Cheese-based, bite-sized baked snacks

Abstract

A baked snack comprises natural cheese, flour, and pregelatinized waxy maize starch. The natural cheese is present in the baked snack at a higher wt.% relative to any other ingredient. A matrix formed at least in part by the natural cheese fills an interior of the baked snack. Methods of preparing the snack are also provided.

Description

CHEESE-BASED, BITE-SIZED BAKED SNACKSFIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to baked dough-based snacks, and more specifically, to baked, bite-size snacks, where the primary ingredient is cheese.BACKGROUND

[0002] Dough-based bite-size snacks have been popular with consumers for a very' long time. More recently, bite-size snacks that include cheese are becoming more and more popular. Some bite-size snacks include cheese only and do not include dough. Some dough-based bite-sized snacks include cheese as an ingredient, but not the primary ingredient. In addition, such doughbased bite-sized snacks are typically made using cheese powders, which may be less appealing than fresh cheese to today’s health-conscious consumers.SUMMARY

[0003] This application generally relates to baked snacks that include cheese, wheat and / or gluten free flour, and pregelatinized starch. The cheese is present in the baked snack at a higher weight percentage (hereinafter, “wt.%”) relative to any other ingredient. A matrix formed at least in part by the cheese fills the interior of the baked snack. Methods of preparing the snacks are also provided.

[0004] In some embodiments, a baked snack comprises natural cheese, flour, and pregelatinized waxy maize starch, and the natural cheese represents an ingredient that is present at a higher wt.% than any other ingredient. The baked snack has an interior that is filled by a matrix formed at least in part by the natural cheese.

[0005] In one aspect, the natural cheese is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 25 wt. % to about 45 wt. %; the pregelatinized waxy maize com starch is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 25 wt. %; and the flour is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 33 wt.%.

[0006] In certain aspects, the peak force hardness of the baked snacks is from about 500 grams to about 2500 grams. In some aspects, the peak force hardness of the baked snacks is from about1000 grams to about 2250 grams. In one aspect, the peak force hardness of the baked snacks is about 1500 grams.

[0007] The bulk density of the baked snacks may be from about 120g / L to about 240 g / L post-baking in the oven and from about 110 g / L to about 210 g / L post-drying in the dryer.

[0008] In some implementations, the baked snacks contain between about 8-16 wt. % moisture post-baking and between about 1 wt.% to about 6 wt.% moisture.

[0009] The baked snacks may have a maximum height of about 0.7 cm to about 1.3 cm postbaking in the oven and a maximum height of about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm post-drying in the dryer.

[0010] The exterior color of the baked snacks may be in a range of 58-71 L*.

[0011] In some embodiments, the natural cheese is selected from at least one of Cheddar, Parmesan, Four Cheese blend (Cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago, Mozzarella), Monterrey, Pepper Jack, Asiago, Gouda, and Fontina Jack.

[0012] In some embodiments, a method includes: forming a dough by combining ingredients including natural cheese, flour, pregelatinized waxy maize starch, and water, wherein the natural cheese is present in the dough at a higher wt.% relative to any other ingredient; sheeting the dough to form a dough sheet with Sets of 2: (three or four roll sheeters), (with or without lamination) to form dough into a continuous sheet reducing thickness; cutting and dockering the dough sheet to form a plurality of dough pieces; baking the dough pieces in an oven, wherein the dough pieces exiting the oven have a moisture content of about 8 wt.% to about 16 wt.%; and drying the dough pieces in a drying after the baking to produce baked snacks having a moisture content of about 1 to about 3 wt.%, and having a matrix formed at least in part by the natural cheese filling an interior thereof.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Disclosed herein are embodiments of products methods pertaining to “cheese-first” bite-sized baked snacks. This description includes drawings, wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 is an apparatus for making cheese-based bite-size snacks according to some embodiments;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cheese-based bite-size baked snack according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of the cheese-based bitesize baked snack of FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a bar graph chart comparing the bulk density of exemplary cheese-based bite- sized snacks after baking and after drying;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a bar graph chart comparing the height of a stack (i.e., 10 pieces) of exemplary cheese-based bite-sized snacks after baking and after drying;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a bar graph chart comparing the moisture of exemplary cheese-based bite- sized snacks after baking and after drying;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a bar graph chart comparing the bulk density of exemplary cheese-based bite- sized snacks after baking but without drying;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a bar graph chart comparing the height of a stack (i.e., 10 pieces) of exemplary cheese-based bite-sized snacks after baking but without drying;

