Potato-based thin crisp crackers

Abstract

Disclosed herein are potato-based thin crackers, potato-based dough for providing potato-based thin crackers, and methods of making potato-based thin crackers. In embodiments, these potato-based crackers and potato-based dough comprise pregelatinized starch and diacetyl tartaric acid mono (di) glycerides (DATEM) in amounts effective to provide flakeable dough for producing final crackers having a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in general to cracker products, and more specifically to potato-based crackers, dough for forming potato-based crackers, and methods for making potato-based crackers. Background Technology

[0002] Thin and crispy crackers are a popular snack. In some cases, thin and crispy crackers are made from dough containing only wheat flour as the flour component. Such wheat-based doughs typically exhibit excellent sheetability and can therefore be sheeted very thinly to provide crackers with a thickness of 1.0 mm or less. The ability of wheat-based doughs to form thin sheets is likely due to the gluten network provided by the wheat flour. The gluten network provides order and continuity to the dough, which increases the dough's extensibility and strength, allowing it to be sheeted to form thin crackers. Furthermore, such wheat-based doughs can have the desired baking characteristics to produce baked wheat crackers with a substantially smooth or flat outer surface without surface defects such as air bubbles or bubbles. While bubbling can be challenging when forming thin crackers, for wheat-based doughs, bubbling can usually be addressed through process adjustments without changing the dough recipe.

[0003] Thin, crispy cookies made from dough containing potato products such as potato flour are desirable because potatoes can contribute to the flavor and other sensory properties of the cookies. However, it is difficult to produce very thin (e.g., 1.0 mm or less) potato-based cookies. Adding potato flour to the dough reduces its extensibility and strength, making it difficult to sheet the dough to the desired thinness. Adding potato flour can also create air bubbles or bubbles on the surface of the final cookie after heat treatment. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 An exemplary process for making potato-based crispy crackers is shown.

[0005] Figure 2 Another exemplary process for making potato-based crispy crackers is shown.

[0006] Figure 3A This is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of dough containing only wheat flour as a flour component.

[0007] Figure 3B This is a SEM image of dough containing potato flour but not pregelatinized starch and DATEM.

[0008] Figure 3C It is a SEM image of dough containing potato flour, pregelatinized starch and DATEM.

[0009] Figure 4 A table comparing doughs with different compositions in terms of maximum resistance, stretching distance, residual stress, and relaxation time is shown.

[0010] Figure 5A This is a photo of potato starch-based crispy biscuits that do not contain pregelatinized starch or DATEM.

[0011] Figure 5B It is a photo of potato starch-based crispy biscuits containing pregelatinized starch and DATEM.

[0012] Figure 6 A side view of a stack of potato-based crispy biscuits according to an embodiment is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 This is a table comparing doughs with different compositions in terms of Young's modulus. Detailed Implementation

[0014] It has been confirmed that thin, crispy biscuits with a thickness of 1.0 mm or less can be made from dough containing potato products such as potato flour. In some embodiments, these potato-containing crispy biscuits also have a substantially smooth and flat outer surface with few or no raised air bubbles or puffs. The thinness and smoothness of the crispy biscuits provide the desired crispness, texture, and appearance, while the addition of potatoes enhances the flavor of the crispy biscuits.

[0015] In some embodiments, the thin, crispy biscuits are advantageously formed from a potato flour-based dough containing diacetyl tartaric acid mono(di)glycerides (DATEM) and pregelatinized starch. The resulting dough exhibits excellent sheetability and other rheological properties that allow the dough to be sheeted to a desired thinness. In exemplary embodiments, the resulting crispy biscuits formed from the dough have a thickness of 1.0 mm or less and a substantially smooth external texture. In some embodiments, the final crispy biscuits may have a thickness of 0.85 mm or less, 0.6 mm or less, or even 0.5 mm or less.

[0016] The potato-based dough disclosed herein addresses common problems encountered when using potato flour in the manufacture of crispy biscuits. Specifically, the inventors have discovered that typical crispy biscuit dough formulations containing potato flour exhibit poor sheetability and certain undesirable baking properties compared to crispy biscuit doughs that contain only or almost entirely wheat flour. In some forms, crispy biscuit doughs containing only or almost entirely wheat flour (e.g., more than 85% or more than 90% by weight of total flour) as the flour component possess desirable rheological properties, such as dough strength, extensibility, stiffness, and viscoelasticity, which effectively enable wheat-based doughs to sheet to a thickness of 1.0 mm or less. Without being theoretically limited, it is believed that gluten proteins within wheat flour form a gluten network in the dough, providing order and continuity, which increases the dough's strength and elasticity. Wheat-based doughs can sheet to suitable thicknesses (e.g., via continuous automated processes in commercial production lines) without cracking or breaking. Furthermore, adjustments to the process are usually sufficient to allow wheat-based dough to be sheeted into clumps or branches with very few bumps on the surface of the sheet. Therefore, when baking sheet-based wheat dough, the resulting wheat crisps can have a thickness of 1.0 mm or less, with a substantially smooth surface having few to no bubbles or air bubbles.

[0017] The inventors have observed that crisp biscuit dough containing a specific amount (e.g., about 15% by weight or more of the total flour content) of potato flour or whole potato flour exhibits poor sheetability and therefore cannot be sheeted to the desired thinness without cracking or breaking. Without being theoretically limited, it is believed that when potato flour is present in dough along with wheat flour, the potato flour dilutes the gluten proteins in the dough, disrupting the order and continuity of the gluten network. As the amount of potato flour in the dough increases, the extensibility and strength of the dough tend to deteriorate. Furthermore, the dough stiffness tends to increase and the viscoelasticity tends to decrease to a suboptimal level, resulting in a loose dough structure that is easily deformed, such as cracking and breaking.

[0018] However, the inventors were surprised to find that, in some embodiments, the addition of DATEM and pregelatinized starch synergistically improves the rheological properties, sheetability, and baking properties of dough containing a specific amount of potato flour. In embodiments, even when a significant amount of potato is present (e.g., 15% by weight or more of potato flour based on the total flour content), the potato-containing dough disclosed herein exhibits properties comparable to dough formed entirely or almost entirely from wheat flour. The potato-containing dough formulated with DATEM and pregelatinized starch allows the dough to be sheeted, resulting in thin biscuits with a thickness of 1.0 mm or less. In embodiments, the resulting biscuits also have a substantially smooth external texture.

[0019] In one embodiment, the dough for producing the crispy biscuits disclosed herein comprises DATEM, at least about 4% by weight of potato flour, at least 30% by weight of total flour content, and about 2% to about 30% by weight of pregelatinized starch. In some embodiments, the total flour content is about 30% to about 70% by weight of the dough. In some embodiments, the pregelatinized starch is pregelatinized corn starch. In some embodiments, DATEM may be present in the dough at about 0.05% to about 2% by weight of the dough. In some embodiments, potato flour may be present in the dough at about 15% to about 100% by weight of the total flour content, and wheat flour may be present in the dough at about 0% to about 85% by weight of the total flour content. Crispy biscuits prepared from this dough are also disclosed herein, wherein in some embodiments, the dough may have a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

[0020] In some methods, the dough for producing the crispy biscuits comprises one or more types of flour that define the total flour content of the crispy biscuits, including at least 15% by weight of potato flour based on the total flour content. The dough may also contain pregelatinized starch and DATEM. In some embodiments, the ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour may be from about 33:100 to about 70:100. In some methods, the ratio of DATEM to the sum of the total flour content and the potato flour content is from about 0.1:100 to about 2:100. The dough may also contain from about 0% by weight to about 85% by weight of wheat flour based on the total flour content. The document also discloses crispy biscuits prepared from this dough, in some embodiments of which the dough may have a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

[0021] This document also discloses methods for making dough and methods for making crispy biscuits. In one exemplary manner, the method of making crispy biscuits includes forming a dough by combining water, oil, DATEM, pregelatinized starch, one or more additional ingredients, and one or more flours, the one or more flours including potato flour added in an amount of at least about 4% by weight of the dough. The method may also include sheeting the dough (e.g.) to a thickness of about 0.85 mm or less, and cutting and baking the sheeted dough to provide baked crispy biscuits. In an embodiment, the final baked crispy biscuit has a thickness of about 1.0 mm or less. In an embodiment, the ratio of the amount of pregelatinized starch to the amount of potato flour in the dough is between about 33:100 and about 70:100.

