Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of farinaceous cereal or cereal material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2002-05-21
Tran, Lien (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Fermentation processes
Of farinaceous cereal or cereal material
C426S008000, C426S061000, C426S062000, C426S128000, C426S393000, C426S496000, C426S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06391350
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a method for the pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough, which, in this specification, means unshaped dough with no particular form.
BACKGROUND ART
A chunk of frozen bread dough is usually taken out from a freezer or a refrigerated warehouse, and thawed out in a room(a room temperature method) or in a proofer (a thawing and proofing method). After the completion of thawing, dough with a temperature of between 0° C.~20° C. is put in a proofer for a final proofing process. The thawing may be finished in 1~3 hours in these methods. However, since the surface of the bread dough will be seriously dampened in these methods, a precaution has to be taken against the dampness, including the covering of the bread dough with a sheet of plastic film.
Recently, a thawing method using a retarder is adopted for relieving workers of their early morning shift, in which the thawing process is carried out for 6~24 hours at a temperature range of 0° C.~5° C. Further, a dough conditioner is used in which the retarder is equipped with a computer system, enabling a continuous and automated processes of thawing and final proofing.
Japanese Patent Publication Hei.6-36707 discloses a thawing method, comprising heating shaped and frozen bread dough for 2~6 hours up to a temperature of 10° C. at an average temperature-raising rate of 0.07~0.28° C./min and a relative humidity of 70~100%, and further keeping it for 10 min~6 hours at a temperature of 10° C.~20° C. and a relative humidity of 70~100%.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Hei.5-64539 discloses a bread-making method, comprising thawing with retardation frozen bread dough for 10 min~72 hours at a temperature of −5~10° C./min, a relative humidity of 90~100% and ventilation rate of 0.2 m/s or less, pre-heating it for one hour and 20 min~2 hours and 10 min up to a temperature of 15~20° C., heating it for 20 min~one hours and 10 min up to a temperature of 22~40° C., keeping it for 20 min~3 hours at the same temperature, and then baking the bread dough.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Hei.7-155100 discloses a method of keeping bread in a suitable condition for baking for a long period of time, comprising keeping the bread at a temperature of 0~18° C. after final proofing in order to inhibit the activity of bakers' yeast.
Japanese Patent No. 2729669 discloses a method for the pre-baking treatment of frozen bread dough comprising adjusting a thawing condition for each of different kinds of bread that need different time for their final proofing, so that their final proofing may be done simultaneously.
The purpose of the present invention is first to simplify complicated pre-baking work, secondly to standardize the pre-baking work of various kinds of bread dough in order to simultaneously carry out their pre-baking, and finally to increase baking frequency of bread dough.
By utilizing a chunk of frozen bread dough, it will be possible to simplify the work in a bakery and to significantly reduce the workload, when compared with a conventional scratch baking method wherein all the processes from mixing to baking are continuously in store. Without a specialized apparatus such as a mixer or proofer, and a professional baker or artisan having a specialized technique, it would be therefore possible to make bread with a small amount of investment and working space.
However, even if the chunk of frozen bread dough is used at a usual bakery where 60~100 kinds of bread are made, they can not be produced more than twice per day so that freshly baked bread can hardly be always provided to customers all the day.
The reasons for that may be as follows, for example: First, according to the conventional pre-baking treatment methods, the thawing and shaping processes have to be repeated for each baking process, and it is actually impossible to frequently repeat the processes; second, since each kind of bread items needs different time for their thawing and final proofing processes, an individual treatment will be required for each kind of bread. As a result, the number of working processes and working frequency will be increased and working processes will be more complicated as the number of the bread items are increased.
It is therefore desirable to simplify the working for bread making by continuously carrying out thawing and proofing processes, and keeping the proofed bread dough for a certain period of time so that the following final proofing and baking can be done at any optional time.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a method for the pre-baking treatment of a chunk of frozen bread dough, comprising continuously carrying out a thawing process and a proofing process of the chunk of frozen bread dough in a container while keeping its inner temperature at a range of 17~40° C., preferably of 22~35° C. and its inner relative humidity at a range of 50~75%, preferably of 60~65%, and after the completion of the proofing, lowering its inner temperature to a range of —20~15° C., preferably of 0~10° C. at a lowering rate of 0.2° C./min or more, preferably 0.4° C./min or more while controlling the difference between a dew point in the container and a temperature on the bread surface within 20° C. or less, preferably 15° C. or less so that the condition of the bread dough may be maintained, followed by a shaping process and a final proofing process.
According to the present invention, it is possible to continuously carry out the thawing and proofing processes of the chunk of frozen bread dough by putting the bread dough in a container whose inner temperature and relative humidity have already been set at desired ranges without necessity of any further change of its temperature or relative humidity thereafter.
An “inner relative humidity” means that of air in the container and is an average value subjected to fluctuation at a range of about ±10%.
The time required for the thawing and proofing under the high temperature and low relative humidity in the present invention may be optionally determined by those skilled in the art, usually ranging from several tens minutes to about 10 hours, preferably from about 2 to 4 hours. The time required for the maintaining and proofing under the low temperature and high relative humidity in the present invention may be optionally determined by those skilled in the art, too, usually ranging from about 30 min to about 24 hours, preferably from about 2 to 6 hours.
If the bread dough is maintained at a higher temperature than said range for a long period of time, it will be over-proofed and cause disadvantages such as insufficiency in baking color and sweetness.
According to the present invention, the temperature or relative humidity in the container during the thawing and proofing processes is not necessarily kept at a constant level, either, as long as they are kept at the above ranges.
It is not necessary to keep the lowing rate of the temperature at a constant level, either, but may change gradually or continuously in the above range.
According to the present invention, bread dough with an excellent shaping-workability and an appropriate moistness will be produced in a container by thawing and proofing a chunk of frozen bread dough in the container under a high temperature and a low relative humidity, and maintaining the condition of the bread dough to continue the proofing under a low temperature and a high relative humidity for a certain period of time.
Further, any precautions to prevent the dampness on the surface of the bread dough, such as covering it with a sheet of plastic film, are not necessary, so that the workability and sanitation will be improved.
The maintenance of the bread dough under a proofing condition for several hours after the thawing and proofing in the present invention will produce a proofing taste and give a sufficient degree of proofing, resolving the problem of irregularity in thawing that was found in the prior methods. And the bread dough with a stable temperature may be given, which can also be final
Adachi Yoshiji
Iwashita Yushi
Ajinomoto Co. Inc.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Tran Lien
LandOfFree
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