[0022] FIG. 9 is a bar graph chart comparing the dough texture of three different embodiments of dough formulations prior to baking and drying;

[0023] FIG. 10 is a bar graph chart comparing the texture of three different embodiments of cheese-based bite-sized snacks after baking and drying;

[0024] FIG. 11 is a bar graph chart comparing the density of the three different embodiments of cheese-based bite-sized snacks of FIG. 10 after baking and drying;

[0025] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram representative of a method in accordance with some embodiments;

[0026] FIG. 13 shows a top view of a cutter for cutting a sheet of dough to form a plurality of dough pieces in accordance with some embodiments;

[0027] FIG. 14 shows a front elevational view of the cutter of FIG. 13;

[0028] FIG. 15 shows a top view of a cutter than is larger than the cutter of FIG. 13 for cutting a sheet of dough to form a plurality of dough pieces in accordance with some embodiments;

[0029] FIG. 16 shows a front elevational view of the cutter of FIG. 15;

[0030] FIG. 17 shows a top view of a cutter than is larger than the cutter of FIG. 15 for cutting a sheet of dough to form a plurality of dough pieces in accordance with some embodiments; and

[0031] FIG. 18 shows a front elevational view of the cutter of FIG. 17.

[0032] Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and / or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and / or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of exemplary embodiments. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0034] Generally, consumer-desired properties (e.g., flavor, texture, color, mouthfeel, etc.) of baked snack products (e.g., biscuits, crackers, cookies, extruded products, etc.) at least in part define the consumer-perceived quality thereof. Since dough is the precursor of the consumable baked snack products, dough manufacturers aim to produce a dough which, when baked in an oven, results in a baked product having the target parameters (e.g., texture, moisture content, weight, height, color, thickness, etc.) that maximally match consumer-desired characteristics.

[0035] The present application relates to baked, bite-sized snacks, the primary ingredient of which is cheese. In other words, in the bite-sized baked snacks according to the embodiments described herein, the amount of cheese by weight exceeds the amount of flour and the amount of any other ingredient by weight. The baked, bite-sized, cheese-based snacks according to embodiments described herein possess a combination of size, shape, texture, color, moisture, and flavor that is pleasing to the consumers.

[0036] Without wishing to be limited by theory, the dough compositions used to make the baked, bite-sized, cheese-based snacks according to the embodiments described herein include flour and starch blends that confer dough cohesiveness and elasticity to enable the use of conventional mixing and machining equipment to mix and form the “cheese-first” dough, followed by baking in an oven and drying in an dryer to result in the advantageous bite-size cheese-first baked snacks according to the embodiments described herein. Notably, the cheese-first baked snacks do not necessarily have to be produced via an oven-dryer combination, and may be produced by using an oven alone, albeit by employing longer bake times, and resulting baked snacks with a texture that is different from the baked snacks produced via both baking and drying.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 100 for making the bite-sized, baked snacks 195 as described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 100 includes a mixer 110, where the ingredients of the baked snacks 195, which will be described in more detail below, may be mixed to form a dough. In one embodiment, the mixer 110 is an FX Continuous Mixer manufactured by Reading Bakery Systems based in Robesonia, PA.

[0038] The apparatus further includes a conveyor 115 including a product advancement surface that is configured to support thereon and transport the dough lumps 180 made in the mixer 110. Notably, in some embodiments, the apparatus 100 does not include the mixer 110, and the dough may be made independently of the apparatus 100 (e.g., in an extruder, or the like).

[0039] In some embodiments, the product advancement surface of the conveyor 115 comprises a conveyor band that is metallic (e.g., steel, etc.) and may have a mesh structure (e.g., an open wire mesh material, a rolled wire mesh material, etc.) and that may be used to advance the dough pieces 190 as they are baked / dried from both above and below to form the final baked snacks 195. In one aspect, the conveyor 115 is formed from an open wire mesh material that permits convective air to pass therethrough to heat the bottom of the dough pieces 190 located onthe product advancement surface of the conveyor band 115. In one aspect, advancing the dough pieces 190 through an oven 140 on an open wire mesh material provides final baked snacks 195 with external grill marks on their top and / or bottom surfaces. It will be appreciated, however, that the band of the conveyor 115 does not necessarily have to have a mesh structure, and that, in some implementations, the band of the conveyor 115 is a solid (not a mesh-type) metallic band.

