Method and apparatus for producing thin sheets of starch containing food material

A method of producing a continuous thin sheet of farinaceous material of a thickness of between 0.1 and 3 mm from a farinaceous dough, comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus comprising, closely juxtaposed, a top substantially horizontal pair of rollers, and either an additional roller located centrally beneath said top rollers, or an additional pair of rollers located directly beneath said top rollers, the three or four rollers defining a central region for receiving the dough;
• rotating said rollers such that dough enters a gap between the two top rollers and exits a gap between a top roller and the bottom roller in the case of one bottom roller, or exits two gaps between both adjacent top and bottom rollers in the case of two bottom rollers, other openings between said rollers to the central region being effectively sealed;
• selectively adjusting the gaps between adjacent rollers to maintain positive hydrostatic pressure in the central region between the rollers, and wherein said pressure is maintained and regulated by altering said gap between two rollers through which a sheet exits, by means of a spring, or hydraulic or pneumatic device, such that if said pressure increases above a preset value the rollers move apart, or if said pressure falls below another preset value the rollers move closer together;
• feeding the dough into the central region via the gap between the top rotating rollers;
• and
• producing a thin sheet of farinaceous material through the gap between one or two bottom rollers and the adjacent top rollers, while maintaining the positive hydrostatic pressure within said central region.

A method of making a baked or fried product from a farinaceous dough, comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus comprising, closely juxtaposed, a top substantially horizontal pair of rollers, and either an additional roller located centrally beneath said top rollers, or an additional pair of rollers located directly beneath said top rollers, the three or four rollers defining a central region for receiving the dough;
• rotating said rollers such that dough enters a gap between the two top rollers and exits a gap between a top roller and the bottom roller in the case of one bottom roller, or exits two gaps between both adjacent top and bottom rollers in the case of two bottom rollers, other openings between said rollers to the central region being effectively sealed;
• selectively adjusting the gaps between adjacent rollers to maintain positive hydrostatic pressure in the central region between the rollers, and wherein said pressure is maintained and regulated by altering said gap between two rollers through which a sheet exits, by means of a spring, or hydraulic or pneumatic device, such that if said pressure increases above a preset value the rollers move apart, or if said pressure falls below another preset value the rollers move closer together;
• feeding the dough into the central region via the gap between the top rotating rollers;
• producing a continuous thin sheet of farinaceous material of a thickness of between 0.1 and 3 mm through the gap between one or two bottom rollers and the adjacent top rollers, while maintaining the positive hydrostatic pressure within said central region;
• and
• cutting said sheet to obtain individual shaped pieces, and baking or frying said pieces to obtain a baked or fried product.

A method for making a hollow three dimensional food product from a farinaceous dough, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus comprising, closely juxtaposed, a top substantially horizontal pair of rollers, and either an additional roller located centrally beneath said top rollers, or an additional pair of rollers located directly beneath said top rollers, the three or four rollers defining a central region for receiving the dough;
• rotating said rollers such that dough enters a gap between the two top rollers and exits a gap between a top roller and the bottom roller in the case of one bottom roller, or exits two gaps between both adjacent top and bottom rollers in the case of two bottom rollers, other openings between said rollers to the central region being effectively sealed;
• selectively adjusting the gaps between adjacent rollers to maintain positive hydrostatic pressure in the central region between the rollers;
• maintaining and regulating said pressure by altering said gap between two rollers through which a sheet exits, by means of a spring, or hydraulic or pneumatic device, such that if said pressure increases above a preset value the rollers move apart, or if said pressure falls below another preset value the rollers move closer together;
• feeding the dough into the central region via the gap between the top rotating rollers;
• producing a continuous thin sheet of farinaceous material of a thickness of between 0.1 and 3 mm through the gap between one or two bottom rollers and the adjacent top rollers, while maintaining the positive hydrostatic pressure within said central region;
• positioning two sheets of said material contiguously to form a layered material;
• cutting the layered material to obtain shaped pieces with the peripheral edges of the shaped pieces completely sealed all around;
• and
• baking or frying said shaped pieces such that steam generated within the shaped pieces causes the pieces to expand and form a hollow three dimensional food product.