Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PROTEIN-BASED DOUGH PRODUCT
Technical Field
[0001] Some embodiments relate to dough products such as pizza crusts. Some
embodiments relate to dough products that are made without wheat or wheat
substitutes.
Some embodiments relate to dough products that are made with a protein source
such as
meat as a primary ingredient.
Background
[0002] Health concerns around the consumption of wheat, and also the
prevalence of
certain diets that limit or avoid the intake of wheat or even carbohydrates,
mean that there is
a demand for food products that contain less wheat and/or carbohydrates,
and/or which
eliminate grains altogether and/or minimize carbohydrates. However,
replicating the taste,
consistency and texture of dough products that incorporate wheat is difficult
to do.
[0003] There is a general desire for dough products, such as pizza dough, that
do not
contain wheat products and/or which are compatible with diets in which wheat
products or
carbohydrates are minimized and/or avoided.
[0004] The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related
thereto are intended
to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art
will become apparent
to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study
of the drawings.
Summary
[0005] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and
illustrated in
conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary
and
illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of
the above-
described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments
are
directed to other improvements.
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[0006] In some aspects, a protein-based dough product is provided. The protein-
based
dough product incorporates a protein and a binder.
[0007] The protein can be meat, e.g. poultry, pork and/or beef. The poultry
can be any type
of poultry, including turkey and/or chicken. The different types of meat can
be used in any
relative proportions, and in the case of poultry can be breast meat, thigh
meat, or a
combination thereof.
[0008] The binder can be cheese or a cheese substitute such as nutritional
yeast or a non-
dairy cheese substitute. The cheese can be a hard cheese such as parmesan, or
a
medium cheese such as mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, Monterey Jack, or the
like. The
hard cheese can be a powdered cheese product. The medium cheese can be a
grated
cheese product or a powdered cheese product.
[0009] The protein-based dough product can contain between about 80% and about
95%
by weight of protein and between about 20% and about 5% by weight of the
binder.
[0010] The protein-based dough product can be free of eggs. The protein-based
dough
product can be free of leavening agents. The protein-based dough product can
be free of
soy protein isolates or whey protein isolates.
[0011] The protein-based dough product can be a pizza crust. The protein-based
pizza
crust can have a thickness between about 0.2" to about 0.5", optionally
between about 0.25"
and about 0.3".
[0012] In some aspects, a method of preparing a protein-based dough product is
provided.
The method involves combining protein and a binder to produce a mixture,
forming the
mixture into the desired dough product, and baking the mixture to produce the
desired
protein-based dough product.
[0013] In some aspects, the method is a method of preparing a protein-based
pizza crust
and the pizza crust is prepared in a deep dish pizza pan. The mixture can be
spread into
the deep dish pizza pan to a depth of approximately 0.2" to about 0.5",
optionally about
0.25" to about 0.3".
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[0014] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above,
further
aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and
by study
of the following detailed descriptions.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015] Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the
drawings. It is
intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be
considered illustrative
rather than restrictive.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a photograph of a raw protein-based dough product pressed
into a
pizza pan for the purpose of baking to form a pizza crust.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a photograph of baked pizza crusts on a cooling rack.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a photograph of additional baked pizza crusts.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a frozen baked pizza crust with pizza toppings placed
thereon for
baking to form a pizza.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a baked pizza crust that has
been sliced to
show the thickness and texture of the baked pizza crust.
Description
[0021] Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in
order to provide
a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well
known elements
may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily
obscuring the
disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an
illustrative,
rather than a restrictive, sense.
[0022] The inventor has now developed a formulation that can be used to
prepare a dough
product using protein as the primary ingredient, rather than traditional flour
or flour
substitutes. In some embodiments, the protein is a meat protein, such as from
poultry. The
protein is secured together as a cohesive dough product and rendered moist and
flexible
through the incorporation of a suitable binder, such as cheese or a cheese
substitute such
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as nutritional yeast. Optionally, desired seasonings can also be incorporated
into the
protein-based dough product. In some embodiments, the protein-based dough
product is a
pizza crust.