[0022] The method may also include multiple combining steps to form a dough. For example, in a non-limiting manner, the method includes combining water and one or more sweeteners to form a first mixture, combining a second mixture of oil and DATEM with the first mixture to form a third mixture, and subsequently adding one or more flours and pregelatinized starches and mixing them with the third mixture to form a dough. In some embodiments, if wheat flour is present, it is incorporated after mixing potato flour and other ingredients.

[0023] Unless otherwise specified, all percentages are by weight.

[0024] This disclosure is not limited to the specific values ​​and percentages listed herein. For example, in cases where a specific minimum or maximum quantity of an ingredient is listed, it should be understood that this disclosure also contemplates a range covering the minimum and maximum values ​​disclosed, as well as any combination of values ​​in between.

[0025] As used herein, the term “about” means that the specified quantity, size, or range should not be construed as a strict limitation on the exact value specified. “About” is instead intended to cover a permissible degree of variability, which is generally understood by those skilled in the art to be functionally equivalent to the specified value. For the purposes of this document, unless otherwise indicated, “about” covers a range of ±5% of the value preceding it.

[0026] As used herein, "dough" refers to a mixture of flour, starch, and / or other additives with water, the mixture having a firm texture sufficient to be kneaded or rolled. It also refers to the viscous product resulting from such a mixture. Typical additives to dough (including the dough disclosed herein) may include fat, salt, yeast or chemical leavening agents, fiber, egg protein, milk protein, and / or sweeteners. As used herein, "sheet-forming" dough is dough that can be rolled to a desired final thickness without tearing or forming holes. In embodiments, dough can be continuously produced and processed on a large-scale production basis, such as sheeting, laminating, molding, extruding, or co-extruding and cutting.

[0027] In embodiments, the dough comprises a total flour content or total flour composition, which includes one or more types of flour. As used herein, "flour" may include finely milled, ground, crushed, or granulated grains, such as conventional flour or powder, and in some embodiments may include flakes or granules formed from grains. As used herein, "flour" does not refer to isolated or extracted starch components (e.g., added starch components). In embodiments, flour may be whole grain flour and / or refined flour. In various ways, flour may have undergone certain physical and / or chemical treatments known in the art to achieve desired flour properties.

[0028] The dough disclosed herein contains a certain amount of potato flour, which, as defined herein, may include, for example, potato flour, powder, flakes, and / or granules. In some embodiments, the potato flour is obtained by processes including peeling and steaming potatoes, mashing potatoes, drying the mashed product, and sieving the potatoes to a desired particle size. In one exemplary embodiment, for at least 70% of the particles, the potato flour has a particle size of less than 425 μm. In some embodiments, for up to 20% of the particles, the potato flour additionally or alternatively has a particle size of less than 125 μm.

[0029] As used herein, “potato-based” or “potato-containing” dough or crackers are dough or crackers containing a specific minimum amount of potato flour by weight of the dough or cracker or by weight of the total flour content of the dough or cracker. For example, in one manner, potato-based dough contains potato flour present in an amount of at least about 15% by weight of the total flour content. In another manner, potato-based dough contains potato flour present in an amount of at least about 13% by weight of the total flour content.

[0030] In one embodiment, the potato-based dough comprises at least about 4% by weight of potato flour. In an embodiment, potato flour may be present in the dough in amounts of at least about 4.5% by weight, at least about 5% by weight, at least about 7% by weight, at least about 8% by weight, at least about 10% by weight, at least about 20% by weight, at least about 25% by weight, at least about 30% by weight, or at least about 40% by weight. In an embodiment, the dough may comprise up to about 70% by weight of potato flour. In various embodiments, potato flour may be present in amounts of up to about 65% by weight, up to about 60% by weight, up to about 55% by weight, up to about 52% by weight, up to about 50% by weight, up to about 45% by weight, up to about 45% by weight, or up to about 38% by weight. In one exemplary embodiment, the dough comprises about 4% to about 50% by weight of potato flour, or about 5% to about 45% by weight of potato flour, based on the weight of the dough. In other embodiments, the dough comprises about 8% to about 38% by weight of potato flour, or about 8% to about 42% by weight of potato flour, based on the weight of the dough.

[0031] In some methods, the dough contains only potato flour as the sole type of flour or flour-like product. That is, the total flour content of the dough may be 100% by weight of potato flour. In other methods, the total flour content includes one or more additional types of flour besides potato flour. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the flour content includes potato flour and wheat flour (e.g., refined wheat flour), and in some embodiments it may include only potato flour and wheat flour. In some methods, in addition to potato flour and wheat flour, one or more additional types of flour may be included, such as corn flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, oat flour, tamarisk flour, sorghum flour, bean flour, barley flour, cassava flour, and other suitable flours known in the art, which may be, for example, refined, enriched, or whole grains in other known forms. In various configurations, the one or more additional types of flour (i.e., other than any potato flour and wheat flour) may be present in an amount of up to about 15% by weight, up to about 10% by weight, or up to about 5% by weight of the total flour content. In illustrative configurations, the one or more additional types of flour may be present in an amount of about 1% to about 10% by weight or in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the total flour content.

[0032] Potato flour may be present in a specific amount relative to the total flour content of the dough. For example, as described above, potato flour may constitute 100% by weight of the total flour content of the dough. In some embodiments, potato flour is present in an amount of at least about 13% by weight of the total flour content. In another embodiment, potato flour is present in an amount of at least about 15% by weight of the total flour content. In one embodiment, potato flour may be present in an amount of about 15% by weight to about 100% by weight of the total flour content of the dough. In other exemplary embodiments, potato flour is present in an amount of about 15% by weight to less than 70% by weight of the total flour content, about 15% by weight to less than 30% by weight of the total flour content, about 30% by weight to less than 70% by weight of the total flour content, about 30% by weight to 100% by weight of the total flour content, or about 70% by weight to about 100% by weight of the total flour content.

[0033] In some embodiments, the dough and crispy biscuits disclosed herein, such as those containing potato flour but not wheat flour, may be gluten-free, defined as having no more than the maximum amount of gluten permitted under one or more definitions of gluten-free according to applicable standards or regulations. For example, in the United States, 20 ppm or less of gluten is considered "gluten-free" under FDA regulations.

[0034] In some embodiments, the amount of potato flour, by weight of the total flour content, may range from 13% by weight to less than 30% by weight, or from 15% by weight to less than 30% by weight. These amounts of potato flour are referred to herein as "low potato flour addition". In some embodiments, the amount of potato flour, by weight of the total flour content, may range from 30% by weight to less than 70% by weight. This amount of potato flour is referred to herein as "medium potato flour addition". In some embodiments, the amount of potato flour, by weight of the total flour content, may range from 70% by weight to about 100% by weight. This amount of potato flour is referred to herein as "high potato flour addition". In these embodiments, the remaining flour may consist only of wheat flour, may include a combination of wheat flour and one or more additional flours, or may include one or more additional (non-wheat) flours.

[0035] In exemplary embodiments, the total flour content may comprise entirely or almost entirely (e.g., greater than 95% by weight) potato flour and wheat flour. In these embodiments, potato flour and wheat flour may be present in specific amounts relative to each other. For example, in one embodiment, the dough comprises about 15% to about 100% by weight (or about 15% to about 99% by weight) of potato flour and about 0% to about 85% by weight (or about 1% to about 85% by weight) of wheat flour, wherein these amounts are by weight of the total flour content, or in some embodiments, by weight of the total amount of potato flour and wheat flour. In some embodiments, the dough comprises about 15% to less than 30% by weight of potato flour and greater than 70% to about 85% by weight of wheat flour, wherein these amounts are by weight of the total flour content, or in some embodiments, by weight of the total amount of potato flour and wheat flour (“low” potato flour addition). In some methods, the dough contains about 30% to less than 70% by weight of potato flour and more than 30% to about 70% by weight of wheat flour, wherein these amounts are by weight of total flour content, or in some methods, by weight of the total amount of potato flour and wheat flour (“medium” potato flour addition). In some methods, the dough contains about 70% to about 100% by weight (or about 70% to about 99% by weight) of potato flour and about 0% to about 30% by weight (or about 1% to about 30% by weight) of wheat flour, wherein these amounts are by weight of total flour content, or in some methods, by weight of the total amount of potato flour and wheat flour (“high” potato flour addition).

