Method for controlling the surface bubbling of fabricated snack products

A process for preparing fried chip products having a controlled level of bubbling on the exterior thereof, said process comprising:

• a. preparing a sheeted dough having from about 30% to about 55% moisture;
• b. forming said dough into a dough sheet having upper and lower dough surface portions and an inner dough portion, said dough sheet having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and dividing said dough sheet into individual dough preforms;
• c. treating at least one of the upper and lower dough surface portions immediately prior to frying to reduce the moisture of said at least one dough surface portion to a moisture content substantially lower than the moisture content of the inner dough portion;
• and
• d. frying the dough preforms at a moisture content of between about 30% and 45% without substantial moisture equilibration between said at least one dough surface portion and the inner dough portion, such that steam produced within the inner dough portion during frying is retained within said inner dough portion and upon expansion creates bubbles on the surface of at least one dough surface portion.

A process for preparing fried chip products having a controlled level of bubbling on the exterior thereof, said process comprising:

• a. preparing a sheeted dough having from about 30% to about 55% moisture;
• b. forming said dough into a dough sheet having upper and lower dough surface portions and an inner dough portion, said dough sheet having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm;
• c. treating the dough sheet to reduce the moisture of the upper and lower dough surface portions to a moisture content substantially lower than the moisture content of the inner dough portion;
• and
• d. frying the dough sheet without substantial moisture equilibration between the upper and lower dough surface portions and the inner dough portion, such that steam produced within the inner dough portion during frying is retained within said inner dough portion and upon expansion creates a first bubble portion extending through only one of the upper or lower dough surface portions, and a second bubble portion having bubbles extending through both of the upper and lower dough surface portions.

A process for preparing fried chip products having a controlled level of bubbling on the exterior thereof, said process comprising:

• a. sheeting a dough having from about 30% to about 55% moisture;
• b. forming said dough into a dough sheet having upper and lower dough surface portions and an inner dough portion, said dough sheet having a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm;
• and
• c. treating the dough sheet to reduce the moisture of the upper and lower dough surface portions to a moisture content substantially lower than the moisture content of the inner dough portion, said dough sheet losing from about 0.1 to about 0.35 pounds of water per pound of solids content in said dough sheet.

A sheeted dough preform which when fried produces a chip product having a controlled, predetermined level of surface bubbling, said dough preform immediately prior to frying comprising:

• a. an inner dough portion;
• b. upper and lower dough surface portions surrounding the inner dough portion, said upper and lower dough surface portions having a moisture content substantially lower than the moisture content of the inner dough portion, and said upper and lower dough portions having been case hardened by selective removal of moisture therefrom;
• and
• c. said dough preform having dockering holes therein having a density of less than about 160 holes per square inch of dough surface.