Production of thin, irregular chips with scalloped edges and surface bubbles

Abstract

A dough sheet for producing thin, baked chips is obtained continuously by compressing a dough sheet to a thickness of less than or equal to about 0.035 inch between counter-rotating gauge rolls while maintaining the surface of each gauge roll at a temperature of about 85° F. to about 95° F. Maintaining the gauge roll surface temperature at about 85° F. to about 95° F. avoids sticking, tearing, and shredding of the thin dough sheet as it is compressed and transferred by the gauge rolls, even at high production rates or line speeds. A rotary cutter is employed to obtain thin, irregularly shaped, scallop-edged snacks in a variety of shapes from a single dough sheet without producing dough scraps between the pieces.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority of provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 402,304, filed Aug. 9, 2002, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to the production of thin, baked snacks having an irregular shape, scalloped edges, a chip-like crispy texture and surface bubbles. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for producing the snacks. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] In the production of baked snacks from a dough, such as a wheat-based dough, generally the thinner the dough the more chip-like is the baked snack in crispness and appearance. Also, the more irregular the shape of the snack, and the greater the variety of shapes, the greater is the impression of a chip-like appearance rather than a cracker appearance. Cohesive, machinable doughs which can be sheeted, stretched, and cut into pieces may be produced at room temperature when the doughs possess a high content o...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] A dough sheet for producing thin, baked chips is obtained continuously by compressing a dough sheet to a thickness of less than or equal to about 0.035 inch between counter-rotating gauge rolls while maintaining the surface of each gauge roll at a temperature of about 85° F. to about 95° F. Maintaining the gauge roll surface temperature at about 85° F. to about 95° F. avoids sticking, tearing, and shredding of the thin dough sheet as it is compressed and transferred by the gauge rolls, even at high production rates or line speeds. In embodiments of the invention, the nip or gap between the counterrotating gauge rolls may be set to less than or equal to about 0.035 inch, preferably less than or equal to 0.030 inch, more preferably less than or equal to 0.025 inch, and most preferably less than or equal to 0.022 inch, while achieving high production rates without tearing of the dough sheet.

[0020] The baked snack chips of the present invention include at least one flour, such as wheat flour, and a pregelatinized waxy maize starch. A pregelatinized waxy starch provides an extensible surface film prior to baking, which helps to temporarily trap moisture below the expandable film surface upon baking and promotes the production of surface bubbles. A pregelatinized potato starch, which is also activated (i.e. sufficiently hydrated) prior to baking, helps to reduce or control bubbling and to avoid a styrofoam-like texture. The snack chips of the present invention are baked from a dough piece having a thickness of preferably less than or equal to about 0.035 inch. The very thin, irregularly shaped baked products provide an enhanced crispy, crunchy chip-like texture and appearance rather than a cracker appearance and texture. Even though the dough is very thin, the dough sheet may be cut to provide sufficiently large scallops around the entire periphery of each dough piece so that the scallops are distinctly, visibly apparent in the baked snack. The baked chips have surface bubbles comprising air pockets extending both above and below substantially unleavened, adjacent portions of the snack. Dockering or piercing of the dough prior to baking results in localized unleavened or thinned areas and does not prevent the attainment of a plurality of discrete bubbles. The pieces may also include blisters interspersed with the bubbles.

Problems solved by technology

Dockering or piercing of the dough prior to baking results in localized unleavened or thinned areas and does not prevent the attainment of a plurality of discrete bubbles.

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