[0023] In some embodiments, the protein-based dough product incorporates a
source of
protein and a binder. In some embodiments, the protein is meat. In some
embodiments,
the protein is poultry. In some embodiments, the poultry is chicken, turkey,
or a
combination thereof. In some embodiments, the poultry is any suitable type of
poultry such
as chicken, turkey, goose, duck, guinea fowl, or any other type of bird that
is used as a
source of meat, or a combination thereof. The protein used should be boneless,
but can
come from any portion of the bird or other animal. In some embodiments in
which the
protein is poultry, the protein is a combination of both breast and thigh
meat. In some
embodiments, the protein is a combination of 50% by weight breast meat and 50%
by
weight thigh meat, although other proportions could be used, e.g. between
about 0% to
about 100% by weight of breast meat, or about 0% to about 100% by weight of
thigh meat.
Embodiments made with thigh meat may have a stronger meat taste, and may be
viewed
as a more decadent crust, e.g. for holiday or other special occasions.
[0024] In some embodiments, the protein is ground pork and/or ground beef,
optionally with
poultry. The inventor has found that embodiments made with ground pork or
ground beef
contain a higher level of saturated fat, and may have a "meat taste", whereas
embodiments
made with poultry taste less like meat and are better able to mimic the taste
of a flour-based
dough crust.
[0025] In some embodiments, the binder is cheese. In some embodiments, the
binder is a
hard cheese, for example, parmesan. In some embodiments, the hard cheese is
parmesan,
romano, asiago, grana Padano, gorgonzola, or any other cheese that is aged
sufficiently to
be considered a hard cheese, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments,
the hard
cheese is parmesan cheese. In some embodiments, the hard cheese is a powdered
cheese preparation, rather than a grated cheese preparation. The inventor has
found that
powdered hard cheese such as parmesan acts as a better binder than grated hard
cheese.
[0026] In some embodiments, the binder is a semi-hard cheese, semi-soft
cheese, or
medium hard cheese, for example, cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, gouda,
havarti,
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gruyere, fontina, provolone, emmantaler, taleggio, comte, edam, manchego,
queso
Chihuahua, Colby, reblochon, queso manchego, comte, kasseri, or any other
cheese that
is moderately aged to be considered a semi-hard cheese, or a combination
thereof. In
some embodiments, the semi-hard cheese is cheddar cheese and/or Monterey Jack
cheese. In some embodiments, the semi-soft cheese is mozzarella cheese.
[0027] For brevity in this specification, the term "medium cheese" will be
used to collectively
encompass all of semi-hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses, and medium hard
cheeses. In
some embodiments, the medium cheese is a grated cheese product. In other
embodiments, the medium cheese is a powdered cheese product.
[0028] In some embodiments, the binder is a combination of a hard cheese with
one or
more semi-hard, semi-soft or medium hard cheeses, i.e. a combination of a hard
cheese
with a medium cheese as defined herein. In some embodiments, the binder is a
combination of parmesan cheese as the hard cheese in combination with one or
more of
mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheeses as the medium
cheese.
[0029] The inventor has found that increasing the relative proportion of hard
cheese:medium cheese, results in a dough product that is more dense, while
increasing the
relative proportion of medium:hard cheese results in a greasier dough product
that may
tend to stick to the pan more when baked.
[0030] In some embodiments, the binder is a cheese substitute, such as
nutritional yeast,
which is a cultured yeast vegan food product, or a dairy-free grated cheese
substitute, or
the like.
[0031] In some embodiments, the binder is a combination of cheese and a cheese
substitute such as nutritional yeast. In some embodiments, the binder has
between 0% by
weight and 100% by weight of cheese as the binder, including any value or
subrange
therebetween, e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75,
80, 85, 90 or
95% by weight, e.g. 5% to 95% by weight, and between 100% by weight and 0% by
weight
of the cheese substitute, such as nutritional yeast or dairy-free grated
cheese substitute, as
the binder, including any value or subrange therebetween, e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20,
25, 30, 35, 40,
45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 or 95% by weight, e.g. 5% to 95% by
weight.
