Vacuum kneading method with the introduction of oxygen and the device used to carry out said method

A method of kneading dough for making bread or similar products, the method comprising the steps of:

• introducing ingredients of the dough into a chamber;
• providing an opening into the chamber;
• providing a rotor through the opening, the rotor adapted for kneading dough;
• providing at least one bearing for the rotor adjacent to the opening;
• kneading the ingredients together during a kneading phase with the rotor;
• applying a negative pressure during a negative-pressure phase in the chamber, atmosphere present in the chamber being sucked above the ingredients;
• providing a gas supply in the at least one bearing for the rotor;
• and
• introducing gas which contains oxygen during at least one gas introduction phase into the chamber near the opening such that the gas passes through the ingredients;
• wherein a portion of the negative-pressure phase is substantially simultaneous with the kneading phase, and the at least one gas introduction phase is substantially simultaneous with the kneading phase.

A method of kneading dough for making bread or similar products, the method comprising the steps of:

• introducing ingredients of the dough into an asymmetric chamber;
• kneading the ingredients together during a kneading phase;
• applying a negative pressure during a negative-pressure phase in the asymmetric chamber, atmosphere present in the chamber being sucked above the ingredients;
• and
• introducing gas which contains oxygen during at least one gas introduction phase into the asymmetric chamber near a bottom portion thereof such that the gas passes though the ingredients;
• wherein a portion of the negative-pressure phase is substantially simultaneous with the kneading phase, and the at least one gas introduction phase is substantially simultaneous with the kneading phase.