Patent Application
20240260591
The present invention pertains to rolled food products and, more particularly, to producing laminated rolled dough products, such as puff pastry, croissants, or danish.
A variety of laminated dough products (i.e., rolls) are known in the art. Croissant rolls represent a popular option. When producing rolls on a commercial scale, a dough sheet from which the rolls are formed by the process of folding butter or solid fat into dough multiple times to create very thin alternating layers of fat and dough. Puff pastry is the simplest form with just folded butter and basic dough. Croissant formulation have added yeast and make a richer dough, while danish dough products are the richest and contain the most amount of butter in the dough. By way of a known croissant roll example, the dough sheet may have 16, 24, 36, 48, 96 or even 144 layers. After being laminated, the dough sheet is cut into triangular shaped pieces, with each piece being individually curled to establish a crescent roll shape which can be immediately baked or frozen for future baking.
It is also known to incorporate a filling into a croissant or danish roll. In according to one known prior art arrangement, the filling material is added between the steps of cutting the dough sheet into triangular shaped pieces and rolling the pieces into the individual croissant rolls, resulting in the filling only being present in the very center of the final baked product. In another known prior art arrangement, the filling can be added as a layer prior to the dough sheet being rolled, and the dough even folded over to establish a couple alternating layers of dough and filling.
Although known mass production processes for producing both filled and non-filled croissant or danish rolls are considered satisfactory, these processes can certainly be improved. In particular, it would be desirable to enhance uniformity between the produced products, such as by avoiding excessive flaking or shredding issues widely prevalent in the industry. In addition, it would be beneficial to enhance the ability to distribute any employed filler material throughout the final product. Furthermore, in connection with known filled croissant roll production systems, bursting of the products during cooking is a known issue which, other than by significantly reducing the amount of filler employed, has yet to be resolved.
In commercially producing laminated food products, including filled or non-filled or croissants or danish rolls, a dough sheet formed of numerous layers of dough is transported in a first direction with a conveyor system and cut into individual, geometrically-shaped pieces, preferably triangular-shaped pieces. Particularly in accordance with the invention, each triangular-shaped piece is then re-oriented and directed through a compression roller unit which stretches the triangular-shaped piece. After this stretching operation, each stretched triangular-shaped piece is-curled with rolling of each piece starting from a base of the respective triangular-shaped piece to form a crescent shaped product. The curled product is then again compressed prior to receiving a surface treatment wherein exposed portions of the curled compressed product are sprayed or otherwise provided with a coating which functions to prevent premature moisture loss at the surface of the curled compressed product during subsequent baking. More specifically, the coating enables the rolled product to retain moisture longer at the surface during baking to prevent shredding of the surface. The most preferred form of the invention has the curled compressed products frozen after being coated and later baked from a frozen state. Making the freezer-to-oven (FTO) dough products, i.e., the croissants or danish roll, in accordance with the invention has been found to eliminate the thawing and proofing steps and significantly enhance proper product production of desired flaky, rich, airy final pastry products.
As indicated above, the additional compressing and coating steps are performed in accordance with the invention in making both filled and non-filled laminated products. When making filled laminated products, filling material can be added before and/or after the cutting step. In accordance with the pre-cutting addition of a filling in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a filling layer is continuously deposited in a central region of the dough sheet traveling on the conveyor system. After the filling layer is deposited, lateral side portions of the dough sheet are folded onto the central region, preferably in an overlapping fashion, to substantially encapsulate or encase the filling layer and establish a folded, intermediate product. The folded, intermediate product is then directed through one or more roller units which press the filling layer and the now encapsulating outer layer of the intermediate product. During this process, due to the airy nature of the layered, sheeted dough, the filling layer is at least partially pressed or integrated into the sheeted dough. This intermediate product is then cut into the individual, geometrically-shaped pieces, stretched, curled, compressed and coated as discussed above. When the final baked product is produced, the filling material is visually apparent and distributed throughout the product. More specifically, when the filled, rolled products are baked, the layered dough expands. With this expansion, the filling layer becomes prominently, visually exposed, establishing spiraling, spaced stripe portions on the final product. Although the filling material can take various forms, a color variation between the filling and the baked dough is desired. In a preferred embodiment, a chocolate ganache is employed as the filling layer, with the ganache having a viscosity enabling the filling to be extruded or otherwise spread onto the central portion of the dough sheet while not being free-flowing but a semi solid, thereby remaining in the central portion. Of course, other fillings with similar flow and spread characteristics can also be employed. In any case, in accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the baked product will advantageously have filling available in every bite and the product will provide a clear visual cue of the inside filling.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to common parts in the several views.