[0040] In some embodiments, the dough ingredients that are mixed together in the mixer 110 to form the dough lumps 180 include, but are not limited to, cheese, flour, pregelatinized starch, and water. It will be appreciated that, in addition to the cheese, flour, pregelatinized starch, and water, the flour compositions according to various embodiments described herein may further include additional ingredients including but not limited to sweeteners (e.g., sugar, or the like), seasonings (e.g., salt, pepper, or the like), herbs (e.g., basil, oregano, rosemary, or the like), oils (e.g., canola oil, or the like), dietary fibers (e.g., oat fiber, or the like). Notably, the ingredient that is present in the largest percentage by weight in the dough mixture is cheese. In some implementations, the amount of cheese present in the dough mixture is from about 25 wt.% to about 45 wt. %. In certain aspects, the cheese is a natural cheese, which may be selected from Cheddar, Parmesan, Pepper Jack, Four Cheese, or the like, or combinations thereof.

[0041] In some implementations, the flour may be present in the dough mixture in an amount of about 20 wt. % to about 35 wt.%. In certain aspects, the term “flour” will be understood to mean corn flour, wheat flour, gluten free flour, rice flour, or the like, or combinations thereof.

[0042] In some embodiments, the pregelatinized starch may be present in the dough mixture in an amount of about 1 wt. % to about 25 wt.%. In certain aspects, the pregelatinized starch is a waxy maize starch. Without wishing to be limited to theory, the waxy maize starch has a higher content of amylopectin than conventional corn starch and advantageously provides the dough with higher viscosity, cohesiveness, and elasticity, thus enabling the expansion (e.g., puffing) of baked snacks 195 during the baking in the apparatus 100, while restricting the dough pieces 190 and / or baked snacks 195 from undesirably breaking during the processing.

[0043] The water may be present in the dough mixture in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. %. Generally, the rheology of the dough mixture formed in the mixer 110 may vary dependent on the mixing process variables, including but not limited to: characteristics of the ingredients, ambient conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.), and / or the mixing time of theingredients in the mixer 1 10. In one aspect, the amount and temperature of the water added to the ingredient mixture may be varied in order to provide a dough with the desired characteristics.

[0044] With reference to FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 further includes a sheeter 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the sheeter 120 is a two-roll sheeter, which includes an upper roll 122 and a lower roll 124 which produce a continuous dough sheet 185 from the dough lumps 180. It will be appreciated that, in certain implementations, the sheeter 120 may include more than just the upper and lower rolls 122, 124, and may include three or more rolls. In some embodiments, the upper and lower rolls 122, 124 of the sheeter 120 may be provided with a chilled water supply (not shown) to maintain a suitable temperature of the upper and lower rolls 122, 124 of the sheeter 120 during the production of the dough sheet 185 from the dough lumps 180.

[0045] In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 100 further includes a cutter 130 with a pre-determined shape pattern (e.g., hexagonal) that is configured to continuously cut the dough sheet 185 into a plurality of distinct dough pieces 190 having the desired overall shape. As shown in FIG. 1, after the dough lumps 180 pass through the upper and lower rolls 122, 124 of the sheeter 120 to form the dough sheet 185, the formed dough sheet 185 is guided by the conveyor 110 from the sheeter 122 toward and through the cutter 130, where the dough sheet 185 is cut into a plurality of discreet dough pieces 190 having an overall shape defined by the shape of the cutter 130. In one aspect, the cutter 130 is a rotary cutter, but it will be appreciated that other suitable cutters may be used instead. In some aspects, the cutter apron speed is from 13 to 15 feet per minute (FPM). In one aspect, the cutter apron speed is from 13.15 to 14.15 FPM.

[0046] In some embodiments, the overall size (e.g., the surface area) of the cutter 130 may be varied to produce baked snacks of a specific weight. In certain implementations, the cutters 130 have a maximum height from about 1.3 to about 1.7 inches and a maximum width from about 1.3 to about 1.7 inches. In some embodiments the surface area of the cutters 130 may be from about 1.4 sq. in. (900 sq. mm) to about 2.3 sq. in. (1500 sq. mm), and the weight of each of the dough pieces 190 produced by the cutters 130 may be from about 2.0 g to about 3.5 g (i.e., the larger the surface area of the cutter 130, the larger the weight of the resulting dough pieces 190, and vice versa).

