Compositions and methods relating to freezer-to-oven doughs
AssigneeGeneral Mills, Inc.
InventorsDavid J. Domingues, Vicky V. Hoel, Tammy L. McIntyre, Gregg J. Moder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described are dough compositions and methods, wherein the dough composition is prepared sing a metabolized portion of dough comprising bubbles, metabolically and developed dough matrix, combined with non-metabolized yeast, and wherein the dough composition preferably has useful properties such as yeast-leavened freezer-to-oven capabilities, without the need for chemical leavening or modified atmosphere packaging.
Claims13
A method of preparing an unproofed dough composition capable of being frozen and baked without thawing to create a yeast-leavened baked dough product, the method comprising
- providing a set of ingredients including at least yeast, water, and flour,
- combining and processing the ingredients in combination with additional dough ingredients to produce a dough composition, the combining and processing including
- allowing a portion of the yeast to actively ferment a portion of the ingredients;
- developing the dough composition,
- generating bubbles in the developed dough composition and
- providing non-metabolically active yeast in the developed dough composition;
- and
- wherein the combination of bubbles, developed dough composition, and non-metabolically active yeast, results in an unproofed dough composition capable of being frozen without partially baking, and baked without thawing, to create a yeast-leavened baked dough product.
A method of making an unproofed dough composition, the method comprising
- providing a metabolized dough portion comprising metabolically-active yeast, bubbles, and developed dough matrix, and
- combining the metabolized dough portion with additional dough ingredients including non-metabolically active yeast, to form a dough composition that contains bubbles in developed dough matrix, and that contains non-metabolically active yeast,
- wherein the unproofed dough composition can be frozen and baked without thawing or proofing to produce a yeast-leavened baked dough product.
A method of making an unproofed frozen dough composition, the method comprising
- providing a metabolized dough portion comprising metabolically-active yeast and bubbles in a developed dough matrix;
- combining the metabolized dough portion with dough ingredients comprising non-metabolically active yeast to form a dough composition that contains bubbles in a developed dough matrix;
- freezing the dough composition;
- and
- wherein the unproofed frozen dough composition can be baked without thawing to produce a yeast-leavened baked dough product.
A continuous method of preparing an unproofed dough composition that can be frozen and then baked without thawing to produce a yeast-leavened baked dough product, the method comprising:
- providing a dough sponge comprising water, flour, yeast, and yeast nutrient;
- pre-fermenting the dough sponge to produce a pre-metabolized dough sponge comprising metabolically active yeast and bubbles in a strengthened sponge matrix;
- combining the pre-fermented sponge with additional dough ingredients including non-metabolically active yeast;
- processing the dough composition to a dough composition comprising metabolically active yeast, bubbles, non-metabolically active yeast, and a developed dough matrix, which can be frozen and then baked without thawing to a yeast-leavened baked dough product, wherein the processing produces re-work dough removed from the dough composition, the re-work dough comprising metabolically-active yeast, bubbles, and a developed dough matrix;
- and
- combining the re-work dough with the dough composition at a processing step upstream from where the re-work dough was removed, to produce a dough composition comprising metabolically active yeast, bubbles, non-metabolically active yeast, and a developed dough matrix, wherein that combined dough composition comprising the re-work dough can be frozen and then baked without thawing to produce a yeast-leavened baked dough product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.