[0036] In one exemplary embodiment, the wheat flour added to the dough is refined wheat flour. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the wheat flour may be whole grain wheat flour. In some embodiments, wheat flour may be present in the dough in an amount of up to about 65% by weight. In some embodiments, when wheat flour is present in the dough, it may be present in an amount of up to about 60% by weight, up to about 55% by weight, up to about 50% by weight, or up to about 48% by weight. In embodiments, wheat flour may be present in an amount greater than 0% by weight, at least about 3% by weight, at least about 5% by weight, at least about 10% by weight, at least about 25% by weight, or at least about 30% by weight. The amount of wheat flour added may be selected relative to potato flour to correspond to low, medium, or high potato flour addition as described above.

[0037] In some embodiments, wheat flour is present in the dough in an amount of about 85% by weight or less based on the total flour content. In some ways, wheat flour is present in the dough in an amount of about 0% by weight to about 85% by weight based on the total flour content, or in an amount of about 1% by weight to about 85% by weight based on the total flour content. In various exemplary ways, wheat flour is present in the dough in an amount of more than 70% by weight to about 85% by weight based on the total flour content, in an amount of more than 30% by weight to about 70% by weight or about 85% by weight, in an amount of about 0% by weight to about 30% by weight, or in an amount of about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight.

[0038] In some embodiments, the dough may have a total flour content of about 30% to about 75% by weight of the dough. In some methods, the dough may have a total flour content of at least about 30%, at least about 33%, at least about 35%, at least about 38%, or at least about 40% by weight of the dough. In some methods, the dough may have a total flour content of about 75% or less, about 70% or less, about 65% or less, about 60% or less, about 58% or less, or about 56% or less by weight of the dough. In exemplary methods, the total flour content by weight of the dough is between about 30% to about 70% by weight, between 35% to about 60% by weight, or between about 38% to about 56% by weight.

[0039] In one embodiment, the dough may have a total flour content of about 30% to about 70% by weight of the dough, the total flour content including at least about 4% by weight of potato flour by weight of the dough. In some embodiments, the dough may have a total flour content of about 30% to about 70% by weight of the dough, and may include about 15% to about 100% by weight of potato flour and about 0% to about 85% by weight of wheat flour by weight of the total flour content.

[0040] The dough disclosed herein also contains a certain amount of pregelatinized starch. In exemplary embodiments, the pregelatinized starch is pregelatinized corn starch or pregelatinized potato starch, but other types of pregelatinized starch may also be used, such as, for example, pregelatinized tapioca starch, pregelatinized rice starch, and / or pregelatinized wheat starch. In some embodiments, the pregelatinized starch is virgin pregelatinized starch and has not been chemically modified.

[0041] The pregelatinized starch used herein can be a combination of waxy starch and non-waxy starch. In exemplary embodiments, the pregelatinized starch is a waxy pregelatinized starch (e.g., waxy pregelatinized corn starch, waxy pregelatinized potato starch, etc.). The inventors have found that, in some embodiments, waxy pregelatinized starch has a more favorable effect on the processability of the dough described herein compared to non-waxy starch. In some embodiments, the amylose to amylopectin ratio of the native pregelatinized waxy starch (e.g., pregelatinized corn starch) is from about 0.01 to about 0.2.

[0042] In some embodiments, pregelatinized starch may be present in the dough in an amount of about 1% to about 30% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In some embodiments, pregelatinized starch may be present in the dough in an amount of about 2% to about 30% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In some embodiments, pregelatinized starch is present in an amount of at least about 1% by weight, at least about 1.5% by weight, at least about 2.0% by weight, or at least about 2.5% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In some embodiments, pregelatinized starch is present in an amount of at most about 30% by weight, at most about 29% by weight, at most about 28% by weight, at most about 27% by weight, at most about 26% by weight, at most about 25% by weight, or at most about 24% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In exemplary embodiments, pregelatinized starch is present in an amount of about 2% to about 28% by weight, about 2.5% to about 28% by weight, or about 2.5% to about 25% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In some methods, the amount of pregelatinized starch can be selected to correspond to the amount shown above by weight of dough and also to one of the ratios of pregelatinized starch to potato flour listed below.

[0043] In some methods, pregelatinized starch is present in the dough in a specific ratio relative to potato flour. In one method, the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough is about 30:100 to about 70:100 or about 33:100 to about 70:100. In another method, the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough is about 36:100 to about 70:100. In yet another method, the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough is about 39:100 to about 70:100 or about 40:100 to about 70:100.

[0044] In some methods, the amount of potato flour added (e.g., low, medium, or high) determines an appropriate range of pregelatinized starch to potato flour ratios. For example, in some embodiments, when a low amount of potato flour is present (e.g., greater than or equal to 15% by weight and less than 30% by weight of total flour content), the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough can be about 30:100 to about 70:100 or about 33:100 to about 70:100. In various embodiments, when a moderate amount of potato flour is added (e.g., greater than or equal to 30% by weight and less than 70% by weight of total flour content), the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough can be about 33:100 to about 70:100, about 34:100 to about 70:100, about 35:100 to about 70:100, or about 36:100 to about 70:100. In various embodiments, when a high amount of potato flour is added (e.g., greater than or equal to 70% by weight of total flour content), the weight ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour in the dough can be about 37:100 to about 70:100, about 38:100 to about 70:100, about 39:100 to about 70:100, or about 40:100 to about 70:100.

[0045] The dough disclosed herein also contains a certain amount of diacetyl tartaric acid monoglyceride (DATEM). As used herein, DATEM refers to a mixture of products obtained by reacting diacetyl tartaric acid anhydride with monoglycerides. This reaction forms a complex mixture of various components, the most common of which are diacetyl tartaric acid monoglyceride (DATEM I), di(diacetyl tartaric acid) monoglyceride (DATEMII), diacetyl tartaric acid diglyceride (DATEMIII), and monoacetyl mono(diacetyl tartaric acid) monoglyceride (DATEM IV).

[0046] In some embodiments, DATEM is present in the dough in an amount from about 0.05% by weight to about 2% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In various embodiments, DATEM may be present in an amount of at least about 0.02% by weight, at least about 0.04% by weight, at least about 0.05% by weight, at least about 0.06% by weight, at least about 0.07% by weight, at least about 0.08% by weight, or at least about 1.0% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In various embodiments, DATEM may be present in an amount of at most about 2% by weight, at most about 1.8% by weight, at most about 1.5% by weight, at most about 1.2% by weight, or at most about 1.0% by weight. In some embodiments, DATEM is present in an amount from about 0.05% by weight to about 1% by weight based on the weight of the dough. In some embodiments, limiting DATEM to at most about 1% by weight prevents undesirable effects on the rheological properties of the dough. Specifically, for example, in some implementations, limiting DATEM to at most about 1% by weight can prevent the dough from being too soft or too oily, which could cause it to stick to the belt or rollers during forming or sheeting.

[0047] In some embodiments, the amount of DATEM present in the dough can be determined relative to the total flour content plus the total potato flour content (e.g., DATEM:(total flour content + potato flour)). In some ways, the weight ratio of DATEM to the total flour content plus potato flour content is from about 0.09:100 to about 2.6:100 or from about 0.1:100 to about 2:100. In some embodiments, the weight ratio of DATEM to the total flour content plus potato flour content can be at least about 0.09:100, at least about 0.1:100, at least about 0.2:100, at least about 0.3:100, at least about 0.4:100, at least about 0.5:100, at least about 0.8:100, at least about 0.9:100, or at least about 1:100. In some embodiments, the weight ratio of DATEM to the total flour content plus the total potato flour content may be at most about 2.6:100, at most about 2.4:100, at most about 2.2:100, at most about 2.0:100, at most about 1.8:100, at most about 1.6:100, at most about 1.5:100, at most about 1.0:100, at most about 0.7:100, at most about 0.6:100, or at most about 0.5:100. In exemplary embodiments, this weight ratio may be from about 0.1:100 to about 1.5:100 or from about 0.9:100 to about 2:100.

[0048] In some methods, the amount of potato flour added (e.g., low, medium, or high) determines an appropriate range of ratios of DATEM to the sum of the total flour content and the total amount of potato flour. For example, in some embodiments, when a low amount of potato flour is added (e.g., greater than or equal to 15% by weight and less than 30% by weight of the total flour content), the weight ratio may be from about 0.1:100 to about 0.5:100. In various methods, when a medium amount of potato flour is added (e.g., greater than or equal to 30% by weight and less than 70% by weight of the total flour content), the weight ratio may be from about 0.1:100 to about 1.5:100 or from about 0.2:100 to about 1.5:100. In various implementations, when there is a high amount of potato flour added (e.g., greater than or equal to 70% by weight of total flour content), the above weight ratio may be about 0.9:100 to about 2.6:100 or about 1:100 to about 2:100.

