US 5,514,397 AGranted

Process for making a layered dough sheet product

AssigneeHoly Ravioli Pasta Company

InventorLorenzo A. Shapiro

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A process for making dough products having alternating bands with different characteristics, such as color, flavor or composition, includes several processing steps. First, a plurality of dough masses are formed into dough sheets of an initial thickness with each dough sheet having a selected characteristic. The dough sheets are layered on top of one another into a composite sheet having outer exposed surfaces. The composite sheet is cut through its thickness into a plurality of elongated strips, and these strips are laid on their sides with the uncut surfaces of the strips, as defined by the former exposed surfaces of the composite sheet, being placed in contact with one another to form an ensemble sheet. The ensemble sheet is then compressed to reduce the ensemble sheet thickness and to Join the strips to produce a production sheet. Roll forming may be used to produce the production sheet. The uncut surfaces of the strips may be coated with a material to increase their adherence to one another. The production sheet may be cut into an uncooked food piece of a selected shape which may then be cooked. An enclosure may be formed out of a pair of panels, at least one of which is formed from the production sheet, and the interior of the enclosure may be filled with a food filling. Products according to this process are also described.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A process for making a production sheet of dough that may be used to produce a multi-banded product that has alternating bands with differing characteristics, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming each of a plurality of initial dough masses respectively into a plurality of initial dough sheets which each respectively has a selected initial thickness, wherein at least some of said dough masses have different characteristics and wherein said dough masses are of sufficient consistency to be formed into said initial dough sheets;
(b) layering said plurality of initial dough sheets, one on top of another, to form a composite sheet having a composite thickness which is the sum of the initial thicknesses of said plurality of initial dough sheets and which has outer opposite surfaces defined by exposed surfaces of outermost layers of said initial dough sheets;
(c) cutting said composite sheet into a plurality of elongated strips each having cut surfaces of a width equal to the composite thickness and uncut surfaces which are defined by a portion of the outer opposite surfaces of said composite sheet, each of said elongated strips thereby formed of ribbon-like portions of said initial sheets;
(d) arranging said plurality of elongated strips into an ensemble sheet wherein the uncut surfaces of adjacent elongated strips are in contact with one another such that the ribbon-like portions of each of the initial sheets extend between top and bottom surfaces of said ensemble sheet as defined by the cut surfaces of said elongated strips, said ensemble sheet having an ensemble sheet thickness between said top and bottom surfaces;
and then
(e) compressing said ensemble sheet by reducing the ensemble sheet thickness with said elongated strips joining with one another to form a production sheet, said production sheet thereby having a plurality of bands of dough extending therethrough with said bands having said different characteristics.

3 more elements

A process for making a filled food product which has a first sheet of dough that is multi-banded with layers of differing characteristics, a second sheet of dough joined to said first sheet to define an enclosed interior and a food filling located in the interior, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming each of a plurality of initial dough masses respectively into a plurality of initial dough sheets which each respectively has a selected initial thickness, wherein at least some of said dough masses have different characteristics and wherein said dough masses are of sufficient consistency to be formed into said initial dough sheets;
(b) layering said plurality of initial dough sheets, one on top of another, to form a composite sheet having a composite thickness which is the sum of the initial thicknesses of said plurality of initial dough sheets and which has outer opposite surfaces defined by exposed surfaces of outermost layers of said initial dough sheets;
(c) cutting said composite sheet into a plurality of elongated strips each having cut surfaces of a width equal to the composite thickness and uncut surfaces which are defined by a portion of the outer opposite surfaces of said composite sheet, each of said elongated strips thereby formed of ribbon-like portions of said initial sheets;
(d) arranging said plurality of elongated strips into an ensemble sheet wherein the uncut surfaces of adjacent elongated strips are in contact with one another such that the ribbon-like portions of each of the initial sheets extend between top and bottom surfaces of said ensemble sheet as defined by the cut surfaces of said elongated strips, said ensemble sheet having an ensemble sheet thickness between said top and bottom surfaces;
(e) compressing said ensemble sheet by reducing the ensemble sheet thickness with said elongated strips becoming joined to one another to form a first production sheet, said first production sheet thereby having a plurality of bands of dough extending therethrough with said bands having said different characteristics;
(f) providing a second production sheet of dough;
(g) placing a selected quantity of food filling as a food filling mass on a medial portion of one of said first and second production sheets and superimposing the other of said first and second production sheets on the said one of said first and second production sheets;
and then
(h) joining a peripheral portion of said first and second production sheets to enclose said food filling mass to form a filled food unit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/196,589Filed 15 Feb 1994 · continuation in part
Priority: 2 Apr 1992
Granted: 7 May 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

A23L 7/122
Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor: coated, filled, multilayered or hollow…
A21D 13/11
Multi-layered products: made of two or more doughs, e.g. differing in composition, colour or structure
A21D 13/31
Filled, to be filled or stuffed products: filled before baking
A23L 7/11
Types of pasta, e.g. macaroni or noodles: filled, stuffed or multilayered pasta