Rotary dough cutter and method of operation

A rotary dough cutter comprising:

• a shaft;
• a plurality of walls extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the plurality of walls are configured to cut a plurality of dough pieces from a dough sheet, the plurality of walls define a plurality of dough cutter molds arranged in a tessellated pattern, the plurality of dough cutter molds include a first dough cutter mold and a second dough cutter mold, each of the first and second dough cutter molds is defined by at least five of the plurality of walls, and a first wall of the plurality of walls defines part of both the first dough cutter mold and the second dough cutter mold;
• and
• a plurality of interior blades extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the plurality of interior blades are configured to score the plurality of dough pieces so to cut into but not all the way through the dough sheet, and each of the plurality of interior blades is located in one of the plurality of dough cutter molds wherein each of the plurality of interior blades is shorter in height than a height of each of the plurality of the walls.

A method of producing a plurality of dough pieces using a rotary dough cutter including a shaft, a plurality of walls extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the plurality of walls are configured to cut a plurality of dough pieces from a dough sheet, the plurality of walls define a plurality of dough cutter molds each having an interior surface that is curved, the plurality of dough cutter molds include a first dough cutter mold and a second dough cutter mold, each of the first and second dough cutter molds is defined by at least five of the plurality of walls, and a first wall of the plurality of walls defines part of both the first dough cutter mold and the second dough cutter mold, and a plurality of interior blades extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the plurality of interior blades are configured to score the plurality of dough pieces so to cut into but not all the way through the dough sheet, and each of the plurality of interior blades is located in one of the plurality of dough cutter molds wherein each of the plurality of interior blades in height is shorter than a height of each of the plurality of the walls and each of the plurality of interior blades is integrated with the respective curved interior surface of the one of the plurality of dough cutter molds, the method comprising:

• cutting the plurality of dough pieces from a dough sheet with the plurality of walls;
• and
• scoring the plurality of dough pieces with the plurality of interior blades upon cutting the plurality of dough pieces from the dough sheet.