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[0032] In some embodiments, any desired seasonings can be added to the protein-
based
dough product. Examples of such seasonings include Italian seasoning, Tex-Mex
mix,
freshly diced herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, or the like, salt, pepper,
or any other
desired seasoning. In one example, the Tex-Mex mix contains a blend of
chillies, cumin,
jalapeno and herbs, including oregano, dehydrated onion, garlic, green bell
pepper, red bell
pepper, and salt. In one example, the Italian seasoning contains dehydrated
vegetables
(onion, carrot, red bell pepper, garlic, green bell pepper), sugar, salt,
spices and herbs
(including oregano and basil).
[0033] In some embodiments, the proportion of protein:binder that is used to
prepare the
mixture that will yield the desired dough product is between about 95:5 to
about 80:20,
including any value therebetween. Thus, in some embodiments, the desired dough
product
in its pre-baked state contains about 80% to about 95% by weight of protein
(including any
value or subrange therebetween, e.g. about 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89,
90, 91, 92,
93 or 94% by weight) and about 5% to about 20% by weight of binder (including
any value
or subrange therebetween, e.g. about 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18 or 19% by
weight). It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the amount of
each of the
ingredients used should add up to 100%.
[0034] Using more than the indicated amounts of binder may result in a final
dough product
which contains more fat and/or calories than is desirable from the point of
view of the
nutritional profile of the finished dough product. Using too little binder
will result in a dough
product that is drier and can be crumbly and therefore which does not provide
a good
replacement for a traditional wheat-based dough product.
[0035] In some embodiments, the binder is a mixture of hard cheese and one or
more
medium cheeses. In some embodiments, the amount of hard cheese present in the
binder
varies between 0% and 100% by weight, including any value or subrange
therebetween,
e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90 or
95% by weight,
e.g. 5% to 95% by weight. In some embodiments, the amount of medium cheese
present in
the binder varies between 0% and 100% by weight, including any value or
subrange
therebetween, e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75,
80, 85, 90 or
95% by weight, e.g. 5% to 95% by weight. It will be apparent to the person
skilled in the art
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that the sum of the percentage by weight content of the hard cheese and the
medium
cheese should add up to 100% of the composition of the binder.
[0036] Any desired amount of seasoning can be added to the mixture in order to
season the
desired protein-based dough product. For example, the amount of seasoning
added can
range from 0% up to about 5% by weight of the mixture, including any value or
subrange
therebetween e.g. 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1.0%,
1.5%,
2.0%, 3.0% or 4.0% by weight, e.g. between 0.1% and 5% by weight.
[0037] In some embodiments, the mixture that is formed into the protein-based
dough
product is free of egg or substantially free of egg, to avoid providing an
undesired taste of
egg and/or texture of omelette to the finished dough product.
[0038] In some embodiments, the mixture that is formed into the protein-based
dough
product is free of or substantially free of any leavening agents, such as
carbon dioxide or a
source of carbon dioxide such as carbonated water, a carbonate salt (e.g.
ammonium,
sodium or potassium carbonate) or bicarbonate salt (e.g. ammonium, sodium or
potassium
bicarbonate), cream of tartar, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium aluminum
sulphate, or
the like. The inventor has found that such ingredients are not required to
yield a desirable
dough product consistency, and omitting such ingredients allows the recipe for
the protein-
based dough product to be kept as simple as possible in some embodiments.
[0039] In some embodiments, the mixture that is formed into the protein-based
dough
product is free of or substantially free of any added protein isolate such as
soy protein
isolate, whey protein isolate, or the like. The addition of such components
can increase the
risk of allergic reactions and/or can cause mild stomach effects (in the case
of soy protein
isolate) or bloating, gas, stomach cramps and/or diarrhea (in the case of whey
protein
isolate), so that these ingredients should be avoided in some embodiments.
