gas leaked from the PGBR 30 dough were suppressed by the additions. PHY and HEM hydrolyzed the phytate and hemicellulose in PGBR, and the maturity and extensibility of the PGBR 30 dough were caused by the activated yeast with formed phosphate and decomposed bran, making the large loaf volume and softness of breadcrumbs during storage. In addition, SE accelerated the dough tolerance to mixing or fermentation with the emulsifying ability. Therefore, the combined additions with PHY, HEM, and SE to PGBR 30 improved the dough and bread qualities.

Effects of light-colored (Usukuchi) and regular soy sauces (Koikuchi) on rheological properties of boiled foods were determined using a rheometer. The amounts of soy sauces were added to the ingredients with the same levels as those providing the highest and best scores for the sensory test. A taro corm, potato tuber, pumpkin fruit, Japanese radish root and carrot root were boiled according to a recipe in an electric cooker. Firmness of taro, potato and Japanese radish boiled with Usukuchi was significantly softer than that boiled with Koikuchi. The cooking time of taro with Koikuchi was longer than that with Usukuchi, but the tissue of taro boiled with Usukuchi was still softer. In a boiling test at the same NaCl concentration of 2.0% (w/w), the firmness of boiled potato decreased in order of NaCl alone solution, Usukuchi and Koikuchi solutions. Therefore, the taste or food texture of food boiled in Usukuchi might be due to the cooking property of this sauce, which softened the firmness of the boiled food as compared with that of Koikuchi. The cooking property of Usukuchi might be influenced by its higher concentration of NaCl, and also the co-existence of organic acids, amino acids and browning products.