TH6537A - Snacks made from pressed dough and their preparation methods. - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention refers to a continuous process and product for preparing a baked, thin, crispy, low-fat snack made from a mixture containing at least one component: starch, water, and a starch-based component as the dominant element in all its components. The method involves continuously mixing and heating the mixture in a press or mixer to achieve a sticky, dough-like consistency. In the most popular form of this invention, the starch, typically potato or corn starch, is heated to approximately 54.44°C to 126.66°C. The mixture is then pressed under reduced pressure to avoid significant sticking, resulting in a product with a water content of approximately 25% to 60% by weight. While still hot, the pressed mixture is flattened into sheets, layered, thinned, shaped into pieces, and baked in a conventional oven. During baking, the outer layers of the dough cook rapidly, trapping steam within the inner layers. Puffing and waviness occur in the resulting product, giving the final product a thin, crispy appearance. An alternative method involves spraying oil onto the pieces before baking to achieve a flat, crispy, bread-like final product.

Claims (28)

1. The process of making baked snacks involves: a) mixing at least one ingredient, which includes flour and water, to form a paste; b) continuously heating the mixture for a sufficient period of time to create a sticky, clay-like paste that can be machined; c) compressing the heated mixture to create a compressed mass with a moisture content of approximately 25% to 60% by weight; d) shaping the compressed mixture into sheets; e) folding the sheets together to create overlapping layers; f) reducing the thickness of the overlapping layers; g) separating the layers into pieces; and h) baking the pieces to create a crispy, thin texture. 2. The method under claim 1 where the mixing described above and the heat generated occur in a continuous press or mixer. 3. The method under claim 2, in which the aforementioned mixture is heated to temperatures ranging from approximately 54.44 °C to approximately 126.66 °C and at a pressure less than approximately 17.57 kg/cm². 4. The method under claim 1 in which the aforementioned compressed portion is shaped into a sheet at a temperature of at least approximately 43.33 degrees Celsius. 5. The method under claim 4, where the stacked sheets are cut into pieces, is at a temperature of at least approximately 32.22 degrees Celsius. 6. The method under claim 2 in which the aforementioned heating is performed involves the direct injection of steam into the aforementioned mixture. 7. The method under claim 6, in which the aforementioned steam is continuously injected. 8. The method under claim 2 where the aforementioned heat consists of indirect heating. 9. The method under claim 2, in which the aforementioned components consist of starch, which is a potato product without water. 10. The method under claim 9, in which the aforementioned mixture is heated to temperatures ranging from approximately 71.11 degrees Celsius to approximately 96.11 degrees Celsius and to pressures ranging from approximately 1.75 kg/cm² to approximately 8.78 kg/cm². 11. Method under claim 2 where the starch consists of corn starch. 12. The method under claim 11 in which the aforementioned mixture is heated to temperatures ranging from approximately 54.44 °C to 126.66 °C and to pressures ranging from approximately 1.75 kg/cm² to approximately 8.78 kg/cm². 13. The method under claim 3, in which at least one component containing the aforementioned flour is subjected to a pressing time ranging from approximately 5 seconds to approximately 5 minutes. 14. Method under claim 2 where the aforementioned starch composition is selected from a group consisting of potato flakes, potato granules, potato starch, and a mixture of the aforementioned. 15. The method under claim 3 where the compressed material mentioned above has a moisture content ranging from approximately 35 percent by weight to 43 percent by weight relative to the weight of the compressed material. 16. The method under claim 3 in which at least the components contain starch, at least approximately 35 percent by weight of the extruded substance. 17. The method under claim 16 in which the composition consists of starch selected from a group of components including potato flakes, potato granules, potato starch and a mixture of such components. 18. The method under claim 3, in which the reduction of the thickness of the stacked sheets is described above, results in a stacked sheet with a width-to-thickness ratio of at least approximately 350. 19. The method under claim 1 in which the starch-containing components, as mentioned, are selected from a group consisting of potato starch, potato flakes, potato granules, corn starch, corn kernels, buckwheat starch, rice starch, barley starch, tapioca granules, and a mixture of the above. 20. The method under claim 1 where the aforementioned flour-based components contain gluten. 21. The method under claim 3 in which the gluten-containing components mentioned are selected from a group consisting of wheat flour, rye flour, millet flour, unbran wheat flour, and a mixture of these. 22. The method under claim 1 in which the aforementioned annealing takes place in a strip oven at a temperature of at least approximately 162.77 degrees Celsius. 23. The method under claim 1 in which, prior to baking, the aforementioned pieces are placed in position beforehand. 24. The method under claim 1 in which a fine mist of oil is sprayed onto the aforementioned pieces before baking. 25. The process for making low-fat, thin, crispy flour-based snacks involves: a) mixing the dry snack ingredients, at least one of which is flour and water, in a press; b) steaming the mixture while continuously mixing for a sufficient period to infuse water into the flour-based mixture, resulting in a temperature ranging from approximately 54.44°C to approximately 126.66°C and a consistency similar to raw flour; c) pressing the flour mixture to obtain a predominantly non-stretchable extruded portion with a moisture content of approximately 25% by weight to approximately 60% by weight of the extruded portion; d) flattening the extruded portion into sheets; e) shaping the sheets into pieces; and f) baking the pieces to achieve a crispy texture. The baked pieces contain less than approximately 20% fat by weight of the baked product. 26. The method under claim 25 where the starch-containing components, as described above, are selected from a group consisting of potato starch, potato flakes, potato granules, corn starch, corn kernels, buckwheat starch, rice starch, barley starch, tapioca granules, and a mixture of these. 27. The process for making thin, crispy potato chips consists of: a) mixing the components together, the components of which are predominantly potatoes, with enough water to create a moist potato mixture; c) steaming the moist potato mixture while continuously mixing, at which point the moist potato mixture reaches a temperature ranging from approximately 71.11 °C to 96.11 °C; c) pressing the steamed potato mixture; d) mechanizing the pressed potato mixture. This mechanization process includes: (1) stacking the potato mixture; (2) flattening the stacked potato mixture with rollers; (3) cutting the flattened potato mixture into pieces; (4) laying out the cut potato pieces; and e) baking the potato pieces. 28. The method under claim 27, in which the component is tapioca starch granules of the gelatinous type, is not applicable (Clause 28, page 5, 0 images).