Machines and methods for making flatbreads

A machine for preparing flatbread, comprising:

• a hopper comprising a mixing chamber configured for bulk addition of raw materials for preparation of a plurality of flatbread pieces, the raw materials comprising at least flour, water and oil, and where each of the raw materials are not each engageably stored with the machine prior to addition of the raw materials to the hopper, wherein the hopper comprises a gate separating the mixing chamber of the hopper from an extrusion trough including a conveying screw configured to extrude a flatbread dough mixture for cutting by a cutting device;
• a mixing assembly in operational communication with the hopper, the mixing assembly configured to blend the raw materials in the mixing chamber, wherein the raw materials are mixed for a time period suitable to allow the raw materials to be mixed into the flatbread dough mixture;
• a dough piecing assembly in operational communication with the mixing assembly, the dough piecing assembly configured to generate a dough piece from the flatbread dough mixture, the dough piecing assembly comprising the cutting device that cuts an extruded portion of the flatbread dough mixture to produce the dough piece;
• a dough pressing assembly in operational communication with the dough piecing assembly, the dough pressing assembly comprising a pressing platen configured to apply suitable pressure to the dough piece to form a pressed flatbread dough piece on a dough contacting surface of a lower platen located below the pressing platen, the dough contacting surface comprising a substantially non-stick surface;
• a cooking zone in operational communication with the dough pressing assembly, where the lower platen is configured to transfer the pressed flatbread dough piece to the cooking zone on the dough contacting surface, the cooking zone comprising a heating element located below the lower platen opposite the dough contacting surface, the heating element configured to maintain a cooking temperature while the pressed flatbread dough piece is located in the cooking zone;
• and
• a flatbread election station configured to remove a cooked flatbread from the machine.

A process of making a plurality of flatbread pieces, comprising:

• adding bulk raw materials to a mixing chamber of a hopper of a flatbread machine, the raw materials comprising flour, water and oil and, optionally, salt, where each of the added raw materials are not engageably stored with the flatbread machine prior to addition of the raw materials to the hopper;
• mixing the raw materials in the mixing chamber for a time period suitable to allow the raw materials to blend into a flatbread dough mixture, where the raw materials are mixed when a hopper lid is in a closed position over the mixing chamber and a user activates operation of the flatbread machine;
• generating a dough piece by cutting an extruded portion of the flatbread dough mixture with a cutting device, the dough piece deposited on a dough contacting surface of a lower platen for pressing, the dough contacting surface comprising a substantially non-stick surface;
• pressing the dough piece with a pressing platen to form a pressed flatbread dough piece on the dough contacting surface of the lower platen, the pressing platen configured to apply suitable pressure to the dough piece to form the pressed flatbread dough piece with a specified thickness;
• transferring the pressed flatbread dough piece to a cooking zone on the dough contacting surface of the lower platen, the cooking zone comprising a heating element located below the lower platen opposite the dough contacting surface, the heating element configured to maintain a cooking temperature while the pressed flatbread dough piece is located in the cooking zone for a specified time period;
• heating the pressed flatbread dough piece on a cooking surface of a lower cooking platform with a radiant heating element positioned over the cooking surface prior to ejecting a cooked flatbread piece from the flatbread machine;
• and
• electing the cooked flatbread piece from the flatbread machine after cooking the pressed flatbread dough piece in the cooking zone.