[0049] In some embodiments, the amount of potato flour added (e.g., low, medium, or high) determines both the appropriate ratio range of DATEM to the total flour content plus the total potato flour content, as listed above, and the appropriate ratio range of pregelatinized starch to potato flour, as listed above. For example, in some embodiments, when a low amount of potato flour is present (e.g., greater than or equal to 15% by weight and less than 30% by weight of the total flour content), the ratio of DATEM to the total flour content plus the total potato flour content can be from about 0.1:100 to about 0.5:100, and the ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour dough can be from about 33:100 to about 70:100. In various methods, where a moderate amount of potato flour is added (e.g., greater than or equal to 30% by weight and less than 70% by weight of the total flour content), the ratio of DATEM to the sum of the total flour content and the total amount of potato flour can be from about 0.1:100 to about 1.5:100 or from about 0.2:100 to about 1.5:100, and the ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour dough can be from about 33:100 to about 70:100, from about 34:100 to about 70:100, from about 35:100 to about 70:100 or from about 36:100 to about 70:100. In various embodiments, when there is a high amount of potato flour added (e.g., greater than or equal to 70% by weight of the total flour content), the ratio of DATEM to the sum of the total flour content and the total amount of potato flour can be from about 0.9:100 to about 2.6:100 or from about 1:100 to about 2:100, and the ratio of pregelatinized starch to potato flour dough can be from about 37:100 to about 70:100, from about 38:100 to about 70:100, from about 39:100 to about 70:100 or from about 40:100 to about 70:100.

[0050] When present in the amounts described above, pregelatinized starch and DATEM provide a combined synergistic effect to improve the properties of potato-based dough. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that when potato flour is added in the amounts described above, pregelatinized starch advantageously increases the cohesiveness of the dough, preventing it from cracking or tearing during dough forming and sheeting.

[0051] DATEM also improves the processability and rheological properties of potato-based dough. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that potato-based doughs often exhibit less desirable properties due to the strong water-absorbing properties of potato flour. Potato flour tends to bind with any free water in the dough, which can cause undesirable gelation and uneven lumps within the dough. These lumps or gelled portions are difficult to disperse during mixing, and the final sheet of dough often has gel-like clumps or protrusions rather than a smooth, uniform appearance. Furthermore, the moisture within the gluten structure of the dough can cause bubbles to appear on the surface of crispy cookies during baking, a result of excess moisture turning into steam.

[0052] DATEM addresses these issues by increasing the interfacial tension of the dough and spreading the fatty phase more evenly over the hydrophilic phase. This results in the hydrophilic components of the dough, protected by the fatty phase, such as potato starch, wheat flour, and other components like sugar, absorbing less water. Less water absorption leads to less gelation and water retention. This prevents bulges in the dough, resulting in a more consistent and uniform dough, and prevents bubbles from forming on the surface of crisp cookies during baking.

[0053] In combination, the presence of pregelatinized starch and DATEM alters the microstructure of potato-based dough, allowing it to better mimic the microstructure of wheat flour dough. For example, refer to... Figures 3A-3C Dough made entirely of wheat flour as the sole flour component (e.g.) Figure 3A (As shown) includes a continuous gluten network in which wheat starch granules (e.g., oval or spherical) are integrated into the network, without noticeable pores or inconsistencies within the network. However, as Figure 3B As shown, when potato flour is added to dough, it disrupts the continuous network, exposing starch granules and pores within the network. This disruption causes the dough to break and tear during dough forming. However, when pregelatinized starch and DATEM are added to potato-based dough, the dough's microstructure visually resembles that of wheat-based dough, as... Figure 3C As shown. The presence of pregelatinized starch and DATEM makes the gluten network more uniform and ordered, filling any pores in the network and re-covering exposed starch granules. Figures 3A-3C The non-limiting recipe for the dough shown is provided in Table 1 of the following Example 1.

[0054] The presence of pregelatinized starch and DATEM in the disclosed amounts also results in a potato-based dough having a Young's modulus similar to that of dough made entirely of wheat flour. Young's modulus represents the deformation characteristics of dough under compression. The higher the Young's modulus of the dough, the more difficult it is to deform under compression. Generally, a Young's modulus between about 400 Pa and about 600 Pa indicates a processable, handleable dough that can be sheeted to the thickness disclosed herein. Such a dough has suitable stiffness and elasticity and is not easily deformed. In the embodiment, the potato-based dough having the disclosed amounts of pregelatinized starch and DATEM has a Young's modulus between about 400 Pa and about 600 Pa, which is the same as that of similar dough made entirely of wheat flour.

[0055] In some methods, the presence of pregelatinized starch and DATEM in the disclosed amounts can also cause potato-based dough to possess other rheological properties or characteristics similar to wheat-based dough. For example, see reference... Figure 4 Potato-based doughs containing pregelatinized starch and DATEM can have high maximum resistance, elongation, residual stress, and relaxation time, similar to wheat-based doughs. These values ​​are significantly lower for potato-based doughs without pregelatinized starch and DATEM. Maximum resistance reflects the gluten strength of the dough; higher resistance or elongation indicates a stronger gluten network. Elongation reflects the dough's extensibility. Residual stress represents the stress in the dough (relative motion of adjacent molecular chains) when the dough reaches equilibrium after deformation and is often related to dough stiffness. Relaxation time reflects the dough's deformability. In some embodiments, the value of any of these properties of potato-based dough containing pregelatinized starch and DATEM may be within about 30% or about 20% of the corresponding value for dough containing only wheat flour.

[0056] The dough disclosed herein also contains added water. As used herein, “added water” means water that has been added to the dry dough ingredients. Added water does not include water inherently present in the dry dough ingredients, such as in the case of flour and starch sources. In embodiments, the dough contains about 15% to about 35% by weight of added water based on the weight of the dough. In various ways, the added water is present in the dough in amounts of about 15% to about 30% by weight, about 16% to about 25% by weight, about 17% to about 24% by weight, about 18% to about 23% by weight, or about 18% to about 21% by weight based on the weight of the dough.

[0057] The term "moisture content" refers to the total amount of water present in the material under discussion. In the case of dough, "moisture" includes the water inherently present in the dough components as well as any added water. In various ways, the moisture content of dough can be about 25% to about 50% by weight, about 25% to about 45%, or about 25% to about 40%.

[0058] In some methods, the moisture content of the final baked crispy biscuit is from about 0.2% to about 5%. In exemplary embodiments, the moisture content may be from about 0.3% to about 4%, from about 0.4% to about 2%, or from about 0.6% to about 1.5%.

[0059] In addition to flour content, pregelatinized starch, DATEM, and water, the dough disclosed herein may also contain one or more additional ingredients. For example, the dough may also contain oil / fat, emulsifiers, leavening agents, thickeners / thickening agents (including, for example, additional starches such as native starch or modified starch), preservatives, sweeteners, salt, and other flavoring agents. In some embodiments, the dough contains about 8% to about 25% by weight of one or more additional ingredients based on the weight of the dough; these additional ingredients may include, for example, oil / fat, emulsifiers (excluding DATEM), sweeteners, salt, native starch, and / or leavening agents. In exemplary embodiments, about 10% to about 24% by weight, or about 14% to about 23% by weight, of additional ingredients are present.

[0060] In some embodiments, the dough contains about 0.2% to about 15% by weight of a lipid component, such as oil or fat. In an exemplary embodiment, the lipid is oil. In some ways, the dough contains an amount of oil ranging from about 0.2% to about 12% by weight, about 0.5% to about 12% by weight, or about 0.6% to about 11% by weight. In some ways, at least a portion of the oil is premixed with DATEM and then added to the dough. Any fat or oil known in the art for use in biscuits or crackers can be used. For example, one or more oils may be selected from rapeseed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and / or avocado oil. Fats such as butter, lard, margarine, shortening, or cocoa butter may also be used.

