Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~1-~604Q2
PROCESS OF FORMn~TG DOUGH ON A PAPERBOARD PREFORM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dough baked goods and baking accessories
in general, and in particular to processes for preparing preformed dough
foodstuffs
s for cooking and consumption at a later time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Freshly baked bread products have long been enjoyed by home consumers
and restaurant patrons. Preparing pastries and bread products such as pizza
crusts
and rolls, however, requires ready supplies of perishable materials, skill,
and most
~ o importantly, time. To minimize meal preparation times, home consumers have
a
need for preformed, frozen dough products which may be placed in the
consumer's home oven and baked for consumption. Likewise, to reduce labor
costs and order preparation times, restaurants and pizzerias have a need for
preformed bread products, in particular pizza crusts, which will allow the
rapid
i s preparation of meals to order.
In the past, pizza crusts have been supplied to pizza makers and other users
as prebaked, preformed frozen or refrigerated crusts, with the cheese and
other
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toppings being added to the crust at the time of baking or processing for
further
sale. Pizza crusts of this sort were typically formed by a die-stamping or
sheeting
process. In one process, the crusts were baked within a retaining ring or
platen,
and then packaged. By partially or completely baking the product prior to
s removal from the baking pan the desired molded shape was preserved. A
drawback of prebaked bread products is that the final article is twice-baked
and
does not retain the moist rich texture and taste of a freshly-baked product.
An attempt to preserve at least a semblance of freshness has been made by
providing pizza crusts with a central portion which is unbaked and frozen. The
~ o unbaked preformed central portion when baked will rise a certain amount,
and
provides an improved texture and taste, although still short of that of a
freshly
baked dough.
Frozen dough products when placed in a consumer's oven may deform over
the parallel bars of the oven rack and be subjected to uneven baking. However,
~ s baking on a solid tray or pan may restrict the escape of gases from the
dough, and
inhibit ideal baking conditions.
What is needed is a preformed dough product such as a pizza crust which
may be shaped to a desired shape and delivered in frozen form to an end user
for
baking in an oven such that the product retains its shape and baking
qualities.
2o SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bread products and pizza crusts of the present invention are formed of
proofed dough which is molded to a desired shape and frozen on a paperboard
preform without being subjected to baking, allowing a frozen bread product to
be
formed in which the yeast has not been killed. An oven-safe perforated paper
is baking substrate is positioned between the dough and the preform, and when
the
dough is pressed and formed onto the preform, the baking substrate is engaged
with the dough. The assembly of dough, baking substrate and preform is then
packaged and frozen for delivery. The bread product consumer removes the
frozen dough product and attached baking substrate from the preform and
positions
so them together in an oven on the bars of an oven rack. The oven-safe paper
sheet
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prevents the dough product from distortion on the oven rack bars, while the
perforations allow the escape of gases from the underside of the dough
product,
enabling proper baking. Furthermore, the perforations are positioned to allow
preferential radiant heating to particular regions of the baking product, to
control
s relative baking rates and assure even baking of a nonuniform product.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a frozen dough product
assembly which may be placed directly in an oven for baking without the need
for
a pan.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frozen dough
~o product assembly which retains the shape of the dough product when baked on
an
oven rack.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dough product
assembly which allows gases to escape from all sides of the product when baked
in
an oven.
~s It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an article
for
controlling the radiant heat transmitted to a dough product within an oven to
thereby selectibly control the baking of the product across variant regions.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the
2o accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIC DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a pizza crust tray.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 1 loaded with
corrugated paperboard preforms onto which balls of dough have been placed.
25 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 2 after the dough
balls
have been flattened.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 3 positioned beneath a
plurality of high pressure dough-forming dies.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the pizza crust and preform of FIG. 4
so which has been frozen for shipping and storage prior to baking.
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CA 02160402 1998-10-02
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the dough forming process of this
invention.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the dough-forming die of FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the dough being formed on
the corrugated preform, showing an air-injection hole for facilitating dough
release.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment
dough-forming die and preform with dough formed thereon of this invention.
FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an alternative dough product formed in the
process of this invention.
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of another alternative dough product formed
in the process of this invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another alternative dough product formed
in the process of this invention.
FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric view of the baking substrate sheet which
is positioned between the preform and crust and molded into the crust for
support
of the baking dough product on an oven rack.
FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a baking substrate sheet of this invention.
FIG. 15 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment
2o dough product assembly having a non-corrugated preform.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED E~OD~TS
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-15, wherein like numbers refer to
similar parts, a pizza crust forming apparatus 20 is shown schematically in
FIG. 6.
Pizza crusts 22 are formed in platens or trays 24, which may be conveyed
around
is a looped path by conventional means, such as hydraulic or pneumatically
actuated
pusher arms. Each tray 24, as shown in FIG. 1, has an array of circular
openings
26 which accept corrugated paperboard preforms 28 therein. The openings 26 are
blind holes which are formed in the tray 24, and allow an array of preforms 28
to
be conveyed simultaneously. The blind holes have sidewalls 52 which surround
.~r.
3o the preforms. The trays 24 are preferably formed of plastic such as Teflon
or
*trade-mark
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CA 02160402 1998-10-02
other low friction material. The pusher arms are actuated intermittently to
advance
the trays 24 in steps, with pauses between tray motions for operation of the
apparatus on the preforms 28 and dough deposited thereon.
As shown in FIG. 6, circular corrugated preforms 28 are loaded into the
trays 24 at a loading station 30. The preforms 28 may be manually set in
position, or may be dropped into place by an automatic dispenser. From the
loading station 30, the trays 24 are conveyed to a spray station 32 where a
vegetable oil is sprayed on to the preforms 28 to facilitate later release of
the crust
22 from the preform 28.
To facilitate baking of the crust or other dough product of this invention in
an oven having racks formed of aligned bars, the dough product 22, such as the
crust shown in FIG. 13, is formed over an oven-safe paper sheet 122 which
later
serves as a baking substrate. The paper sheet 122 is of a conventional oven-
safe
paper, such as is commonly used with microwaved food products. For example,
the paper may be 13 to 15 thousandths of an inch thick SBS (solid bleached
sulfate) paper with a 1/2 mil lamination of polyester material on one side,
the
polyester being heat-laminated to the paper. The laminate will withstand a
range
of temperatures, going from less than freezing to 475 ° F. All
materials should be
Food and Drug Administration approved. The polyester or other top surface
serves
as a release layer to facilitate removal of the baked product from the
substrate.
As shown in FIG. 14, the sheet 122 has a plurality of die-cut holes 124 and
is formed with the dough product in the molding process as described below.
The
sheet 122 is positioned on the preform 28 prior to pressing the dough into
shape.
The sheet 122 is smaller in diameter than the preform 28 and hence does not
interfere with the locking of the dough to the preform. The paper sheet 122 is
thus formed with the crust 22, and the dough of the crust extends through the
holes 124 to the preform 28 and locks the sheet 122 to the dough. The end user
may thus remove the frozen crust 22 together with the sheet 122 from the
preform
28 and place t;~e assembly on an oven rack for baking. As the dough thaws the
crust will lose its stiffness. The sheet 122, however, will prevent the more
pliable.
crust from distending through the oven rack before the dough has become baked
CA 02160402 1998-10-02
and rigid. The sheet 122 forms a backing which restrains flow of the dough,
while at the same time the holes 124 permit the escape of gases from the
bottom
of the crust and ensure uniform baking. The finished baked crust may be
removed
from the oven with the sheet 122 attached thereto, and the crust may be served
directly from the sheet. It should be noted that although a pattern of
generally
radial slots has been illustrated, alternative patterns of slots, holes, and
other
shapes may also be used.
The trays 24 pass from the spray station 32 to a dough deposit station 34,
where balls of proofed dough 36 are dropped onto the preforms 28, as shown in
FIG. 2. The balls 36 are supplied from a ball former 38 which receives proofed
dough from the proofer 40. The ball former 38 and proofer 40 are conventional
and well known in the art.