[0040] To prepare the protein-based dough product, the protein component is
weighed out,
and the binder and any desired seasonings are added to the mixture. The
mixture can be
combined in any desired manner, e.g. via hand mixing or through the use of an
appropriate
food processor or mixer.
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[0041] The resultant mixture can then be baked in any suitable manner to
produce the
desired dough product. Any desired dough product can be formed from the
resultant
mixture.
[0042] In embodiments in which the desired dough product is a pizza crust, the
resultant
mixture can be placed in or on an appropriate baking vessel in order to bake
as a pizza
crust. In one embodiment, the pizza crust is baked in a deep dish pizza crust
pan. A small
amount of water can be added to the pan and spread over the interior surface
of the pan. A
small amount of an anti-stick agent such as extra virgin olive oil can be
sprayed into the
pan. In other embodiments, any other desired anti-stick agent can be used,
e.g. regular
olive oil spray, synthetic anti-stick cooking spray (such as PAM), animal-
based products
such as butter or lard, or any other type of oil such as vegetable oil or the
like, although the
health and consumer appeal of extra virgin olive oil may make it preferable in
certain
embodiments.
[0043] It has been found by the inventor that spraying a non-stick product
such as extra
virgin olive oil into the pan to grease the pan works better than other
methods such as
spreading the non-stick product directly in the pan, as pouring extra virgin
olive oil directly in
the pan resulted in an undesirably large amount of oil in the pan and
therefore an
undesirably large amount of oil on the finished pizza crust product.
[0044] An appropriate amount of the prepared dough mixture is added to the pan
and
spread to the desired thickness of approximately 0.2" to about 0.5" (e.g.
approximately 16
oz of dough mixture for a 12" diameter pan has been found to yield a crust
having a
desirable thickness). In some embodiments, the prepared mixture is spread to a
thickness
of between about 0.25" to about 0.3". Any desired diameter of pan may be used,
e.g. 8", 9",
10", 11", 12", 13", 14", 15", 16", 17", 18" or larger, but the amount of the
prepared dough
mixture that is used should be adjusted relative to the size of the pan to
maintain the
desired thickness of approximately 0.2" to about 0.5".
[0045] The dough product mixture can be pressed into the pan in any suitable
manner, for
example by running a spatula under water and then spraying with an anti-stick
agent such
as extra virgin olive oil to help prevent sticking. The sprayed spatula can be
used to gently
press the mixture into the pan across the bottom of the pan and generally
evenly all the way
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to the edges of the pan, so that the top surface of the mixture in the pan is
generally flat, as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0046] It has also been found by the inventor that the oiled spatula is the
most effective way
to spread the prepared mixture in the pan, as for example laying plastic wrap
over the
mixture and pressing down on the plastic wrap to flatten the dough resulted in
the plastic
wrap sticking to the dough mixture. Pressing the mixture between two pans was
found to
result in the mixture sticking to both pans, while pressing the mixture into a
pan using a fork
worked but resulted in visible fork lines in the finished baked crust product.
Pressing the
prepared mixture using parchment paper and a tortilla press was found not to
work as the
pressed mixture would tend to be too thick on one side and too thin on another
side, so that
the desired level of even thickness was not achieved. Pressing the prepared
mixture using
parchment paper was found to be undesirable as it was difficult to achieve the
desired even
edges and thickness. Pressing the prepared mixture into a glass pan was found
not to work
well as the crust would tend to stick to the edges of the glass pan, whereas
the baked crust
was found to be easily removable from a non-stick pizza pan.
[0047] In other embodiments in which the desired dough product is a pizza
crust, the
desired product can be baked in any suitable manner, e.g. on a flat pan or
pizza stone or
the like. If desired, an appropriate anti-stick agent can be applied to the
pan to help prevent
sticking of the dough product.
