Refrigerated dough package and method

A packaging system for storage of refrigerated, chemically leavened dough products comprising:

• (a) a substantially rigid tray having at least one well for receiving a chemically leavened dough product, said tray having a bottom wall and upstanding peripheral side walls;
• (b) a leavened unbaked dough product deposited within said well, said dough product having a size to allow a headspace of at least about 10% of the depth of the well, the leavening of said unbaked dough product being at least partially reacted to provide carbon dioxide distributed throughout said dough product;
• (c) a gas from a source outside the tray displacing the ambient air in said headspace, said gas consisting essentially of carbon dioxide or a carbon dioxide and inert gas mixture disposed in said headspace of said tray in a volume ratio of carbon dioxide in the headspace of the tray to carbon dioxide in the dough product of from about 0.3:1 to about 1.7:1 to inhibit the leavening reaction of the unbaked dough product to prevent further production of carbon dioxide in the dough product and to maintain the leavening capability of the unbaked dough over the shelf life of the dough product;
• and
• (d) a hermetically sealed cover extending over at least the top of said side walls to define a chamber containing said unbaked dough product and a headspace containing said gas surrounding said dough product.