GB2257344A - Composite dough product - Google Patents

Abstract

Composite dough product comprising a transverse structured dough layer, adhered to at least one supporting dough layer, a process for manufacturing such product and equipment for the production thereof.

Description

Dough product Dough products, which are cooked, fried or baked for consumption are known in a great variety as regards composition and structure. Examples of dough types of different structure, bread dough, danish pastry dough, puff pastry dough and short crust dough may be given.

The different types of structure result on eating in different mouthfeel and different eating sensation.

Moreover the mechanical strength of the different types of structures varies enormously. It is an aim of this invention to provide dough products, both in unbaked, prebaked and ready prepared form which in the latter condition provide for a novel eating sensation, while maintaining a sufficient mechanical strength. Another aim of the invention is providing a method for practically producing such dough products in a quick and convenient manner. Finally the invention aims at providing equipment for manufacturing these dough products.

According to the invention a dough product is provided, comprising a transverse structured dough layer adhered to at least one supporting dough layer. In a preferred embodiment the latter layer has its main strength in the plane of that layer.

A ready cooked dough product having a transverse structured layer presents an attractive brittle structure, while the mechanical strength is maintained by the straight layer. In particular when the latter layer, as is usual, has its main strength in the plane thereof, the ready baked dough products have a good mechanical strength enabling handling without unacceptable breakage. In order that the effect of the transverse structured layer is sufficiently appreciated during consumption, this layer preferably amounts to at least 40% and more preferred to at least 60% of the total thickness of the dough product.

In a special embodiment, which is preferred for structure but mainly for ease of manufacture, the transverse structured layer is sandwiched between two straight dough layers.

The invention also relates to a process for manufacturing a laminated dough product wherein an elongate dough sheet is folded in a concertina manner with the folds in the transverse direction and thereafter adhered to at least one dough layer to obtain a laminate.

By proceeding in this manner a structured product is easily and quickly resulting, this in contrast to for example puff pastry dough, requiring a lengthy and repeated rolling out and doubling of the initially made dough sheet.

In a very preferred embodiment this laminate may be manufactured in a rather coarse form and subsequently reduced in thickness, suitably by rolling. In this manner not only the thickness as aimed at may be obtained but also an improved cohesion between the composing layers will be resulting. In practice a dough sheet of a thickness not over 5 mm is folded into a concertina configuration having at most 15 mm deep folds and thereafter adhered to at least one but preferably between two dough layers of a thickness not over 5 mm to obtain a laminate. For practical purposes this laminate is reduced in thickness to under 5 mm.

In order that a regular product is obtained and a fast production will be achieved preferably the elongate dough sheet is provided with straight transverse creases, at least on alternating sides, at regular intervals. By doing so the sheet may be folded easily and reproducibly at the lines of reduced thickness. Suitable distances between these creases are dependent on the thickness of the dough sheet and in practice it is preferred to have these creases made at regular distances being from two to four times the thickness of that sheet.

The invention finally relates to equipment for manufacturing composite dough products comprising means for feeding a first dough sheet, means for transversely scoring said sheet at regular distances along parallel lines, means for folding up said scored sheet to a zig-zag form, means for feeding at least one straight dough sheet at at least one side of the zig-zag shaped first dough sheet and means for putting these sheets in mutual contact.

Suitable feeding means for dough sheets are usual conveyor belts and rollers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the scoring means comprises at least one scoring roller having scoring ridges extending in axial direction and distributed at uniform angular distance or pitch.

Such a scoring roller may co-operate with one smooth supporting roller, resulting in a dough sheet having scores at one side only. Preferably two scoring rollers are used having the scoring ridges at the same angular distance, which rollers can be used in different manners: with the scoring ridges matching, i.e. in cross section the rollers are in a mirror image configuration or staggered, i.e. in cross section one scoring ridge of the one roller will be midway interposed between two ridges of the other. In use the first mode results in a scored product having the scores on one side just opposite those at the other, whereas the second mode results in staggered scores on either side.

The invention will be exemplified in the following description of some preferred practical embodiments thereof. Parts and percentages refer to weights, unless otherwise indicated.

In the drawings some schematical cross-sectional views are presented, wherein figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a dough sheet scored in a staggered mode at either side, figure 2 shows a dough sheet scored at opposite positions, figure 3 shows a dough sheet of figure 1 or 2 folded into a concertina configuration, figure 4 shows the folded sheet laminated between two straight dough sheets being reduced in thickness by rolling, figure 5 shows a schematic representation of equipment for manufacturing the composite dough product of the invention and figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the scoring rollers in figure 5.

In the drawings figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a dough sheet 1 having transverse scores 2 at either side in staggered position and figure 2 in opposite positions.

