Continuous dough developing process and apparatus

A continuous dough developing process including the steps of:

• feeding continuously to a continuous developing apparatus mixed dough including ingredients of flour, water, yeast, ascorbic acid and other ingredients which have been mixed sufficiently prior to said feeding to combine the ingredients;
• feeding oxygen gas on the order of about 0.9 liters per kilogram of dough to the mixed dough as the mixed dough is fed through the developing apparatus;
• mixing continuously within the developing apparatus the oxygen and the dough with a mixing rotor to impart a shearing action between mixing means and the dough and thereby distribute the oxygen evenly throughout the dough to enable the dough to react with the ascorbic acid, flour and other ingredients;
• and
• without gelatinization of the dough extruding the dough continuously directly into individual units for subsequent baking.

A continuous dough developing process including the steps of:

• feeding continuously to a continuous developing apparatus mixed dough including ingredients of flour, water, yeast, ascorbic acid and other ingredients which have been mixed sufficiently prior to said feeding to combine the ingredients;
• feeding oxygen gas on the order of about 0.9 liters per kilogram of dough to the mixed dough as the mixed dough is fed through the developing apparatus;
• mixing continuously within the developing apparatus the oxygen and the dough with a mixing rotor to impart a shearing action between mixing means and the dough and thereby distribute the oxygen evenly throughout the dough to enable the dough to react with the ascorbic acid, flour and other ingredients;
• and
• without gelatinization of the dough extruding the dough continuously directly into individual units for subsequent baking further comprising performing said mixing of said dough and oxygen in a developing apparatus including:
• a generally cylindrical mixer having an inner surface;
• a plurality of inwardly directed pins disposed on said inner surface;
• an internal rotor having a periphery, positioned within said cylindrical mixer;
• and
• a plurality of outwardly extending pins disposed on the periphery and positioned relative to the inwardly directed pins of said rotor to produce said shearing action in the dough fed thereinto, and thereby mixing the oxygen gas evenly throughout the dough while imparting between approximately 5 and 12 watt-hours per kilogram of work to the dough.

A continuous process for the production of bread dough comprising the steps of:

• feeding to a continuous developing apparatus dough including ingredients of flour, water, yeast, a reduction/oxidation reagent selected from a group including ascorbic acid, and other substances which have been mixed sufficiently prior to said feeding to combine the ingredients;
• feeding oxygen gas at a rate on the order of about 0.9 liters per kilogram of dough to the dough as the dough is fed to the developing apparatus;
• mixing within the developing apparatus the oxygen and the dough with a mixing rotor which imparts a high shearing action between mixing means and the dough to thereby develop the dough and distribute the oxygen evenly throughout the dough to enable the oxygen to react with the reduction/oxidation reagent, flour and other substances;
• extruding the dough without gelatinization of the dough from the developing apparatus;
• and
• immediately as the dough leaves the developing apparatus dividing the dough to form individual pieces in preparation for baking wherein the amount of work imparted to the dough during said mixing step is between 5 and 12 watt hours per kilogram of dough.

A continuous process for the production of bread comprising the steps of:

• feeding to a continuous developing apparatus dough including ingredients of flour, water, yeast, a reduction/oxidation reagent selected from a group including ascorbic acid, and other substances which have been mixed sufficiently prior to said feeding to combine the ingredients;
• feeding oxygen gas at a rate on the order of about 0.9 liters per kilogram of dough to the dough as the dough is fed to the developing apparatus;
• mixing within the developing apparatus the oxygen and the dough with a mixing rotor which imparts a high shearing action between mixing means and the dough to thereby develop the dough and distribute the oxygen evenly throughout the dough to enable the oxygen to react with the reduction/oxidation reagent, flour and other substances;
• extruding the dough without gelatinization of the dough from the developing apparatus;
• immediately the dough leaves the developing apparatus dividing the dough to form individual pieces;
• and
• processing the individual pieces in known manner through to baking to form bread.