[0048] The dough product that will be used as a pizza crust is then baked at
an appropriate
temperature and for a suitable duration to bake the dough mixture into a
crust. In some
embodiments, the pizza crust may be only partially cooked (par baked)
initially, to help
ensure that the crust does not become overly dry after it has been topped and
baked a
second time to yield the desired pizza product.
[0049] For example, in one embodiment, the crust is baked in an oven at a
temperature of
approximately 425 F until the crust reaches an internal temperature of 165 F,
e.g. as
measured using a food thermometer. When baked, the desired appearance of the
product
is par baked, with some light browning of cheese bubbles, as shown in FIG. 2
and FIG. 3.
Under these conditions, cooking of a 12" diameter crust may take about 10-11
minutes, and
optionally after about 8-9 minutes the crust can be visually inspected and may
be moved
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Date recue / Date received 2021-12-15
within the oven to facilitate even cooking (e.g. some portions of a commercial
oven may
cook faster than others). For embodiments in which the dough product is a
pizza crust
baked in a 12" deep dish pizza pan, after baking, the finished crust typically
has a diameter
of between about 10" and about 10 1/2" and is approximately 1/4" thick.
[0050] After baking, the finished dough product can be cooled, for example by
placing on a
cooling rack as shown FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Once the crust has cooled to a
suitable extent
(e.g. after about 10 minutes in some example embodiments), the crust can be
packaged in
any suitable manner, e.g. using a vacuum sealer, for subsequent freezing and
storage (e.g.
so that the pizza crusts can be sold as a commercial product). The inventor
has found that
such pizza crusts have a shelf-life when frozen of four months.
[0051] In embodiments in which the protein-based dough product is pizza dough,
for
consumption, the pizza crust can be removed from the freezer and removed from
any
packaging, and then topped with pizza toppings while still frozen, as shown in
FIG. 4. The
topped crust can be baked from frozen under any suitable conditions, e.g. at a
temperature
of 425 F for a period of approximately 18-20 minutes (e.g. until the minimum
internal
temperature of the crust reaches 165 F as determined using a food
thermometer). The
finished pizza is then ready for the consumer to enjoy. FIG. 5 shows the final
cooked pizza
product, including a cross-sectional slice showing the thickness and
consistency of the
finished protein-based pizza crust product.
[0052] If the finished pizza product is not fully consumed immediately, any
leftovers can be
stored chilled in a refrigerator and/or frozen in a freezer and reheated for
later consumption.
The inventor has found that using a microwave to re-heat such leftovers works
well, either
from a chilled or frozen state; leftovers can be heated in the oven as well,
but this may
result in a drier crust upon consuming the leftovers.
[0053] In alternative embodiments, rather than being frozen or stored, the
pizza crust can
be initially par baked as described above, removed from the oven and
optionally allowed to
cool somewhat to facilitate working with the crust, then topped with pizza
toppings and
returned to the oven to finish baking the desired pizza product.
Date recue / Date received 2021-12-15
Examples
Example 1.0 - Chicken-Based Pizza Crust
[0054] The following ingredients are combined:
= 14 oz ground chicken breast (raw)
= 1/4 cup (- 0.5-0.75 oz) parmesan cheese
= 1/4 cup (- 1.5-2.0 oz) shredded cheese (commercially available Italian
blend or Tex-
Mex blend)
= 1 tsp spices (Italian or Tex Mex blend)
[0055] To produce a pizza crust, the ground chicken breast is weighed, the
cheese (both
types) and spices are added, and the mixture is combined by hand mixing. The
mixture is
pressed into a pan to form a pizza crust.
