Continuous high-speed cooking and cooling method using pre-heated ingredients and predetermined radiant heating patterns for the production of tortillas and similar products

The method for high-speed cooking of tortilla dough blanks to consistently produce cooked tortillas each having a moist cooked interior layer surrounded by browned top and bottom skin-like layers, possessing sufficient flexibility for rolling and having the top skin-like layer blistered away from the moist cooked interior layer and in which the top skin-like layer has enough integrity, flexibility and self-supporting strength that it can be lifted away from the interior layer by the consumer for inserting edible fillings, said method comprising the steps of

• conveying tortilla dough blanks top surface up along a first path extending generally horizontally beneath a first sequence of infrared heaters which direct infrared radiant energy downwardly onto the top surfaces of the tortilla blanks,
• said infrared heaters of said first sequence being at temperatures in the range from 1,200.degree. F to 1,800.degree. F,
• said first sequence of infrared heaters initially applying intensive radiant heating effect to the top surfaces of said tortilla dough blanks and thereafter applying progressively decreasing radiant heating effect to said top surfaces, as said blanks are conveyed along said first path, for searing and cooking said top surfaces in order to begin forming a skin thereon,
• turning said blanks over after they have completed said first path for facing upwardly the bottom surfaces of the inverted blanks,
• conveying the inverted blanks in the oven along a second path extending generally horizontally beneath a second sequence of infrared heaters which direct infrared radiation downwardly onto the bottom surfaces of the tortilla blanks,
• said infrared heaters of said second sequence being at temperatures in the range from 1,200.degree. F and 1,800.degree. F,
• said second sequence of infrared heaters initially applying intensive radiant heating effect to said bottom surfaces and thereafter applying progressively decreasing radiant heating effect to said bottom surfaces, as said inverted blanks are conveyed along said second path, for searing and cooking said bottom surfaces in order to form a skin thereon,
• turning said blanks over after they have completed said second path for again facing upwardly the top surfaces of the blanks,
• conveying the blanks in the oven along a third path extending generally horizontally beneath a third sequence of infrared heaters which direct infrared radiant energy downwardly onto the top surfaces of the tortilla blanks,
• said infrared heaters of said third sequence being at temperatures in the range from 1,200.degree. F to 1,800.degree. F,
• said third sequence of infrared heaters initially applying intensive radiant heating effect to said top surfaces and thereafter applying progressively decreasing radiant heating effect to said top surfaces, as said blanks are conveyed along said third path, for completing the formation of top browned skins on the tortillas and for forming steam beneath said top browned skins for blistering them away from a moist interior layer with said top browned skins in the tortillas after cooling to room temperature having sufficient integrity, flexibility and self-supporting strength to be lifted away from the moist interior layer if desired by the consumer inserting edible fillings into the tortilla, and
• after completion of said third path conveying each cooked tortilla separate from other cooked tortillas for individually exposing them on both surfaces through air to cool the cooked tortillas to room temperature and to allow residual moisture to escape from them so that they can thereafter be stacked up without sticking together.