[0061] In some embodiments, the dough may also contain additional emulsifiers. Exemplary emulsifiers may include, for example, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, lecithin, stearoyl lactate, and mixtures thereof. Additional emulsifiers may be included in an amount of up to about 3% by weight, or up to about 2% by weight, based on the weight of the dough. In one exemplary embodiment, the amount of dried egg yolk used is up to about 2% by weight, for example, about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight, based on the weight of the dough. In embodiments, the dried egg yolk may be used as a flavor enhancer.

[0062] It may also include one or more thickeners or thickening agents, for example, in an amount not exceeding about 5% by weight of the dough. In some embodiments, the thickener may include hydrolyzed colloids, such as xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, microcrystalline cellulose, or combinations thereof. The thickener may also be virgin starch or modified starch (different from and other than the pregelatinized starch components disclosed herein). In various embodiments, starch, such as virgin (ungelatinized) corn starch, may be included in amounts from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight, about 0.5% to about 2% by weight, or about 0.75% to about 1.5% by weight of the dough. In embodiments, the virgin starch inclusions may include one or more of, for example, wheat starch, corn starch, potato starch, rice starch, and tapioca starch.

[0063] The sweetener may contain an amount of sweetener capable of effectively imparting a desired level of sweetness to the dough or the final crisp biscuit. In various non-limiting embodiments, the sweetener may be contained in amounts of 0% to 15% by weight, 0.5% to 15% by weight, 1% to 12% by weight, or 5% to 12% by weight of the dough. In one embodiment, the sweetener may be contained in amounts of about 0.5% to about 30% by weight. Examples of sweeteners include any one or more natural or artificial sweeteners, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, mannose, maltose, fructose, brown sugar, agave nectar, honey, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or other syrups (such as maltose syrup or glucose syrup) or molasses. Sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, or erythritol, may be contained. It may also contain low-calorie or zero-calorie sweeteners, such as aspartame, acetaminophen, neotame, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, steviol glycosides, mogrosides, saccharin, and / or sucralose. Sweeteners may be, for example, granular, powdered, laminated, and / or invert sugar syrup.

[0064] It may contain an amount of salt that effectively imparts a desired level of saltiness to the dough or the final crispy biscuit. In an embodiment, the salt may be present in the dough in an amount of about 0.3% to about 12% by weight, or in an amount of about 0.5% to about 10% by weight. Other flavoring ingredients, such as seasonings, spices, herbs, or other flavoring agents, may also be included in the dough.

[0065] In embodiments, the dough may contain from about 0.05% to about 1.5% by weight of one or more leavening agents and / or leavening acids, such as ammonium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate (or dicalcium orthophosphate), sodium pyrophosphate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, tartaric acid, and mixtures thereof. Yeast may be used alone or in combination with chemical leavening agents. In some embodiments, the dough may also be an unleavened dough. In embodiments, leavening agents are contained in amounts from about 0.05% to about 0.5% by weight or from about 0.1% to about 0.45% by weight.

[0066] The dough may also contain antifungals or preservatives, such as calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, etc. To ensure microbial stability during storage, an exemplary amount may be up to about 1% by weight of the dough.

[0067] The dough disclosed herein exhibits excellent sheetability and can be sheeted very thinly without breaking or tearing. In various embodiments, the dough can be sheeted to thicknesses of 0.90 mm or less, 0.85 mm or less, 0.80 mm or less, 0.75 mm or less, 0.70 mm or less, 0.65 mm or less, 0.60 mm or less, 0.55 mm or less, 0.50 mm or less, 0.45 mm or less, or 0.40 mm or less without breaking or tearing. In embodiments, the dough is sheeted to at least about 0.35 mm, at least about 0.40 mm, at least about 0.45 mm, at least about 0.50 mm, at least about 0.55 mm, or at least about 0.60 mm. In some ways, the dough can be sheeted to about 0.40 mm to about 0.85 mm or about 0.45 mm to about 0.85 mm. In some implementations, the thickness of the dough sheet, measured in mm / 10 pieces, is 9.0 mm or less, 8.5 mm or less, 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, 5.5 mm or less, 5.0 mm or less, 4.5 mm or less, or 4.0 mm or less.

[0068] Depending on the thickness of these dough sheets, the final crisp cookie product (after baking) can have a final crisp cookie thickness of 1.0 mm or less. In various embodiments, the final crisp cookie product can have a thickness of less than 1.0 mm, 0.95 mm or less, 0.9 mm or less, 0.85 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, 0.75 mm or less, 0.7 mm or less, 0.65 mm or less, 0.60 mm or less, 0.55 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, or 0.45 mm or less. In one exemplary embodiment, the final crisp cookie has a thickness of about 0.45 mm to about 1 mm or about 0.45 mm to about 0.85 mm. In some embodiments, the final crispy biscuit product may have a final crispy biscuit thickness of 10 mm or less, less than 10 mm, 9.5 mm or less, 9.0 mm or less, 8.5 mm or less, 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, 5.5 mm or less, 5.0 mm or less, or 4.5 mm or less, measured in mm / 10 pieces. In one exemplary embodiment, the final crispy biscuit may have a final crispy biscuit thickness of about 4.5 mm to about 8.5 mm, measured in mm / 10 pieces. Figure 6 The image shows a photograph of ten stacked potato-based crackers according to some implementation schemes.

[0069] The dough disclosed herein can be produced using conventional dough mixing techniques and equipment used for producing biscuit, shortbread, and cracker dough.

[0070] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the method 100 for making crispy biscuits includes, for example, a step 105 of combining and mixing dough ingredients in a dough mixer. Any suitable dough mixer may be used. In embodiments, water, oil, DATEM, pregelatinized starch, and one or more flours may be combined and mixed, including, for example, potato flour added in an amount of at least 4% by weight of the dough. These ingredients may be added in any amounts disclosed herein, depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, one or more additional ingredients (such as those shown above) may be combined and mixed in any amounts disclosed herein to form a dough. In some embodiments, the oil and DATEM are premixed to dissolve the DATEM in the oil before being added to the mixture.

[0071] In some embodiments, the dough temperature can be maintained between approximately 30°C and 45°C during the resting period. In some methods, the dough is maintained between approximately 36°C and 40°C. In some embodiments, the resting period occurs for approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

[0072] Method 100 may also include a sheeting step 110, which may optionally include a lamination operation. In some embodiments, the dough mixture is provided in a hopper and subsequently fed through a sheeter to form a thin sheet of dough. The sheet of dough may optionally be fed through a laminator, in which the dough is formed into a continuous sheet and may undergo multiple laminations (e.g., up to six laminations). In an exemplary embodiment, lamination is performed without any fat components (e.g., no butter) and to introduce more air into the dough to provide the desired layered texture. Even if any fat components are added during the lamination process, the additional fat components used for lamination are not included when calculating the above-mentioned "by weight of dough" component amounts (i.e., component amounts are based on the weight of the dough prior to any lamination).

[0073] Subsequently, the continuously layered sheets can be passed through a set of calendering rollers or gauge rollers (or via other methods known in the art) to reduce the sheet thickness to a desired thickness, such as 0.85 mm or less. In various embodiments, the dough is sheeted to thicknesses of 0.9 mm or less, 0.85 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, 0.75 mm or less, 0.70 mm or less, 0.65 mm or less, 0.60 mm or less, 0.55 mm or less, 0.50 mm or less, 0.45 mm or less, or 0.40 mm or less. In some embodiments, the dough sheet thickness, measured in mm / 10 sheets, is 8.5 mm or less, 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, 5.5 mm or less, 5.0 mm or less, 4.5 mm or less, or 4.0 mm or less.

[0074] In some embodiments, method 100 further includes a step 115 of cutting and / or shaping the dough into individual pieces. In one exemplary embodiment, a sheet of dough is cut into individual pieces using a rotary cutter with the desired shape, after which the cut raw crispy cookies are transferred to a baking oven.

[0075] Method 100 may further include a baking step 120. Baking may include baking the dough for about 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 15 minutes, 16 minutes, 18 minutes, or 20 minutes (or within any of the aforementioned times) at a temperature of about 250℉, 300℉, 325℉, 350℉, 400℉, 425℉, 450℉, 550℉, or 600℉ (or within any of the aforementioned temperatures). In one exemplary embodiment, the baking time may be about 3 minutes to about 4 minutes.

[0076] In some embodiments, baking step 120 is carried out in a continuously zoned oven with multiple temperature zones, such that the dough is progressively exposed to rising and subsequently decreasing temperatures. For example, in one embodiment, the first zone has a temperature between about 320℉ and about 392℉, the second zone has a temperature between about 392℉ and about 464℉, the third zone has a temperature between about 392℉ and about 500℉, the fourth zone has a temperature between about 356℉ and about 428℉, and the fifth zone has a temperature between about 284℉ and about 392℉. In various embodiments, the baking step has 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 zones.