[0047] The cutters 130 may have a varying number of (e.g., from 5-9) docker pins, and the docker pins of the cutter 130 may have varying shapes (e.g., more triangular, more circular, etc.)and sharpness to promote optimal puffing, aeration, and texture of the dough pieces 190 generated by the cutter 130 from the dough sheet 185. For example, in some embodiments, the cutters 130 may have docker pins with a radius that ranges from about 0.04 in. (about 1.02 mm) to about 0.1 in. (about 2.54 mm), the horizontal distance between the docker pins of the cutters 130 may be in the range of about 0.35 in. (about 9 mm) to about 0.45 in. (about 11 mm), and the vertical distance between the docker pins of the cutters 130 may be in the range of about 0.35 in. (about 9 mm) to about 0.47 in. (about 12 mm). In certain aspects, the docker pins of the cutters 130 may have a height of about 0.15 in. (about 3.81 mm) to about 0.19 in. (about 4.826 mm), and the knives of the cutters 130 may have a height of about 0.14 in. (about 3.556 mm) to about 0.18 in. (about 4.572 mm). Some exemplary cutters 1330, 1530, and 1730 and their shapes and dimensions are shown in FIGS. 13-18.

[0048] With reference to FIG. 13, the exemplary cutter 1330 has a generally hexagonal overall shape and includes seven docker pins 1340. With reference to FIG. 13, the exemplary cutter 1330 has a maximum height of 1.429 in. (36.3 mm), a maximum width of 1.391 in. (35.32 mm), a surface area of 1.55 sq. in. (1002.58 sq. mm), the horizontal distance between adjacent docker pins 1340 is 0.364 in. (9.25 mm), and the vertical distance between adjacent docker pins 1340 is 0.391 in. (9.92 mm).

[0049] With reference to FIG. 14, each of the seven docker pins 1340 of the cutter 1330 has a radius of 0.042 in. (1 .067 mm) and a height of 0.17 in. (4.318 mm). The cutter 1330 also includes knives 1350 with a height of 0.16 in. (4.064 mm) and an edge of 0.02 in. (0.508 mm). In one aspect, when the knives 1350 of the cutter 1330 cut a dough sheet 185 to form multiple dough pieces 190, each of the dough pieces 190 has a weight of about 2.2 g to about 2.5 g.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 15, the exemplary cutter 1530 is larger in size than the cutter 1330, but also has a generally hexagonal overall shape and includes seven docker pins 1340. With reference to FIG. 15, the exemplary cutter 1530 has maximum height of 1.549 in. (39.35 mm), a maximum width of 1.509 in. (38.33 mm), a surface area of 1.827 sq. in. (1178.71 sq. mm). The horizontal distance between adjacent docker pins 1540 of the cutter 1530 is 0.394 in. (10 mm), and the vertical distance between adjacent docker pins 1540 of the cutter 1530 is 0.422 in. (10.71 mm).

[0051] With reference to FIG. 16, each of the seven docker pins 1540 of the cutter 1530 has a radius of 0.080 in. (2.032 mm) and a height of 0.17 in. (4.318 mm). The cutter 1530 also includesknives 1550 with a height of 0.16 in. (4.064 mm) and an edge of 0.02 in. (0.508 mm). In one aspect, when the knives 1550 of the cutter 1530 cut a dough sheet 185 to form multiple dough pieces 190, each of the dough pieces 190 has a weight of about 2.5 g to about 2.9 g (i.e., a larger weight than that of the dough pieces 190 generated by the cutter 1330).

[0052] With reference to FIG. 17, the exemplary cutter 1730 is larger in size than each of the cutters 1330 and 1530, but also has a generally hexagonal overall shape and includes seven docker pins 1740. With reference to FIG. 17, the exemplary cutter 1730 has maximum height of 1.681 in. (42.69 mm), a maximum width of 1.637 in. (41.58 mm), a surface area of 2.150 sq. in. (1387.10 sq. mm). The horizontal distance between adjacent docker pins 1740 of the cutter 1730 is 0.427 in. (10.84 mm), and the vertical distance between adjacent docker pins 1740 of the cutter 1730 is 0.458 in. (11.63 mm).

[0053] With reference to FIG. 16, each of the seven docker pins 1740 of the cutter 1730 has a radius of 0.065 in. (1.651 mm) and a height of 0.17 in. (4.318 mm). The cutter 1730 also includes knives 1750 with a height of 0.16 in. (4.064 mm) and an edge of 0.02 in. (0.508 mm). In one aspect, when the knives 1750 of the cutter 1730 cut a dough sheet 185 to form multiple dough pieces 190, each of the dough pieces 190 has a weight of about 2.8 g to about 3.2 g (i.e., a larger weight than that of the dough pieces 190 generated by each of the cutters 1330 and 1530).

