Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Treatment with aqueous material – e.g. – hydration – etc.
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-21
2003-06-03
Cano, Milton I. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Treatment with aqueous material, e.g., hydration, etc.
C426S523000, C099S44300R, C099S386000, C099S476000, C099S477000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572911
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to ovens that are suitable for cooking food products, such as for baking dough products, and methods of cooking such food products where such ovens utilize heat convection at least in part in the cooking process, such as by forced heated gas that is directed to impinge upon the food product. In particular, the present invention is directed to such an oven apparatus and methods of cooking where steam is introduced within the convective heat transfer mechanism for imparting a desired cooking characteristic, such as in the case of a dough product a desired surface texture or sheen.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional dough products are cooked or baked in many different ways depending on the desired organoleptic characteristics that are desired for a particular dough product. Dough products, as used throughout this Application, means any food product that utilizes any formulation of a dough at least in part in making up the food product. Characteristics of the dough which may be attained based at least in part on the cooking technique include texture and sheen attributes of the dough surface or crust. Baking techniques, such as temperature, time and the heat transfer mechanism that is used, can also be at least partially responsible for characteristics of the dough product beneath its surface or crust, such as related to the cooked dough product density and texture. As examples, the cooked dough product may be dense and chewy or light and airy. These characteristics, of course, are also dependent on other dough features, such as the dough formulation.
The present invention was developed in particular for the baking of dough products that have a dense, chewy texture, and an exterior surface sheen. Examples of such dough products include bagels, soft pretzels, French bread, rye bread, sticky buns and the like. Such products may optionally comprise a filled dough product or be mixed or otherwise combined with other ingredients. The dough that is typically used to make such dough products generally includes flour, water and a leavening agent, preferably an active yeast culture. The dough may also include other optional ingredients, for example, sweeteners, flavorings, and fat products. The dough products can be filled with a variety of fillings, and such fillings are preferably substantially retained within the dough crust after processing.
Bagel products are characterized as having a dense, chewy texture and having an exterior sheen. As used throughout this application, a bagel product is meant to include all types of bagels and other products that incorporate or use similar dough and which similar texture and sheen characteristics are desired. Moreover, bagel products may include filled bagel products.
Traditionally, bagel products are prepared by simmering them in boiling water prior to baking. In particular, bagels are typically boiled for between and 30 and 120 seconds on each side thereof prior to baking. After boiling, the bagels may be permitted to drain for a short period followed by a baking cycle that conventionally comprises baking at 400° F. for about 25 minutes. During the boiling step, the bagel is believed to expand to its ultimate desired geometry. Then, upon baking, excess surface moisture is driven off and the crust setting takes place. No significant expansion is believed to occur during the baking step. Thus, the desired product geometry, flavor and texture is achieved.
As an alternative method of making bagel products, steam baking has been utilized to provide a similar result. In steam baking, a baking chamber is saturated with moist air or steam so that the surface of the bagel product is exposed to sufficient water for enough time to permit the dough to expand to its desired geometry and after which the crust can set. In other words, steam injection provides sufficient water to keep the bagel product in a moist environment for delaying the setting of the outer structure of the bagel product so that it can expand sufficiently before forming an outer shell. Such cooking also results in the desired texture and sheen attributes associated with such bagel products.
For example, a conventional rack oven can be provided with steam injection through associated steam coils. A suitable rack oven can be obtained, for example, from Gemini Bakery Equipment Company of Philadelphia, Pa. In such conventional baking chambers, sufficient moisture (i.e., steam) must be provided to fill the entire baking chamber to ensure that the desired moisture quantity is provided around the bagel product during cooking. In particular, that means that the entire oven baking chamber should be filled with an air/steam mixture to the saturation level of the steam. This technique, although effective, requires a high usage of steam (because the entire baking chamber is filled) thereby requiring a relatively large steam generation capacity. Furthermore, saturating the entire internal baking chamber of an oven with steam can very detrimentally affect the oven, particularly over the long term.
Yet another alternative for making bagel products is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,180 to Lonergan, which is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and the disclosure of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. Disclosed in the Lonergan patent are certain glazes that have been developed for the purpose of mimicking the effect of boiling or steam baking. The glazes are designed to maintain excess water on the bagel products surface for long enough to permit the dough to expand to its desired geometry prior to the crust setting and to make the desired chewy texture. With such glazes, the boiling step can be eliminated. By baking the bagel products with an applied glaze under otherwise normal baking conditions and in a conventional oven, certain desirable bagel characteristics can be attained. Such process, however, requires the time and cost requirements of the ingredients in making such a glaze and applying such a glaze to the product dough prior to being cooked.
Dough products other than the bagel products discussed above are known to be cooked in such conventional ovens without the provision of any steam at all. That is, many dough products are cooked without the presence of moisture or steam because they do not intend to have the texture and sheen attributes associated with bagel-like products. All sorts of conventional ovens (both commercial and household types) have been developed including a wide variety of different types of baking chambers that are suitable and adjustable for a very wide variety of dough products.
One specific type of oven that has been developed for commercial use has found acceptance in baking other dough products where speed of the baking is desired while maintaining other specific baking characteristics. Gas impingement baking ovens have been developed that rely on a convective heat transfer mechanism for quickly and accurately cooking dough products as they pass through the oven on a conveyor. Specifically, a typical impingement oven utilizes high velocity, low mass hot gas is directed at the food product through nozzles. This heated gas may be directed to impinge the food product from one or both sides thereof. If directed from both sides, the conveyor permits the gas to pass to impinge on the supported side of the food product. Columnar gas streams or jets are provided for impinge in one or both sides of the food product during the baking process. Nozzles or fingers having an array of nozzle orifices that extend over and/or under the food product transfer conveyor are utilized for providing a dispersed heated gas supply mechanism. The baking chamber's thereof may additionally be heated by other means, but preferably, the food product cooking is primarily accomplished by convective heat transfer from the heated gas columns or streams. Impingement ovens can be obtained, for example, from APV Baker Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., under the trade names “Jet Sweep” or “Enerjet.”
In certain baking si
Corcoran Karyl M.
Kempf Thomas P.
Newbery Desmond
Cano Milton I.
Kagan Binder PLLC
Madsen Robert A
The Pillsbury Company
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