[0077] After baking, the final baked crispy cookies can be cooled before proceeding to packaging step 125.

[0078] In some embodiments, the baking step can effectively achieve a specific final moisture content in the final baked crispy biscuit. For example, in some ways, baking is performed to obtain a final baked crispy biscuit with a moisture content between about 0.2% and about 5%. In exemplary embodiments, the moisture content may be about 0.3% to about 4%, about 0.4% to about 2%, or about 0.6% to about 1.5%.

[0079] In one embodiment, baking step 120 results in the final baked crisps each having a thickness of 1.0 mm or less. In various embodiments, the final crisp product may have a thickness of less than 1.0 mm, 0.95 mm or less, 0.9 mm or less, 0.85 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, 0.75 mm or less, 0.7 mm or less, 0.65 mm or less, 0.60 mm or less, 0.55 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, or 0.45 mm or less. In one exemplary embodiment, the final crisp has a thickness of about 0.45 mm to about 0.85 mm. In some embodiments, the final crispy biscuit product may have a final crispy biscuit thickness of 10 mm or less, less than 10 mm, 9.5 mm or less, 9.0 mm or less, 8.5 mm or less, 8.0 mm or less, 7.5 mm or less, 7.0 mm or less, 6.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, 5.5 mm or less, 5.0 mm or less, or 4.5 mm or less, measured in mm / 10 pieces. In one exemplary embodiment, the final crispy biscuit may have a final crispy biscuit thickness of about 4.5 mm to about 8.5 mm, measured in mm / 10 pieces.

[0080] In some implementations, baking step 120 can be controlled so that the resulting final crisp cookie has a substantially flat and smooth appearance (possibly with slight ripples). For example, the two opposite flat surfaces of the crisp cookie can be generally smooth and free of raised bubbles or lumps. For example, see reference... Figure 5A and Figure 5B Potato-based crisps made without pregelatinized starch and DATEM ( Figure 5A It has a dispersed, raised, lumpy appearance and a highly textured, uneven surface, while potato-based crisps made with pregelatinized starch and DATEM ( Figure 5B It has a generally smooth and uniform appearance.

[0081] In some embodiments, the opposite flat surfaces of potato-based crisps formulated with pregelatinized starch and DATEM, as disclosed herein, are generally smooth, wherein less than 10%, less than 5%, or less than 1% of the total area of ​​the two opposite flat surfaces of the crisp includes raised lumps that increase the thickness of the crisp by more than 0.1 standard deviations. In some ways, smoothness is defined by comparing thickness variations at different points on the crisp and determining that the standard deviation is within about 0.1. For example, the thickness of the crisp can be measured at the center point of the crisp, at the midpoint of the first side of the crisp, at the midpoint of the second side of the crisp, at the midpoint of the third side of the crisp, and at the midpoint of the fourth side of the crisp (when the crisp is quadrilateral).

[0082] In the implementation, the smoothness of potato-based crisps formulated with pregelatinized starch and DATEM is substantially equivalent to that of wheat-based crisps formulated entirely with wheat flour without pregelatinized starch and DATEM, and is significantly smoother than otherwise similarly formulated potato-based crisps formulated without the disclosed amounts of pregelatinized starch and DATEM.

[0083] refer to Figure 2 An additional embodiment of a method 200 for making crispy biscuits is disclosed, which has multiple combining and mixing steps. In step 205, water to be added to the dough and one or more sweeteners are combined to form a first mixture. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the sweeteners for the dough include sugar (sucrose) and maltose syrup, and the sugar, maltose syrup, and added water are combined and mixed together. In some ways, this step includes mixing at a high speed (e.g., 60 rpm to 80 rpm). In embodiments, mixing may take 30 to 90 seconds (e.g., about 60 seconds).

[0084] In step 210, a second mixture of oil and DATEM (with DATEM premixed in the oil) may be combined with the first mixture to form a third mixture. In some embodiments, this step includes mixing the components at a low speed (e.g., 20 rpm to 40 rpm). In embodiments, mixing may take 1 to 3 minutes (e.g., about 2 minutes).

[0085] In step 215, one or more types of flour and pregelatinized starch may be combined and mixed with a third mixture to form a dough, wherein the one or more types of flour include potato flour added in an amount of at least about 4% by weight of the dough. This step may also include adding any other additional ingredients for the dough.

[0086] In some implementations, when wheat flour is added to the dough, it can be added to the mixture in a separate mixing step. For example, in one approach, one or more flours (including potato flour), pregelatinized starch, and additional ingredients are first combined and mixed with a third mixture to form a fourth mixture. This ensures that the pregelatinized starch is fully dispersed in the potato flour before the wheat flour is added. This mixing can be carried out at a low speed (e.g., 20 rpm to 40 rpm or 25 rpm to 35 rpm) and, in some implementations, occurs for approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Subsequently, the wheat flour is combined and mixed with the fourth mixture to form a dough. In some approaches, this mixing is carried out at a high speed (e.g., 60 rpm to 80 rpm or 65 rpm to 75 rpm) and can have a duration of, for example, 8 to 12 minutes to ensure a uniform dough.

[0087] Method 200 may also include the steps of sheeting (and optionally laminating) 220, cutting / shaping 225, baking 230, and packaging 235, as described above relative to method 100.

[0088] This document also discloses potato-based thin, crispy biscuit products. As used herein, "thin, crispy biscuit" refers to a generally thin, baked or cooked snack product formed from dough and having a generally small size (for cutting and shaping small pieces), characterized by a crispy texture. Thin, crispy biscuits may include products commonly referred to as thin, crispy biscuits, biscuits, wafers, potato chips, etc. In embodiments, the thin, crispy biscuit product is baked (e.g., baked thin, crispy biscuits, biscuits, wafers, potato chips, or other thin and crispy baked products). In some cases, other heating / cooking methods, such as frying, may be used. The thin, crispy biscuit product can be of various shapes (e.g., round, square, oval, rectangular, triangular, etc.) and can have a sweet or savory flavor.

[0089] In some embodiments, the potato-based crisps are formed from any potato-based dough disclosed above containing pregelatinized starch and DATEM. In some ways, the potato-based crisps are baked crisps formed from this dough, baked to obtain a thin and crisp final product with a moisture content between about 0.2% and about 5%. In exemplary embodiments, the moisture content may be about 0.3% to about 4%, about 0.4% to about 2%, or about 0.6% to about 1.5%.

[0090] In some embodiments, the potato-based crackers contain at least 8% by weight of potato flour based on the weight of the crackers. In other embodiments, the potato-based crackers contain at least 15% by weight of potato flour or at least 20% by weight of potato flour based on the weight of the crackers. The potato-based crackers also contain pregelatinized starch and DATEM.

[0091] In some embodiments, the potato-based crackers contain only potato flour as a flour component. In some embodiments, the crackers contain both potato flour and wheat flour, and in some implementations, may contain other types of flour, such as those used in place of wheat flour, as discussed above. In some implementations, the crackers contain potato flour in an amount of about 15% to about 100% by weight of the total flour content. In some embodiments, wheat flour may be present in an amount of about 0% to about 85% by weight of the total flour content of the crackers. The amount of potato flour may vary relative to the total flour content according to the “low potato flour addition,” “medium potato flour addition,” and “high potato flour addition” implementations described above.

[0092] In some embodiments, the potato-based crisps include pregelatinized starch. The pregelatinized starch may be present in a specific weight ratio relative to the amount of potato flour present in the crisps. For example, in some embodiments, this ratio is about 30:100 to about 70:100 or about 33:100 to about 70:100, or any weight ratio relative to the dough. In some ways, the ratio range may be selected based on whether the amount of potato flour added is low, medium, or high, as described above. For example, in the case of a high amount of potato flour added, where the potato flour is present in an amount greater than or equal to 70% by weight and less than or equal to 100% by weight of the total flour content, and wheat flour may be present in an amount greater than or equal to 0% by weight and less than or equal to 30% by weight of the total flour content, the ratio of pregelatinized starch to the amount of potato flour present in the crisps may be about 39:100 to about 70:100. The ratio of low to medium potato flour addition in crispy biscuits can be the same as those described for dough.