[0054] As mentioned above, the overall shape, the surface area, the number and dimensions of the docket pins 1340, 1540, and 1740, and the number of dimensions of the knives 1350, 1550, and 1750 of the cutters 1330, 1530, and 1730 are shown by way of example only, and may be different in other embodiments. Generally, the exemplary cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 (as well as the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 and knives 1350, 1550, and 1750 thereof) are sized, shaped, and dimensioned to cut the dough sheet 185 and product dough pieces 190 having desired weight ranges. When the dough pieces 190 produced by the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 and having the desired weights go through the oven 140, dough pieces 190 puff up optimally and optimal levels of moisture are removed from the dough pieces 190, and the resulting baked snacks 195 turn out to have the desired level of puff (i.e., height) and desired level of moisture, such that the resulting baked snacks 195 have a desirable shelf-life stability.

[0055] Without wishing to be limited by theory, if the surface area of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is below the above-mentioned desired range, the resulting dough pieces 190 may be morepuffy than desirable and have a height that is above the above-mentioned desirable range, and may have a density that is below the desirable density, such that the breakage of the dough pieces 190 during the cutting of the dough sheet 185 may increase. On the other hand, if the surface area of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is above the above-mentioned desired range, the puffiness of the dough pieces 190 may decrease below desirable levels, but the density of the dough pieces 190 may increase above the desirable density, such that the resulting baked snacks 195 would not be as light and airy as desirable.

[0056] Without wishing to be limited by theory, if the height of the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is below the above-mentioned desired range, the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 may not adequately cut the dough pieces 190 away from the dough sheet 185, which is not desirable because less distinct baked snacks 195 will be produced. On the other hand, if the height of the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is above the desired range, the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 may cut not just the dough sheet 185, but may also cut through the product advancement surface (belt) of the conveyor 115, which is not desirable.

[0057] Without wishing to be limited by theory, if the weights of the dough pieces 190 resulting from the cutting of the dough sheet 185 by the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 are below the above-mentioned desired range, the dough pieces 190 may puff less when they are going through the oven 140 and may result in baked snacks 195 with a height that is below the desirable height and with a density that is above the desirable density, such that the resulting baked snacks 195 would not be as light and airy as desirable. On the other hand, if the weights of the dough pieces 190 resulting from the cutting of the dough sheet 185 by the knives 1350, 1550, 1750 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 are above the above-mentioned desired range, the dough pieces 190 may puff more when they are going through the oven 140 and may result in baked snacks 195 with a height that is above the desirable height, and may have a density that is above the desirable density, such that the resulting baked snacks 195 would not be as light and airy as desirable.

[0058] Without wishing to be limited by theory, if the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 have a total number that is below the above-discussed optimal range, or have a radius that is below the above-discussed optimal range, or a height that is below the abovediscussed optimal range, the resulting dough pieces 190 may be more puffy and may result inbaked snacks 195 with a height that is above the above-mentioned desirable height range. On the other hand, if the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 have a total number that is above than the above-discussed optimal range, or have a radius that is below the abovediscussed optimal range, or a height that is below the above-discussed optimal range, the resulting dough pieces 190 may be less puffy and may result in baked snacks 195 with a height that is below the above-mentioned desirable height range. In addition, if the height of the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is above the desired range, the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 may puncture not just the dough sheet 185, but may also puncture the product advancement surface (belt) of the conveyor 115, which is not desirable. Furthermore, if the spacing between the docker pins 1340, 1540, 1740 of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 is below or above the above-mentioned docker pin spacing range, the shapes of the dough pieces 190 coming out of the cutters 1330, 1530, 1730 would not be consistent, such that the shapes of the resulting baked snacks 195 coming out of the oven 140 would not be consistent, which is not desirable.

[0059] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 further includes an oven 140. After the cutter 130 cuts the dough sheet 185 into multiple dough pieces 190 having the desired size and shape, the dough pieces 190 travel on the conveyor 110 from the cutter 130 toward the oven 140. In one aspect, the overall weight of each of the distinct dough pieces 190 that will each become a distinct baked snack 195, is from about 2.3 grams to about 2.7 grams i.e., 23-27 grams per 10 dough pieces 190). In one embodiment, the oven 140 is five-zone, tunnel, single-pass Spectrum Oven manufactured by Reading Bakery Systems based in Robesonia, PA. As the dough pieces 190 travel on the conveyor 110 through the oven 140, the oven 140 bakes the dough pieces 190 at pre-set baking parameters to form the baked snacks 195 having the desired overall shape (e.g., hexagonal, like the exemplary baked snack 195 shown in FIG. 2).

