Contribution of α‐ and β‐amylases to the production of sugars fermentable in panary fermentation

Abstract The contribution of α‐ and β‐amylases to the production of sugars fermentable in bread fermentation has been followed by measuring the gassing power of pregelatinised wheat starch mixed with a buffered solution of yeast nutrients and a yeast suspension. After crystalline amylases were added, β‐amylase contributed at least 10 times more fermentable sugars than equal amounts of bacterial, pancreatic or fungal amylases. Among the α‐amylases, the enzyme of bacterial origin was the most potent; the fungal, the least; and the pancreatic, intermediate. Mixtures of α‐ and β‐amylases gave fermentable sugars in amounts slightly smaller than calculated. Mixtures of crude preparations from cereals showed a response to β‐amylase, provided the plant α‐amylase was low in β‐amylase.