[0093] In implementations, the potato-based crackers comprise a DATEM in a specific weight ratio relative to the sum of the total flour content of the crackers and the amount of potato flour in the crackers. For example, in some implementations, this ratio is from about 0.09:100 to about 2.6:100, from 0.1:100 to about 2.0:100, or any weight ratio relative to the dough. In some ways, the ratio range can be selected based on whether the amount of potato flour added is low, medium, or high, as described above. For example, in the case of a high amount of potato flour added (as defined above), the ratio can be from about 0.9:100 to about 2:100. The ratios for low and medium amounts of potato flour added in the crackers can be the same as those for the dough.

[0094] The potato-based crispy biscuit products disclosed herein are generally flat, having two main, opposite flat surfaces, and a thin profile. For example, as discussed above, the crispy biscuits are formulated to have any of the thicknesses disclosed above for the final crispy biscuit (e.g., 1.0 mm or less, less than 1.0 mm, 0.85 mm or less, 0.60 mm or less, etc.). For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the final crispy biscuit has a thickness of about 0.45 mm to about 1 mm or about 0.45 mm to about 0.85 mm. In some embodiments, the crispy biscuit may have a final crispy biscuit thickness measured in mm / 10 pieces, such as those disclosed above (e.g., 10 mm or less, less than 10 mm, 8.5 mm or less, 6.0 mm or less, etc.). In one exemplary embodiment, the final crispy biscuit may have a final crispy biscuit thickness of about 4.5 mm to about 8.5 mm measured in mm / 10 pieces.

[0095] Potato-based crisps formulated with pregelatinized starch and DATEM also have a generally smooth, oppositely flat surface with few or no raised bubbles or bumps, as described above.

[0096] This disclosure is illustrated by the following non-limiting examples, in which all portions, percentages and ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

[0097] Example 1

[0098] Prepare three types of dough according to the following recipes C1, C2, and C3 provided in Table 1.

[0099] Table 1

[0100] C1 C2 C3 water 15.45％ 33.71％ 20.37％ Potato flour 0.00％ 21.33％ 22.92％ wheat flour 60.47％ 26.07％ 28.01％ DATEM 0.00％ 0.00％ 0.76％ Pregelatinized corn starch 0.00％ 0.00％ 7.64％ Oil 10.75％ 8.43％ 9.06％ sugar 9.35％ 7.33％ 7.88％ Maltose syrup 1.43％ 1.12％ 1.21％ Native corn starch 1.43％ 1.12％ 1.21％ Salt 1.11％ 0.87％ 0.94％ dried egg yolk 0.29％ 0.22％ 0.24％ dicalcium orthophosphate 0.14％ 0.11％ 0.12％ Sodium bicarbonate 0.14％ 0.11％ 0.12％

[0101] C1 is a wheat flour dough containing only wheat flour as the flour component. C2 and C3 each contain potato flour and wheat flour in a ratio of approximately 45:55. C2 does not contain DATEM or pregelatinized starch, while C3 contains both DATEM and pregelatinized starch.

[0102] The C3 dough is formed using the following process: First, combine the sugar, maltose syrup, and water, and mix them together in a mixer at 70 rpm for about 1 minute. Next, add the mixture of oil and DATEM (premixed) to the sugar and water mixture. Mix the resulting mixture at 30 rpm for about 2 minutes. Then add the potato starch, pregelatinized cornstarch, and other small ingredients, and mix at 30 rpm for about 5 minutes. After that, add the wheat flour to the slurry and mix at 70 rpm for about 10 minutes. Keep the dough at a temperature of about 36°C-40°C and let it rest for 30-60 minutes, then transfer it to a hopper for shaping. Apply a 6-layer lamination process (without adding fat) to the dough, then sheet the dough to about 0.6 mm per sheet. Cut and shape the dough sheets into small raw biscuit pieces. Bake the biscuit pieces to achieve a final biscuit moisture content between about 0.6% and 1.5%, cool, and then package. The C1 and C2 doughs are shaped using a similar process, but without the addition of potato starch, pregelatinized corn starch, and DATEM (for C1) or without the addition of pregelatinized corn starch and DATEM (for C2).

[0103] Several properties of the resulting dough and crispy biscuits were analyzed. Both the wheat-based C1 dough and the potato-based C3 dough exhibited excellent sheetability. Sheeting the wheat-based C1 dough to a thickness of 0.6 mm yielded thin crispy biscuits with a thickness of approximately 0.74 mm after baking. Sheeting the potato-based C3 dough to a thickness of 0.6 mm yielded thin crispy biscuits with a thickness of approximately 0.71 mm after baking. A photograph of the C3 crispy biscuit is shown below. Figure 5B These thin, crisp biscuits have a generally smooth surface without noticeable lumps or bubbles. Both C1 and C3 doughs were found to have Young's modulus in the range of 400 Pa to 600 Pa (approximately 565.29 and 459.75, respectively).

[0104] Potato-based C2 dough, without pregelatinized starch or DATEM, exhibited low processability, leading to cracking and breakage during shaping and sheeting. The dough had a Young's modulus of approximately 96.17. Sheeting the potato-based C2 dough to a sheet thickness of 0.6 mm resulted in thin, crispy cookies with a thickness of approximately 0.82 mm after baking. The crispy cookies exhibited a significantly raised texture, such as... Figure 5A As shown.

[0105] Other rheological properties, such as maximum resistance, extension distance, residual stress, and relaxation time, were tested for C1, C2, and C3 doughs. The results are shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 3, the potato-based dough with pregelatinized starch and DATEM exhibited high maximum resistance, extension distance, residual stress, and relaxation time, similar to those of the wheat-based dough. For the potato-based dough without pregelatinized starch and DATEM, these values ​​were significantly lower.

[0106] Example 2

[0107] Prepare ten doughs according to the recipes F1 to F10 provided in Table 2. All values ​​are percentages by weight of the dough.

[0108] Table 2

[0109] F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 water 15.45 20.37 22.81 22.70 22.60 22.58 21.56 18.15 18.19 18.08 Potato flour 0.00 22.92 41.89 41.70 41.50 39.85 36.61 8.45 8.47 8.72 wheat flour 60.47 28.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 47.87 47.98 49.41 DATEM 0.00 0.76 1.86 2.32 2.77 1.77 1.63 0.28 0.06 0.06 Pregelatinized corn starch 0.00 7.64 16.76 16.68 16.60 19.93 25.63 2.82 2.82 0.58 Oil 10.75 9.06 7.45 7.41 7.38 7.08 6.51 10.01 10.04 10.33 sugar 9.35 7.88 6.48 6.45 6.42 6.16 5.66 8.71 8.73 8.99 Maltose syrup 1.43 1.21 0.99 0.99 0.98 0.94 0.87 1.34 1.34 1.38 Native corn starch 1.43 1.21 0.99 0.99 0.98 0.94 0.87 1.34 1.34 1.38 Salt 1.11 0.94 0.77 0.77 0.76 0.73 0.67 1.04 1.04 1.07 dried egg yolk 0.29 0.24 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.19 0.17 0.27 0.27 0.28 dicalcium orthophosphate 0.14 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.13 0.13 0.14 Sodium bicarbonate 0.14 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.13 0.13 0.14

[0110] The dough is formed using the same process as described in Example 1.

[0111] Specifically, F1 is a comparative dough containing only wheat flour, F2 contains both wheat flour and potato flour (medium potato flour addition), F3 to F7 contain only potato flour (high potato flour addition), and F8 to F10 contain both wheat flour and potato flour (low potato flour addition). The amounts of DATEM and pregelatinized corn starch in each potato-based formulation (F2 to F10) were varied to determine the effective amounts of ingredients used to produce sheetable potato-based doughs with the desired properties. Specifically, F3 to F5 contain a substantially constant amount of pregelatinized corn starch and varying amounts of DATEM; F3, F6, and F7 contain a substantially constant amount of DATEM and varying amounts of pregelatinized corn starch; F8 and F9 contain a substantially constant amount of pregelatinized corn starch and varying amounts of DATEM; and F9 and F10 contain a substantially constant amount of DATEM and varying amounts of pregelatinized corn starch.

[0112] Test doughs F1-F10 to determine the Young's modulus of each dough type, such as... Figure 7 As shown (F3 appears twice for visual comparison with different samples). As discussed above, Young's modulus represents the deformation characteristics of dough under compression. Dough with a Young's modulus between approximately 400 Pa and approximately 600 Pa was found to have excellent processability and sheetability, and could be sheeted to the thicknesses disclosed herein.