[0060] In some aspects, the dough pieces 190 are baked in the oven 140 at conditions that result in the baked snacks 195 exiting the oven 140 to have a moisture content of about 8 wt.% to about 16 wt.%. In some embodiments, the dough pieces 190 are baked in the oven 140 at about 200-300°F for about 8-12 minutes. In certain implementations, the dough pieces 190 are baked in the oven 140 (e.g., a multi zone tunnel oven) at top set temperature from about 230°F and 450°F and at bottom set temperature from between 150°F and 375°F for about 8-10 minutes to achieve shelf stable moisture content of less than about 4%. In one embodiment, the temperature at theband of the conveyor 115 on which the dough pieces 190 travel in the oven 140 is about 230-240°F and, more preferably, about 234°F. In other embodiments, the dough pieces 190 are baked in the oven 140 at about 400-520°F for about 2-3 minutes.

[0061] Notably, during the baking of the dough pieces 190 in the oven 140 to form the baked snacks 195, the height of the dough pieces 190 increases (e.g., the dough pieces 190 puff) relative to the height of the dough pieces 190 that enter the oven 140. In some aspects, the baked snacks 195 may have a maximum height of about 0.7 cm to about 1.3 cm post-baking in the oven 140. In addition, in certain aspects, after coming out of the oven 140, the exemplary baked snacks 195 have a bulk density of about 120 g / L to about 240 g / L. In one aspect, the overall texture of the baked snacks 195 coming out of the oven may be described as “soft” and “pillowy.”

[0062] In addition, while the expansion (i.e., puffing) of the dough pieces 190 creates a hollow interior within the dough pieces 190, given that the primary ingredient of the dough pieces 190 is cheese, the “cheesy” material of the dough pieces 190 stretches through the interior of the dough pieces 190 and forms a cheesy matrix 240 in the interior 210 of the dough pieces 190, as well as in the resulting baked snacks 195 that come out of the oven 140 (see FIG 3).

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 100 further includes a dryer 150, where the baked snacks 195 are dried after being baked in the oven 140. As shown in FIG. 1, after being baked in the oven 140, the baked snacks 195 continue to travel on the conveyor 110 and are transported by the conveyor into and through the dryer 150, where the baked snacks 195 are dried to further reduce their moisture content. In one embodiment, the dryer 150 is a multi-pass dryer manufactured by Reading Bakery Systems based in Robesonia, PA.

[0064] In some aspects, the dough pieces 190 are dried in the dryer 150 at conditions that result in the baked snacks 195 exiting the dryer 150 to have a moisture content of about 1 wt.% to about 3 wt.%. In certain embodiments, the dough pieces 190 are dried in the dryer 150 (e.g., a single layer dryer) at about 220F to about 240F for about 20 minutes. In some implementations, the dough pieces 190 were dried in the dryer 150 (e.g., a triple pass dryer) at about 220F to about 250F for about 20 to about 40 minutes.

[0065] Notably, during the drying of the baked snacks 195 in the drier 150, the height of the baked snacks 195 decreases, thereby somewhat reducing the size of the interior of the baked snacks 195, but retaining the cheesy matrix 240 in the interior 210 of the baked snacks 195. In someembodiments, the baked snacks 195 that exit the drier 150 have a maximum height of about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm. In addition, in certain aspects, after coming out of the dryer 150, the exemplary baked snacks 195 have a bulk density of about 170 g / L to about 240 g / L.

[0066] As mentioned above, in certain implementations, the cheese-first baked snacks are not produced by being baked in an oven 140 and dried in a dryer 150, but are instead just baked in an oven 140 without drying in the dryer 150. FIG. 7 generally shows that the embodiments of the baked snacks 195 produced by just baking in the oven 140 and without drying in the dryer 150 have a texture that is different from the texture of the embodiments of the baked snacks 195 that are produced by being both baked in the oven 140 and dried in the dryer 150, and have a bulk density from about 170 g / L to about 240 g / L. In addition, in a point bend texture analysis conducted 30 times on exemplary Cheddar Cheese-based baked snacks 195 according to some embodiments with a moisture of 2.55 wt.%, the maximum force detected was about 15.2 Newtons (with a standard deviation of 2.56), which translates to a peak force hardness of about 1,300 g to about 1,900 g.