[0056] For this example, the Italian blend of cheeses was a commercially
available blend
containing mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheese; other commercially
available
Italian blends of cheeses may also contain gouda, romano and/or asiago
cheeses. The Tex
Mex blend of cheese used included mozzarella, cheddar and Monterey Jack
cheeses. The
Italian blend of spices was a commercially available Italian seasoning
containing
dehydrated vegetables (onion, carrot, red bell pepper, garlic, green bell
pepper), sugar, salt,
spices and herbs (including oregano and basil). The Tex Mex blend of spices
was a
commercially available Tex Mex seasoning containing a blend of chillies,
cumin, jalapeno
and herbs, including oregano, dehydrated onion, garlic, green bell pepper, red
bell pepper,
and salt. The Italian cheese and spice blends were used together to produce
Italian themed
pizza crusts. The Tex Mex cheese and spice blends were used together to
produce Tex
Mex themed pizza crusts.
[0057] In this example, the pan is a deep dish pizza crust pan. The pan has a
12" diameter
and is 7/8" deep.
[0058] A small amount of water is added to the pan and spread over the
interior surface of
the pan. A small amount of extra virgin olive oil is sprayed into the pan.
Approximately 16
oz of the final mixture is added to the pan.
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[0059] The mixture is pressed into the pan by running a spatula under water
and then
spraying with extra virgin olive oil spray. The sprayed spatula is used to
press the mixture
into the pan across the bottom and generally evenly all the way to the edges
of the pan, so
that the top surface of the mixture in the pan is generally flat, which
results in the prepared
mixture having a thickness in the pan of approximately 0.25" to 0.3" after
spreading. It has
been found by the inventor that spreading the dough in an appreciably thinner
layer will
result in a drier crust that is undesirable for consumers, while spreading the
dough in an
appreciably thicker layer will result in a heavier volume of crust, which
firstly yields too high
of a crust:topping ratio when making a finished pizza product, and secondly
tends to taste
.. like chicken, rather than mimicking the taste of a traditional dough pizza
crust.
[0060] The pan containing the raw crust is placed in an oven at 425 F and
baked for 9
minutes on a convection setting. The crust is then visually inspected, and can
be moved
around within the oven to ensure even baking if needed (e.g. if one side of
the crust is
cooking faster than the other side, or if some crusts in one portion of the
oven are cooking
faster than crusts in another portion of the oven). In total, the crust is
baked for
approximately 10-11 minutes, checking every minute after 9 minutes for
doneness. The
crust is baked to an internal temperature of 165 F, which is monitored using a
food
thermometer. The desired appearance of the finished product is par baked (i.e.
partially
baked), with some light browning of cheese bubbles, as shown in FIGs. 2 and 3.
The
inventor has found that baking the dough product beyond this point results in
a crust that is
too dry to be satisfactory to consumers after the crust is baked a second time
with toppings
to create the desired finished pizza product.
[0061] After baking, the crust has a diameter of between about 10" and about
10 1/2" and is
approximately 1/4" thick.
[0062] The baked crust is removed from the oven and moved to a cooling rack,
e.g. using a
clean spatula. The baked crust is permitted to cool for at least 10 minutes.
For storage, the
crust is packaged by placing in an 11x16" vacuum sealer bag and then vacuum
sealed
using a Foodsaver device on a moist setting. The product is labelled with its
best-before
date, four months from the date the crust was baked, and then frozen. Or, if
desired for
immediate consumption, the partially baked crust can be topped and then baking
finished
with the toppings.
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[0063] To later consume the frozen crust, the crust is topped as in the nature
of a
conventional pizza crust, and then baked from frozen at a temperature of 425 F
for a period
of approximately 18-20 minutes (until the minimum internal temperature of the
crust reaches
165 F).
Example 2.0 - Chicken-Based Pizza Crust - Multiple Batch
[0064] The following ingredients are combined:
= 56 oz ground chicken breast (raw)
= 2/3 cup (-1.5-2 oz) parmesan cheese
= 1 1/3 cups (-6-8 oz) shredded medium cheese (Italian or Tex Mex blend)
= 1 tbsp seasoning (Italian or Tex Mex seasoning)
[0065] To produce a pizza crust, the ground chicken breast is weighed, the
cheese (both
types) and spices are added, and the mixture is combined by hand mixing. The
final
mixture is weighed and that value is divided by the total number of crusts
planned to be
produced (four in this example). The dough is then divided into equal portions
(four portions
of approximately 16 oz in this example), and then each portion of dough is
pressed into a
pan and baked as described above for Example 1Ø
Example 3.0 - Turkey Pizza Crust
[0066] A crust is prepared as described for Example 1.0, using ground turkey
in place of
ground chicken. The turkey meat used is a mixture of turkey breast and turkey
thigh (50%
by weight of each). The seasonings used are fresh chopped herbs, i.e. sage,
thyme and
rosemary, as well as freshly cracked pepper. The same method is used to
prepare the
crust.
