GB2254238A - Pitta bread manufacturing process - Google Patents

Abstract

The specification describes a process for the preparation of pitta bread. Access of the hollow interior is facilitated by score lines. This is done by providing scoring blades on the die cutters.

Description

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCI'ION OF Ia QUALITY PITA BREAD This invention relates to a process for the manufactured production of high quality bakery products.

Although the manufacture of pitta bread has been going on since virtually time immemorial and the number of recipes used in its creation are myriad, the basic methods used in actually making the bread have changed very little. To date there appear to be two basic methods used in its modern day production line manufacture.

One is where tne dough mixture is delivered onto the production line oven conveyor belt in " globs " of predetermined weight.

This practice has the dual advantages of producing a finished product which is comparitively consistent in terms of its final weight, shape and size, as well as being cost efficient in the use made of the raw material. Its disadvantages however, become apparent when the variable densities and viscosities of dough mixtures which the delivery apparatus invariably encounters during a manufacturing run arise. This variable dough mixture consistency factor means that the system must be constantly monitored and adjusted, this inevitably leading to increased production costs.

further drawback being the surface quality of the bread produced by this method, which invariably results in a dry, rather unattractive cratered and rough exterior, which is prone to fracturing or splitting when the end user tries to gain access to the breads internal chamber. And the practice of trying to gain access to the chamber by going in through the thin edge of the bread, employed by the vast majority of people, only serves to exaggerate this problem.

The second method is to first roll the dough mixture out into an elongated strip of desired thickness, and ten physically stamp or cut out the pitta bread shapes, the process usually being performed via some form of diecutting operation. The shaped peices are then passed onto a baking oven conveyor belt line.

The main advantage of this process is one of producing a finished pitta bread of exact shape and size. Its drawback however, is that it is ovary inefficient in its use of the raw dough mixture material and this inevitably increases production costs. Although the mixture can, and usually is recycled, there are many problems attendant to the successful re-integration of " used " dough mixture with virgin material. It also has the surface finish defect disadvantages associated with the first method.

The intention of this process is to produce a pitta bread which will be of a higti qualities of taste, texture and freshness, with a pleasant tactile and visual exterior, coupled with a user friendly way of gaining access to the breads internal chamber whilst remaining whole in its construction.

according to the present invention there is provided a pitta bread production system which is comprised of a dough mixture delivery system, a dough mixture feed hopper, a dusting mixture applicator, a plularity of dough mixture dimension adjustment means, variable dough mixture form cutting apparatus, dough mixture humidity and temperature controlled proving apparatus, precise control dough mixture baking apparatus, rapid finished pitta bread cooling apparatus and automatic dough mixture / pitta bread conveyancing means.

A specific embodiement of the invention will now be described by way of example.

The preferred embodiement of this pitta bread production system described hereinafter, coprises a production line which itself is comprised of the following apparatus, a dough mixture delivery system, a dough mixture feed hopper, a dusting mixture applicator, a plularity of dough mixture dimension adjustment devices, variable dough mixture form / shape cutters, precision dough mixture humidity and temperature controlled proving ovens, precision control dough mixture baking ovens, rapid finished bread cooling apparatus and automatic dough mixture / bread production line equipment conveyancing means.

In operation the pre-mixed dough mixture is fed into a delivery chute or feed hopper. Gravitational forces and the doughs own weight then urge the dough down the hopper's delivery chute and out onto a moving conveyor belt. The exit port of the hopper is substantially smaller than its entrance port, this has tne effect of subjecting the dough to its first shape forming and dimension reduction process. The dough being dispensed onto the conveyor belt in sheetlike form, of a uniform thickness.

This sheet of dough is now passed through its second dimensional adjustment procedure. The entails directing the dough sheet between two diametrically opposable rollers. This both reduces the thickness of the sheet still further and imparts the high surface finish necessary for the final product.

This operation over, the dough sheet now passes under a dusting powder applicator and receives a light coating of a proprietary dusting baking powder. This process is of course necessary to prevent the unwanted " sticking " of the dough to any of the handling apparatus.

The dusted dough sheet is now passed through several more dimension reduction rollers arrangements until the required thickness, width and surface finish of dough has been achieved.

The prepared dough sheet is now passed onto the bread blank shape forming apparatus. In this instance, this is a rotating roller diametrically opposed to the conveyor belt, upon whose periphery are mounted a plularity of pre-fored die cutters.

The gap between the surface of the diecutter mounted roller and the conveyor belt carrying the dough sheet being such, that the dough is squeezed between the two, where upon the cutters perforate the sheet and so form the desired pitta bread shapes.

An inprovement to this pitta bread form cutting procedure is the inclusion of a moisture retaining medium ( i.e. a spongelike material ), situated immediately behind the diecutters leading cutting edge. This assists consideraoly in the Eacilitating the clean incision of the dough sheet by the diecutter, and also prevents tne cut formed dough shape from sticking to the inside of the diecutter after cutting.

x further improvement to this process is the addition of formed pitta bread shape surface scoring blades to the diecutters internal construction. During the diecutters cutting operation these blades make contact with the surface of the dough and score its surface, thus producing a series of predescribed marks,lines, indentations, perorations etc. The reason behind the creation of these indentations is twofold.

One they can be used to produce complex and visually aesthetic designs and patterns on the surface(s) of the bread, such as cartoon character faces, animal shapes etc.

Two, one or more of these scored lines can be used as pre-formed baking process stress fracture points. This stress is created in the bread during the its baking, because the heat that is applied and the with which it is introduced, make the dough rise so quickly that unless the air inside is allowed to vent to atmosphere the internal enevelope created by the pitta bread will expand and eventually burst, thereby ruining the bake.

In standard pitta bread production processes these " venting or tear " lines are normally found on the base of the bread. These tears are both unsightly and seriously weaken the overall structural integrity of the pitta bread. The idea of creating these pre-formed stress fracture lines, is not only to ensure where on the surface of the bread these fractures will occur, they also provide the end user with a ready made pitta bread envelope access point.

The excess perforated base dough material is now channelled back to the dough mixture feed hopper supply line, for re-integration with freshly mixed virgin dough. This direct feedback process is made possible because the dough was not subjected to excessive precussive forces during the above process, as this leads to considerable moisture and air content loss in the dough. This means that the 1 used " dough mixture needs little or no secondary preparation to obtain satisfactory remixing with virgin dough mixture material.

The pitta bread shapes are now passed into a proving oven. This proving oven is provided with precise temperature and humidity controls. The unit is also provided with precise conveyor belt speed control apparatus which accurately governs the passage of the bread through the various chambers of the oven. This accurate proving process procedure thoroughly " relaxes " the dough and this results in a much higher quality bread.

The proven dough is now passed fro the proving oven into the baking oven. Again this oven is provided with precise temperature, humidity and conveyor belt speed controls. Once ore this precise baking process control allows th operator to achieve optimum bread property quality control, colour and texture of the bread etc. It also substantially reduces the actual baking time whilst still achieving a high quality bake.

The baked bread is now passed into a rapid temperature cooling chamber. The cooling source for the chamber in this case being an array of air fan blowers. This rapid cooling of the bread further assists in the retention of the breads internal mositure content, and also assists in retaining its superior qualities of taste, surface colour and freshness.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIM

   I, M H Rezaei, hereby claim that we manufacture Pitta Bread differently to other manufacturers that use traditional processes. By modifying standard equipment to do particular jobs we can now produce any shape or size Pitta Bread even with indentations and perforations on the upper surface of the bread. We are now the first Pitta Bread manufacturers to produce Pre-cut Pitta Bread which makes access to the internal chamber of the bread easier.