Heat-Treated Flour
AssigneeRich Products Corporation
InventorJohn S. Roberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved method for heat treating flour. The resulting flour has increased moisture absorption and increased strength. Dough made from the heat-treated flour has improved performance, and baked goods made from the heat-treated flour have improved properties relative to dough and baked goods made from untreated flour.
Claims19
A method for heat-treating flour comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a flour, said flour at ambient temperature of 65° F.-85° F. having a moisture content of about 6%-18%;
- b) thermally heating said flour in a single heat-treating system such that said moisture content of said flour is reduced to about 1-6%;
- and,
- c) cooling said heat-treated flour in an environment that minimizes reabsorption of moisture into said heat-treated flour such that the percentage increase in moisture of said heat-treated flour is no more than about 30% and/or the weight percent moisture increase is no more than about 3%, and the final moisture content of said cooled heat-treated flour is about 1-7%.
A dough that includes heat-treated flour comprising a majority weight percent flour that is not heat treated, about 0.1 wt % to 30 wt % heat-treated flour, water and one or more additives selected from the group consisting of leavening agents, vitamins, minerals, salts, enzymes, fat, protein, sweetener, preservatives, flavoring agents, starch, emulsifiers and stabilizers, said heat-treated flour having a moisture content of about 1-7%, said heat-treated flour having a moisture content that is 15%-98% less than that of said flour that is not heat treated, said heat-treated flour having a particle size distribution such that greater than 50% of said heat-treated flour has particles from about 90-150 microns, an amount of denatured protein in said heat-treated flour is about 7%-20%, less than about 5% of starch in said heat-treated flour is gelatinized, and said heat-treated flour has a Aw of about 0.1-0.5.
A method for forming a baked dough product from frozen dough comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a dough in frozen form, said dough comprising non-heat-treated flour, heat-treated flour, water and one more additives selected from the group consisting of leavening agent, vitamins, minerals, salts, enzymes, fat, protein, sweetener, preservatives, flavoring agents, starch, emulsifiers and stabilizers, said dough including a majority weight percent non-heat-treated flour and about 0.1 wt % to 30 wt % heat-treated flour, said heat-treated flour has a moisture content of about 1-7%, said heat-treated flour having a moisture content that is 15%-98% less than said non-heat-treated flour, said heat-treated flour has a particle size distribution such that greater than 50% of said heat-treated flour has particles from about 90-150 microns, an amount of denatured protein in said heat-treated flour is about 7%-20%, less than about 5% of starch in said heat-treated flour is gelatinized, and said heat-treated flour has a Aw of about 0.1-0.5;
- b. at least partially thawing frozen dough;
- c. proofing said dough;
- and,
- d. baking said dough to form said baked dough product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.