[0113] The Young's modulus and processability of doughs containing high levels of potato flour (100% potato flour) and approximately 16% to 17% by weight of pregelatinized corn starch vary depending on the amount of DATEM added (see F3 to F5). Specifically, it is believed that the ratio of DATEM to the total flour content plus potato flour in F4 and F5 doughs is too high, resulting in an excessively low Young's modulus. The Young's modulus and processability of doughs containing high levels of potato flour (100% potato flour) and approximately 1.6% to 1.9% by weight of DATEM vary depending on the amount of pregelatinized corn starch (see F3, F6, and F8). Specifically, it is believed that the ratio of pregelatinized corn starch to potato flour in F7 dough is close to the maximum limit for achieving a suitable Young's modulus. The Young's modulus and processability of doughs containing low levels of potato flour (15 / 85 potato flour / wheat flour), DATEM, and pregelatinized corn starch also vary depending on the amount of pregelatinized corn starch (see F8 to F10). Generally, it has been found that as the potato flour content in the dough increases, so does the increase in pregelatinized starch and DATEM (relative to the weight ratios disclosed herein and / or per unit weight of dough) to achieve a suitable Young's modulus.

[0114] In further testing, doughs F1, F2, F3, F7, and F10 were sheeted (using the same process as described in Example 1). Doughs F1, F2, and F3 exhibited excellent sheetability and easily achieved sheet thicknesses between 0.40 mm and 0.70 mm, resulting in thin, crisp biscuits with a thickness between 0.45 mm and 0.85 mm. Dough F7 could also achieve sheet thicknesses between 0.40 mm and 0.70 mm, but below 0.5 mm, the sheet became sticky and difficult to separate from the conveyor belt. Dough F10 was unprocessable or unsheetable and could not be passed through the forming machine.

[0115] Example 3

[0116] Prepare three doughs according to the recipes CED1, CED2, and CED3 provided in Table 3. All values ​​are percentages by weight of the dough.

[0117] Table 3

[0118] CED1 CED2 CED3 water 18.09 20.37 20.45 Potato flour 8.42 22.92 37.56 wheat flour 47.73 28.01 0.00 DATEM 0.06 0.76 0.75 Pregelatinized corn starch 2.81 7.64 26.29 Oil 9.98 9.06 6.68 sugar 8.68 7.88 5.81 Maltose syrup 1.33 1.21 0.89 Corn starch (raw) 1.33 1.21 0.89 Salt 1.03 0.94 0.69 dried egg yolk 0.27 0.24 0.18 dicalcium orthophosphate 0.13 0.12 0.09 Sodium bicarbonate 0.13 0.12 0.09

[0119] The CED1, CED2, and CED3 formulations have low potato flour content (approximately 15 / 85 potato flour / wheat flour), medium potato flour content (approximately 45 / 55 potato flour / wheat flour), and high potato flour content (100% potato flour), respectively.

[0120] The dough is formed using the same process as described in Example 1, then sheeted and baked. The dough and the final crispy biscuits have the following characteristics:

[0121] CED1 CED2 CED3 Young's modulus (dough) 500Pa-600Pa 400Pa-500 Pa 500Pa-600 Pa Dough sheet thickness (mm / 10 small sheets) 5.0 4.0 7.0 Thickness of thin and crispy biscuit products (mm / 10 small pieces) 5.8 4.5 8.5

[0122] The dough sheets exhibit excellent sheet-forming properties and a uniform, generally smooth texture free of any noticeable protrusions or lumps. The crisp biscuits have a generally uniform, smooth outer surface free of significant bumps, bubbles, or air bubbles.

[0123] The matters described in the foregoing specification and figures are provided by way of example and illustration only and are not intended to be limiting. While certain embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that additions, changes, and modifications can be made without departing from the broad aspects of the technical contribution. The actual scope of protection sought is intended to be defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A dough for producing thin, crispy biscuits, said dough comprising: At least about 4% by weight of potato flour based on the weight of the dough; The total flour content is approximately 30% to approximately 70% by weight of the dough. The amount of pregelatinized starch is about 2% to about 30% by weight based on the weight of the dough; and The amount of diacetyl tartaric acid mono(di)glyceryl ester (DATEM) is approximately 0.05% to approximately 2% by weight of the dough.

2. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the dough comprises potato flour in an amount of about 15% to about 100% by weight of the total flour content and wheat flour in an amount of about 0% to about 85% by weight of the total flour content.

3. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the amount of pregelatinized starch present in the dough to the amount of potato flour is from about 33:100 to about 70:

100.

4. The dough according to claim 3, wherein the dough further comprises wheat flour, the potato flour is present in an amount of at least about 15% by weight and less than 70% by weight based on the total flour content, and the wheat flour is present in an amount of more than 30% by weight and less than or equal to 85% by weight based on the total flour content.

5. The dough according to claim 4, wherein the ratio of the amount of DATEM to the total flour content plus the amount of potato flour is about 0.1:100 to about 1.5:

100.

6. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the dough comprises potato flour in an amount greater than or equal to 70% by weight and less than or equal to 100% by weight of the total flour content and wheat flour in an amount greater than or equal to 0% by weight and less than or equal to 30% by weight of the total flour content.

7. The dough according to claim 6, wherein the ratio of the amount of pregelatinized starch to the amount of potato flour present in the dough is from about 39:100 to about 70:

100.

8. The dough according to claim 6, wherein the ratio of the DATEM present in the dough to the sum of the total flour content and the amount of potato flour is about 0.9:100 to about 2:

100.

9. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the DATEM present in the dough to the sum of the total flour content and the amount of potato flour is about 0.1:100 to about 2:

100.

10. The dough of claim 1, wherein the dough comprises about 0.05% by weight to about 1% by weight of DATEM based on the weight of the dough.

11. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the pregelatinized starch is native waxy pregelatinized starch.

12. The dough according to claim 1, wherein the dough comprises about 0.2% by weight to about 12% by weight of oil.

13. A thin, crispy biscuit prepared from the dough according to claim 1, the thin, crispy biscuit having a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

14. A crisp biscuit, said crisp biscuit being prepared from a dough comprising the following components: One or more types of flour that define the total flour content of the crispy biscuits, said one or more types of flour comprising at least about 15% by weight of potato flour based on the total flour content; Pregelatinized starch, wherein the ratio of the pregelatinized starch to potato starch is from about 33:100 to about 70:100; and Diacetyl tartrate mono(di)glycerides (DATEM); The thin, crispy biscuit mentioned above has a thickness of 1.0 mm or less.

15. The crispy biscuit of claim 14, wherein the ratio of DATEM to the sum of the total flour content and potato flour is about 0.1:100 to about 2:

100.

16. The crispy biscuit of claim 14, further comprising wheat flour, wherein the potato flour is present in an amount greater than or equal to 15% by weight and less than 70% by weight based on the total flour content, and the wheat flour is present in an amount greater than 30% by weight and less than or equal to 85% by weight based on the total flour content.

17. The crispy biscuit according to claim 14, wherein the pregelatinized starch is pregelatinized corn starch.

18. A method for making crispy biscuits, the method comprising: The dough is formed in the following way: Water, oil, DATEM, pregelatinized starch and one or more flours are combined and mixed, wherein the one or more flours contain potato flour added in an amount of at least about 4% by weight based on the weight of the dough, and the ratio of the amount of pregelatinized starch to the amount of potato flour in the dough is between about 33:100 and about 70:

100. The dough is sheeted to a thickness of approximately 0.85 mm or less; and The dough is cut and baked into sheets to provide the thin, crispy cookies.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the DATEM is added to the dough in an amount of about 0.05% by weight to about 2% by weight based on the weight of the dough.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more types of flour further comprises wheat flour, and the potato flour is added in an amount greater than or equal to about 15% by weight and less than 70% by weight based on the total flour content of the dough, and the wheat flour is added in an amount greater than 30% by weight and less than or equal to about 85% by weight based on the total flour content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the ratio of the amount of DATEM to the total flour content plus the amount of potato flour is about 0.1:100 to about 1.5:

100.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the potato flour is added in an amount greater than or equal to about 70% by weight and less than or equal to 100% by weight of the total flour content of the dough, and the wheat flour is present in an amount greater than or equal to 0% by weight and less than or equal to about 30% by weight.

Images