[0067] The inventor has found that pizza crust prepared using turkey as the
poultry has a
richer and slightly meatier taste than pizza crust prepared using chicken as
the poultry.
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Example 4.0 ¨ Dairy Free Crust
[0068] The following ingredients are combined:
= 16 oz ground chicken breast (raw)
= 1/4 cup (1.2 oz) nutritional yeast
= 1 tsp seasoning
The crust is prepared using the same method as described for Example 1.
Example 5.0 ¨ Protein Crust Containing Egg (Comparative)
[0069] The following ingredients are combined:
= 16 oz ground chicken breast (raw)
= 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (powdered)
= 1/4 cup medium cheese (grated)
= 1 egg
The crust is prepared using the same method as described for Example 1. The
finished
crust was found to be dense and chewy, and to have a consistency more like an
omelette
versus a traditional dough crust. Thus, this crust was not desirable for
consumers. A
number of variations were tested incorporating egg, including an attempt to
quadruple the
non-egg components to divide the single egg between four crusts to reduce the
negative
impacts of the egg. However, none of these crusts were found to be desirable
for
consumers despite attempts to minimize the negative impacts of the egg on the
crust.
Example 6.0 ¨ Protein Crust Baked on Flat Pan
[0070] A chicken mixture was prepared as described for Example 1Ø Rather
than
pressing the combined mixture into a deep dish pizza pan, the mixture was
placed onto a
flat pan (e.g. the base of a springform pan) in order to form the desired
shape. The crust
was baked on the flat pan and had good taste and appeal to consumers. However,
this
mode of cooking the prepared crust could be undesirable e.g. if using a
commercial oven,
since any moisture or grease would drip off the pan and therefore might fall
down onto
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crusts baking below, resulting in unsightly grease drips that alter the
flavour of the crust, or
down onto the oven itself, resulting in the formation of smoke which can alter
crust flavour.
Example 7.0 ¨ Nutritional Analysis
[0071] For crusts prepared in accordance with Example 1.0 (chicken-based pizza
crust),
nutritional analysis for a 12" crust was as follows:
= Calories: 648
= Fat: 32g
= Carbohydrates: 1.5g
= Fibre: 0.5g
= Sugar: 0 g
= Protein: 90g
[0072] For example pizza crusts prepared in accordance with Example 3.0
(turkey-based
pizza crust), nutritional analysis for a 12" crust was as follows:
= Calories: 774
= Fat: 40g
= Carbohydrates: 0 g
= Fibre: 0.5g
= Sugar: 0 g
= Protein: 87g
[0073] For example pizza crusts prepared in accordance with Example 4.0 (dairy-
free pizza
crust), nutritional analysis for a a 12" crust was as follows:
= Calories: 608
= Fat: 24g
= Carbohydrates: 5g
= Fibre: 3g
= Sugar: 0 g
= Protein: 95g
Date recue / Date received 2021-12-15
[0074] Given the foregoing nutritional analysis, the recommended serving size
is 1/4 of a
pizza crust.
[0075] The above examples demonstrate that a protein-based dough product that
mimics
the taste and properties of a conventional wheat-based dough product such as a
pizza crust
can be prepared by combining a protein source with a binder as described.
[0076] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed
above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications,
permutations, additions
and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following
appended claims
and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such
modifications,
permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are consistent with the
broadest
interpretation of the specification as a whole.
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