The trays 24 may move directly from the dough deposit station 34 to a
molding station 42. However, to reduce the travel of the dies 44, the trays 24
preferably pass first through a flattening station 46, where flat plastic
blocks
reduce the height of the balls of dough 36 by flattening them onto the
preforms
28, as shown in FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 4, at the molding station 42, plastic dies 44, mounted on
reciprocating hydraulic actuators, move vertically to engage within the
openings 26
and to press against the dough ball 36 and form it at pressures in the range
of
from about 2,500 psi to about 3,200 psi into a desired molded shape. A
preferred
pressure is about 2,900 psi. As shown in FIG. 5, typically the molded shape
will
be a flat circular pizza center 48 with an upwardly extending peripheral pizza
rim
50. In a preferred embodiment, the preforms 28 are smaller in diameter than
the
openings 26, to allow a die 44 to extend into the opening between the vertical
cylindrical sidewall 52 of the opening 26 and the circular preform 28. A
horizontal gap 53 is defined between the downwardly extending lip 54 of the
die
44 and the preform 28. The gap 53 is approximately one-eighth of an inch
between the preform and the die in a preferred embodiment. The preform 28 is
preferably a die-cut corrugated paperboard or cardboard circle. As shown in
FIG. 5, the preform 28 is comprised of a top layer of paperboard 56, a bottom
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layer of paperboard 58, and a central corrugated layer of paperboard 60. The
corrugated layer 60 is bent in a generally sinusoidal configuration, and glued
to
the top and bottom layers 56, 58, to define a plurality of parallel
corrugations 62
which open sidewardly from the preform 28. The corrugations 62 provide bulk
s and stiffness to the preform 28 with reduced weight. However, the process of
this
invention additionally utilizes the corrugations 62 to secure the dough formed
in
the die 44 to the preform 28 so that it will retain its desired molded shape
once the
elevated pressures within the die have been relieved.
Dough typically has elastic properties, and will have a tendency to retract
~o away from the edges of the preform 28. The portions 64 of the dough which
are
pressed under the high pressure of the molding step into the corrugations 62
retain
the pizza rim 50 at the perimeter of the preform 28. The engagement of the
dough portions 64 with the sidewardly opening corrugations counteracts the
tendency of the dough to retract, and ensures that the desired dough molded
shape
~ s is maintained until the dough can be frozen.
Once the dough has been molded into a pizza crust 22 air is injected
through channels 65 above the pizza rim 50 and the pizza center 48 to
facilitate
release of the crust 22 from the die 44. The molded crusts 22 are conveyed in
the
tray 24 from the molding station 42 to a docking station 66 where metal dies
form
2o an array of narrow diameter depressions in the formed crust 22. This
docking is
conventional in the baking industry and facilitates better and more consistent
baking and rising.
In a preferred embodiment the trays 24 have an array of four pin holes (not
shown) which extend beneath the openings 26 through which ejection pins extend
2s to elevate the cardboard preforms and the raw crusts secured thereto out of
the
trays. The elevated preform-crust assemblies 67, shown in FIG. 5, may then be
manually placed on a cart or rack for transfer to a freezer 68, or they may be
transferred to a separate conveyer which leads to a freezer. The crusts 22 may
be
filled with pizza ingredients prior to entering the freezer if the crusts are
intended
so for purchase by an end consumer, or may be left unfilled if the crusts are
intended
for pizzeria or other pizza-maker's use.
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_2160402
From the freezer 68 the dough product assemblies 120, consisting of the
dough product 22, the baking substrate 122, and the preform 28, are packaged
at a
packaging station 70, typically by being wrapped in plastic and stacked in
boxes
for freezer car shipment to the purchaser.
s It is important to note that at no time is the crust 22 baked in full or in
part. Because the dough is secured to the cardboard preform, it will retain
its
desired shape as it is conveyed from the molding station to the freezer. By
avoiding any baking the flavor and texture of the fresh dough is preserved. In
addition, a substantial savings in heating and cooling costs is realized.
First, the
o energy required to bake the molded dough prior to freezing is saved, and
second,
the energy required to cool down the baked dough is also conserved. Not only
is
the expense of the added heating and cooling saved, but also the capital
expenditures for an oven and a more powerful freezer are eliminated. In
addition,
Federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations in certain high pollution
~ s areas require bakeries to take costly emission abatement measures to
address the
concern of gas emissions from larger baking ovens. A bakery producing bread
products of this invention does not produce the baking gases which are subject
to
control, and hence eliminates expenses related to compliance. In short, the
process of this invention allows not only an improved dough product, but
allows
2o that product to be produced at reduced cost.