As discussed above, puff pastry, croissants, or the like laminated dough products produced in accordance with the invention can be created with or without filling material. As producing a filled laminated dough product is most comprehensive, reference will initially be made to
As shown,
As illustrated, dough sheet 10 travels upon conveyor 15 to a dispensing station and, more specifically, beneath a filling extruder 20 having an elongated extrusion port 22 and a filling supply tube 25. Here, a filling 30 is dispensed upon dough sheet 10. More specifically, the dispensing of filling 30 is contained to a central portion (not separately labeled) of dough sheet 10, thereby leaving side portions 35 and 36 of dough sheet 10 without any filling material thereon. Filling 30 is particularly configured to have a viscosity which prevents the filling 30 from flowing from the central portion into either of side portions 35 or 36. In addition, although the filling material can take various forms, a color variation between filling 30 and dough sheet 10 is desired for reasons detailed below. In a preferred embodiment, a chocolate ganache is employed as the filling layer, with the ganache having a viscosity enabling filling 30 to be extruded or otherwise spread onto the central portion of dough sheet 10 while not being free-flowing, thereby remaining in the central portion. In this example, the viscosity of the ganache is controlled with the addition of polysaccharides such as starch, and/or sweetening carbohydrates such as granulated sugar or another type of dairy solid material nonfat dried milk or cocoa powder. Basically, the viscosity is established such that filling 30 is not too hard so it cannot be readily dispensed or mechanically spread, yet not too soft so as to be runny or self-spreading. Certainly, a wide range of fillings with similar flow and spread characteristics can also be employed.
After receiving filling 30, dough sheet 10 proceeds to a folding station represented by a folding mechanism generally indicated at 40. Here side portions 35 and 36 are folded upon filling 30, preferably in a slightly overlapping fashion, to establish a folded, intermediate product 42. In this manner, filling 30 is essentially enclosed or encased within dough sheet 10. In addition, with the folding of side portions 35 and 36, the number of dough layers in folded, intermediate product 42 has doubled (more in the overlapped region). Therefore, a forty-eight dough layer containing folded, intermediate product 42 (including at least one additional filling layer) is established starting with a twenty-four layer dough sheet 10.
Next, folded, intermediate product 42 is delivered to and acted on by one or more rollers 45, 46. In one preferred embodiment, folded, intermediate product 42 essentially constitutes an approximately 20 mm dough sandwich that is pressed or sheeted by rollers 45 and 46 to about 5-6 mm sandwich product while keeping filling 30 fully contained. During this process, due to the airy nature of the layered, sheeted dough, filling 39 is at least partially pressed or integrated into the material of dough sheet 10.
After being folded and pressed, intermediate product 42 is delivered to a cutter 50, shown to take the form of a wheel which is mounted upon an axle 53 and includes a plurality of angled cutters or blades, two of which are shown at 56 and 57, spaced by triangular shaped regions 60. With this construction, cutter 50 is configured to continuously cut intermediate product 42 into a series of triangular-shaped pieces 65.
Initially, it was believed that triangular-shaped pieces 65 could, at this point in the process, be curled and frozen for subsequent baking. Instead, it was found that an unacceptable product was produced if the thawing and proofing steps were not completed from freezer to oven. In fact, a majority of the baked pieces would literally break open on the top of the dough product from internal pressure upon baking. However, it was later realized that the inclusion of various additional steps in the process, at least some of which have been found to be critical, enables consistent production of the desired product. Surprisingly, it has been found that the same additional steps synergistically combine to not only avoid the bursting issues when a filling material is employed, but also solve surface breaking open and/or shredding and product consistency issues previously observed with both filled and non-filled rolled product production. Therefore, in accordance with the invention, with reference to
At this point, it should be noted that, prior to rolling or curling each stretched triangular-shaped piece 165, an optional, additional center filling can be added. If an initial or additional filling is desired at this stage, the same can be provided by a dispenser or depositor 170. If an additional filling, the filling material can, but need not be, the same material as filling 30. In certain preferred embodiments, the additional filling is distinct, such as being constituted by cinnamon, raspberry, a pastry cream, cream cheese, or various other known pastry fillings, including jams or jellies.
More generically for producing filled or non-filled rolled products, the next stage in the process is curling each stretched triangular-shaped piece 165. Like the other stages discussed above, this stage can be performed manually or, more preferably for mass production, continuously through the use of a rolling machine (generically indicated at 175), starting from a base of each triangular-shaped piece 165, to form a curled product 185. Thereafter, rolled product is compressed, such as through one or more rollers 188 operating at a speed between 105-140 RPMs, to form a pressed or flattened, curled, laminated product 85. In the most preferred embodiment in making croissants or danish rolls (preferably in the order of 30-108 grams in weight), curled product 185 is compressed to about 10-22 mm in forming compressed, curled, laminated product 85. Most preferably, this compression operation results in compressed, curled laminated product 85 not deviating side-to-side any more than approximately 2 mm. As shown in more detail in
Referring back to
After the surface treatment stage, products 85 could be baked, but are preferably freezer-to-oven (FTO) products and are therefore frozen and packaged for later baking. In either case, a baked product produced in accordance with the invention is shown in
Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides for producing rolled dough products which avoids bursting and/or shredding problems prevalent in the art. In embodiments employing a filling, the filling is integrated into the dough thereby, among other advantages, making filling dispersed substantially evenly throughout the resulting baked product so as to be available for every bite. Importantly, the pre-stretching, compressing and surface treatment stages have been found to provide a synergistic effect in the consistent product production of desired flaky, light, airy final pastry products. Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been set forth, it should be understood that various changes or modifications could be made without departing from the present invention. It should certainly be recognized that the above-described stages could be performed manually but, more preferably, are part of a commercial mass production process. By way of example, if mass produced, more than one product line can be established using conveyor 15. This is at least represented in
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/038363 | 6/22/2021 | WO |