[0067] Notably, FIG. 8 shows that the baked snacks 195 produced by just baking in the oven 140 and without drying in the dryer 150 have a maximum height of about 0.5 cm to about 0.8 cm. As such, the overall height of baked snacks 195 in their final form is similar between the oven- only method and the oven-dryer method.

[0068] While the conveyor 110 is illustrated for the sake of simplicity as including only one dough lump 180, only one dough sheet 185, only one cut dough piece 190, and only one baked snack 195, it will be appreciated that, depending on the scale of operation of the apparatus 100, the product advancement surface of the conveyor 110 may be large enough to simultaneously concurrently transport a large number (e.g., dozens, hundreds, etc.) of dough lumps 180, cut dough pieces 190, and baked snacks 195.

[0069] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a baked snack 195 that may be made by the apparatus 100 as described above. The size, shape, and overall dimensions of the baked snack 195 shown in FIG. 2 are chosen by way of example only, and it will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, the baked snack 195 may have a different overall shape and different overall dimensions (e g., different perimeter, circumference, height, etc.).

[0070] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of the baked snack 195, and illustrates the interior 210 of the baked snack 195, which extends between an upper surface 220 of the baked snack 195 and a lower surface 230 of the baked snack 195. As shown in FIG. 3, the matrix 240 formed at least in part by the natural cheese included in the dough from which the baked snack 195 was made stretches through the interior 210 of the baked snack 195 from an interior of the upper surface 220 of the baked snack to an interior of the lower surface of the baked snack 195.

[0071] In one aspect, by virtue of the cheese-based matrix 240 stretching through the interior 210 of the baked snack 195, the upper and lower surfaces 220, 230 of the baked snack 195 have a harder texture in comparison to the texture interior 210 of the baked snack 195. In other words, the interior 210 of the baked snack 195 may have a texture than is softer than exterior upper and lower surfaces 220, 230 of the baked snack 195. For example, the moisture gradient data obtained from some embodiments of the baked snacks 195 indicates that the cheese-based matrix 240 on the interior 210 of the baked snack 195 may have a moisture content that is about 4 wt.% to about 7 wt.% higher than the moisture content of the exterior surfaces of the baked snack 195.

[0072] In some embodiments, the texture of the exemplary baked snack 195 is such that a peak force hardness of the baked snack is from 1,000 grams to 3,000 grams. In some aspects, to ensure that the baked snack 200 is visually pleasing to the consumers, the exterior color of the exemplary baked snack 200 may be in the range of 58-71 L in some embodiments, and in the range of 63-66 L in certain aspects.

[0073] FIG. 12 represents an exemplary method 400 of preparing baked snacks. The method 400 includes forming a dough by combining ingredients that include natural cheese, flour, pregelatinized starch, and water, such that the natural cheese is present in the dough at a higher wt.% relative to any other ingredient (step 410). As discussed above, the dough may include various other ingredients, including but not limited to seasonings, herbs, oils, sweeteners, or the like. In addition, the dough may be formed from the ingredients in a mixer 110, but may be obtained from another suitable source. As also discussed above, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the dough comes out of the mixer 110 in the form of dough pieces / dough lumps 180.

[0074] In the illustrated example, the method 400 further includes sheeting the dough lumps 180 to form a dough sheet 185 (step 420). As discussed above, the dough may be transformed from the dough lumps 180 into the dough sheet 185 in a sheeter 120, but other suitable devices forforming the dough sheet 185 may be used. The method 400 shown in FIG. 12 further includes cutting the dough sheet 185 to form a plurality of discrete dough pieces 190 (step 430). As discussed about, the dough sheet 185 may be cut up into dough pieces 190 via a cutter 130, which may be a rotary cutter.

[0075] The method 400 further includes baking the dough pieces 190 in an oven 140 to form baked snacks 195 (step 440). As pointed out above, the oven 140 may be a single-pass oven. As also pointed out above, the dough pieces 190 may be baked in the oven 140 at conditions (e.g., about 200F to about 250F for about 8-15 minutes that produce baked snacks 195 with a moisture content of about 11 wt.% to about 15 wt.%. Notably, during the baking of the dough pieces 190 in the oven 140 to form the baked snacks 195, the height of the dough pieces 190 increases (i.e., as shown in FIG. 1, the height of the baked snack 195 that exits the oven 140 is greater than the height of the dough pieces 190 that go into the oven 140).