These scored dough sheets can be easily folded into a concertina configuration 3 as shown in figure 3. This concertina shaped dough product is laminated between two further dough sheets 4 and 5 respectively (see figure 4) which laminate is fed between sets of rollers 6, 7 and 8, 9 respectively to put the three sheets 4, 3, 5 thereof into mutual contact and to reduce the thickness to the required value.

A complete description of the manufacture of a composite dough product of the invention will be described reference being had to figure 5.

In a usual manner a dough is prepared using the following ingredients: flour 51.8 % by weight skim milk powder 1.9 salt 1 sugar 1.5 yeast 2 water 29.8 laminating fat 12 This dough is in a usual manner, known per se, rolled out to three sheets of about 4 mm thickness. One sheet 1 is supported on a conveyor 11 and fed between a pair of scoring rolls 12 having the scoring ridges 13 arranged in axial direction at regular angular distances of 20 mm.

The ridges of the one roller are staggered with respect of those of the other, resulting in staggered scores 2 in the dough sheet 1 if the rollers are rotating as indicated by the arrows 14 and 15.

Thereafter the scored dough sheet is entering between a pair of folding rollers 16 having fairly deep flutings into which the teeth between these flutings of the other roller are meshing.

By suitably synchronizing the pairs of scoring and folding rollers the dough sheet will be folded up in a concertina like configuration 3 of about 12 mm thick before entering the nip between two contacting rollers 17.

The two other dough sheets 4 and 5, each supported on a respective conveyor belt 18, 19 as feeding means, are fed on either side of the concertina into the nip between rollers 17.

The rollers 17 are set at a suitable distance to put all dough layers into adhering contact for forming a composite dough product of 18 mm thickness.

After leaving between these rollers the composite is fed between thickness reducing rollers 6, 7 and 8, 9 respectively for reducing the thickness to a suitable value of 5 mm.

It will immediately be evident to skilled persons that the just described equipment and method can be modified.

Also instead of scoring rollers having the scoring ridges set at staggered positions as shown in figure 5 the ridge can be put in a symmetrical way resulting in a mirror image configuration as shown in figure 6.

Instead of using separate scoring and folding rollers as shown in figure 5 the purpose may be met using one pair of folding or crimping rollers having suitably designed intermeshing teeth and flutings.

In the above example of a presently preferred embodiment a laminated sheet of the puff pastry type is used. It does not need explanation that even within the group of puff pastry dough considerable variations in composition can be made. Also skilled people will not have difficulty in providing other types of dough compositions suitable for the present invention, e.g. danish pastry dough.

In this example the three dough sheets are of the same composition, but this system provides an excellent possibility for variation; one or both outer layers can be made of a moisture insenstivie or barrier dough, e.g.

pizza dough.

Claims (14)

Claims

1. Composite dough product comprising a transverse structured dough layer adhered to at least one supporting dough layer.

2. Dough product according to Claim 1, wherein the supporting layer has its main strength in the plane of that layer.

3. Dough product according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the transverse structured layer is at least 40% and preferably at least 60% of the total thickness of the dough product.

4. Dough product according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the transverse structured layer is sandwiched between two straight dough layers.

5. A process for manufacturing a laminated dough product wherein an elongate dough sheet is folded in a concertina manner with the folds in the transverse direction and thereafter adhered to at least one dough layer to obtain a laminate.

6. A process according to claim 5, wherein the laminate is reduced in thickness.

7. A process according to Claim 6, wherein the laminate is reduced in thickness by rolling.

8. A process according to any claims 5 to 7, wherein a dough sheet of a thickness not over 5 mm is folded into a concertina configuration having at most 15 mm deep folds and thereafter adhered to at least one dough layer of a thickness not over 5 mm to obtain a laminate.

9. A process according to Claim 8, wherein the laminate is reduced in thickness to under 5 mm.

10. A process according to claim 8, wherein the elongate dough sheet is provided with straight, transverse creases, at least on alternating sides, at regular intervals.

11. A process according to Claim 10, wherein the creases are made at regular distances being from two to four times the thickness of that sheet.

12. Equipment for manufacturing composite dough products comprising means for feeding a first dough sheet, means for transversely scoring said sheet at regular distances along parallel transverse lines, means for folding up said scored sheet to a zig-zag form, means for feeding at least one straight dough sheet at at least one side of the zig-zag shaped first dough sheet and means for putting these sheets in mutual contact.

13. Equipment according to claim 12, wherein the scoring means comprises at least one, scoring roller having scoring ridges extending in axial direction and distributed at uniform angular distances.

14. Equipment according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the means for putting the sheets in mutual contact comprises at least one set of thickness reduction rollers.