# US 10,863,750 B2 · Pizza dough press apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,750 B2 - Document ID: US10863750B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/908,719 - Filed: 2020-06-22 - Published: 2020-10-08 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-31 - Assignees: MHI Restaurant Group LLC - Applicants: Jeff Miceli - Inventors: Jeff Miceli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863750B2 ## CPC - A21C 11/006: {by pressing or press-moulding (A21C11/008 takes precedence)} - A21C: MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH ## Abstract The present disclosure is directed to press systems and methods for forming pliable material, such as dough, into a specifically-designed shape for allowing hand-stretching of the pliable material after pressed by the press system. In some examples, the press system may be manually operated, automatically or hydraulically assisted, and/or mechanically assisted. The press assembly of the press systems disclosed herein may include a press mold having a contoured or multifaceted shape designed to form a finished dough, such as a pizza crust, having a thicker central portion, a relatively thinned intermediate portion, and a thicker edge portion at a perimeter of the pizza crust. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A press system configured for pressing a dough, comprising: a press assembly comprising a press mold comprising a central portion having a first dimension, an edge portion having a second dimension, and an intermediate portion having a third dimension and comprising a first angled surface and a second angled surface, wherein the first angled surface is inclined at a first angle with respect to a horizontal plane and the second angled surface is inclined at a second angle with respect to the horizontal plane; an expansion cavity defined by the central portion configured to receive at least a portion of the dough when the press system impinges the dough; wherein the intermediate portion is provided radially between the central portion and the edge portion, and the third dimension is greater than the first and second dimensions; and wherein the first angled surface and second angled surface are selected such that the intermediate portion is substantially flat or concave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is between 3 degrees and 45 degrees and the second angle is between 3 degrees and 45 degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, wherein the first angled surface is provided proximate the central portion and the second angle surface is provided radially outward of the first angled surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A press system according to claim 3, wherein the first angled surface and the second angled surface form a continuous press surface in the intermediate portion of the press mold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, further comprising: a handle; one or more handle mounts coupled to the handle and the press mold and configured to secure the handle to the press mold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, wherein the press mold is selectively removable from the press assembly. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, further comprising: a pan configured to receive the dough and having a first lateral dimension; wherein the press mold includes a second lateral dimension, the second lateral dimension being smaller than the first lateral dimension to form a gap between the pan and the press mold when a press mold is provided in the pan. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A press system according to claim 7, wherein the press mold is provided in the pan. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, further comprising a piston and an automatic press. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A press system according to claim 9, wherein the automatic press is hydraulically or electrically actuated and configured impart a linear displacement on the piston. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A press system according to claim 9, wherein the piston is coupled to the press mold and is configured to impart linear displacement on the press mold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, wherein the dough is pizza dough. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A press system according to claim 12, wherein the press system is configured to form a pizza crust from the dough, the pizza crust including a central portion having a first thickness, an intermediate portion having a second thickness, and an edge portion having a third thickness, wherein the first and third thicknesses are greater than the second thickness. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A press system according to claim 13, wherein the central portion is configured to enable hand-stretching of the pizza crust while reducing tearing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A press system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second angles are selected based on a moisture content and/or a proofing time of the dough. ### Claim 16 A method of molding a dough using a press assembly, comprising: placing the dough in a pan; placing the press assembly into the pan, wherein the dough is disposed between a bottom interior surface of the pan and the press assembly, the press assembly comprising a press mold including a first angled surface inclined at a first angle, a second angled surface inclined at a second angle, wherein the first and second angled surfaces are provided at an intermediate portion between a central portion and an edge portion of the press mold; applying a force to the press assembly in the direction of the bottom interior surface, wherein the application of force causes the first angled surface to force a portion of the dough toward an expansion cavity provided at the central portion of the press mold; retracting the press assembly from the pan, wherein the dough has a first thickness at a central portion that is greater than a second thickness of an adjacent portion circumscribing the central portion after retracting the press assembly; wherein the first angled surface and second angled surface are selected such that the intermediate portion is substantially flat or concave. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: pre-shaping the ball of dough using a flat press, a sheeter, or hand-stretching to create a substantially uniform thickness prior to placing the dough in the pan. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: hand-stretching the dough after removing the dough from the pan to create a substantially uniform thickness across a base of a pizza crust. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the press assembly is manually operated. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the press assembly is automatically operated.