When it is desired to prepare the crust 22 for consumption, the frozen
crust-baking substrate-cardboard preform assembly is removed from the freezer,
and the preform is separated from the crust 22 and the baking substrate 122.
The
frozen crust and engaged baking substrate 122 are placed in an oven and baked
in
is a conventional manner. Because the proofed dough has been frozen without
any
baking, the yeast within the dough has never been subjected to elevated
temperatures which would kill the yeast. Hence, in the baking process the
dough
will raise a certain amount before being fully baked. The result is a crust
which
maintains many of the properties of a freshly baked crust, while offering the
so convenience and transportability of a frozen crust.
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During baking, the openings 124 in the baking substrate 122 serve as
infrared radiation admitting apertures which allow the radiant heat of the
oven to
directly strike the dough, thus contributing to the rapid browning of the
dough
product and a crisper baked product. Prior art prepared dough products which
s were partially or completely baked prior to being frozen, are relatively
stable and
uniform when they reach the consumer's oven. The dough product of this
invention, however, is first exposed to baking when it is placed, still
frozen, into
the consumer's oven. If conditions are not optimal in the consumer's oven,
there
is a risk that a frozen dough product will thaw unevenly prior to baking, and
~ o hence result in excessive moisture in some regions of the product. For
example,
in the pizza crust illustrated, there is a tendency for the outer region to
rise and
direct moisture to the central region of the crust. To counteract areas of
higher
moisture, the holes in the baking substrate, as shown in FIG. 14, reveal a
greater
area of the dough surface beneath the central region, while the holes around
the
is crust periphery are spaced further from one another to block radiant
heating. The
end result is a more evenly baked bread product.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, a non-corrugated paperboard preform
132 may also be employed in forming the dough products of this invention. The
term "paperboard" is used herein to refer to any fibrous paper product,
including
Zo composite paper articles such as corrugated material, or single
uncorrugated paper
products. Recycled paperboard, or other stiff paper product may be employed as
a preform. Although the non-corrugated preform lacks openings which engage
with the formed dough product 134, because the preform is of a diameter less
than
that of the forming die 44, dough will be extended between the sides of the
die
2s and the generally vertical side wall 140 of the preform which extends
downwardly
from the top surface 138 of the preform. The extended portion of dough 136
locks
around the perimeter of the preform, thus preventing the formed dough from
retracting inwardly on the top surface 138 of the preform.
An alternative embodiment of the process of this invention employs a
so preform 100 which is nearly the same diameter as the opening 26 and a
molding
die 102 at the molding station which has a downwardly protruding rib 104. The
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2164442
rib 104, shown in FIG. 9, is positioned above the preform 100 so that when the
die 102 is pressed down into the opening, dough is distributed beneath the rib
and
is pressed into the preform by the rib. The rib 104 dimples the corrugated
preform 100 and locks the dough in place to hold the desired molded shape
during
s transport and freezing of the dough as described above.
It should be noted that, although pizza crusts with raised rims have been
illustrated as the dough product produced in the processes of this invention,
flat
pizza crusts and other types of bread products may also be prepared for
freezing.
Rolls or buns 106, as shown in FIG. 10, may be molded on a rectangular preform
0 108. A rectangular baking substrate, not shown, may be positioned between
the
dough and the preform. Portions of the dough extend into the exposed
corrugations of the preform 108 and lock the molded dough in place.
As another example, bread sticks 110, shown in FIG. 11, may be formed
using the process illustrated in FIG. 9 which employs a die with a rib which
i s depresses portions of the dough into a depression in the preform 112
surrounding
the bread product. The bread sticks 110 may be formed on the preform and
frozen. Preferably the bread sticks are formed as a single molded shape, with
individual sticks joined by a narrow, reduced height, bridge 114 of dough.
When
it is desired to prepare an individual bread stick, one may be separated from
the
2o group by breaking it off along the bridge, and placing it in an oven for
baking.
Another dough product is shown in FIG. 12. Generally circular rolls 130
may be formed on a circular preform, and may be separated after baking.
It should be noted that bread products and other raised dough products may
be formed in the process of this invention using a wide variety of ingredients
and
25 dough recipes. Furthermore, preforms of various thickness and shape may be
employed, including single and double corrugated paperboard.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular
embodiments disclosed and illustrated herein, but embraces such modified forms
thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.