[0076] The method 400 further includes drying the baked snacks 195 in a dryer 150 to further reduce their moisture content (step 450). As pointed out above, the dryer 150 may be a singlepass drying or a multi-pass dryer. As also pointed out above, the baked snacks 195 may be dried in the dryer 150 at conditions (e.g., about 200F to about 250F for about 20 to about 40 minute) that produce baked snacks 195 with a moisture content of about 1 wt.% to about 3 wt.%. Notably, during the drying of the baked snacks 195 in the dryer 150, the height of the baked snacks 195 decreases due to the removal of moisture from the baked snacks 195 during the drying (i.e., as shown in FIG. 1, the height of the baked snack 195 that exits the dryer 150 is less than the height of the baked snack 195 that exits the oven 140).

[0077] As pointed out above, during the expansion (i.e., stretching or puffing) of the dough pieces 190 during the baking in the oven 140, a hollow interior 210 is formed in each of the baked snacks 195. This hollow interior 210 is filled by a cheese-based matrix 240, created by the stretching of the cheese component of the dough between the upper and lower surfaces 220, 230 of the baked snacks 195 during the baking. In some embodiments, the baked snacks may have a maximum height of about 0.7 cm to about 1.3 cm post-baking in the oven 140 and a maximum height of about 0.5 cm to about 1.0 cm post-drying in the dryer 150.

[0078] Advantages and embodiments of the compositions described herein are further illustrated by the following examples; however, the particular conditions, processing schemes,materials, and amounts thereof recited in these examples should not be construed to unduly limit the overall scope of the contemplated compositions.

[0079] All percentages recited herein are by weight unless specified otherwise. In the examples below, “Dough LFRA” represents the dough viscosity as measured using a Stevens- LFRA™ texture analyzer, where a spherical probe is plunged into the dough.

[0080] In the dough preparations listed in the examples below, the yeast water solution contained the following ingredients: 15.76 wt.% compressed yeast, and 84.05 wt.% water.EXAMPLES

[0081] The following examples illustrate various embodiments of the dough compositions, and the resulting baked, bite-size snacks. As discussed above, it was surprisingly and unexpectedly discovered by the inventors that the dough compositions as described herein, in combination with the processing conditions described herein, result in bite sized, cheese-first baked snacks that have a flavor, color, moisture, and texture that is appealing to the consumers.

[0082] Example 1:

[0083] Exemplary dough formulations and certain selected processing conditions for making natural cheese-based baked snacks according to some embodiments are shown below. In this example, the target temperature of the dough was 85-95°F.

[0084] In one dough preparation, the cheese used was fresh Cheddar Cheese, and the dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together, namely: Group 1 : 15.91 wt.% Cheddar Cheese, 14.32 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.95 wt.% sugar, 0.14 wt. % soda, 0.14 wt. % salt, 0.14 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% chopped rosemary; Group 2: 3.82 wt.% canola oil, 12.41 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.44 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3: 31.83 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.91 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 15.91 wt.% Cheddar Cheese.

[0085] The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm). This dough preparation ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0086] In an alternative Cheddar Cheese-based dough preparation, the cheese used was fresh Cheddar Cheese, and the dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together, namely: Group 1 : 16.12 wt.% Cheddar Cheese, 14.51 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.97 wt.% sugar, 0.14 wt. % soda, 0.14 wt. % salt, 0.14 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% chopped rosemary; Group 2: 3.87 wt.% canola oil, 11.28 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.48 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3: 32.24 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.93 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 16.12 wt.% Cheddar Cheese.

[0087] The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm). This dough preparation ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0088] Seven exemplary Cheddar Cheese dough preparation were made with slight variation between the batches, and the measurements of the resulting doughs were as shown in Tables 1-3.

[0089] Table 1 : Characteristics of Exemplary Cheddar Cheese-Based Dough Preparations

[0090] Table 2: Characteristics of the Cheddar Cheese-Based Dough After Baking

[0091] Table 3: Characteristics of the Cheddar Cheese-Based Dough After Drying

[0092] Each one of the seven above-listed preparations of the Cheddar Cheese-based dough ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0093] In a point bend texture analysis conducted 30 times on exemplary Cheddar Cheesebased dough preparations according to some embodiments with a moisture of 1.74 wt.%, the maximum force detected was about 19.9 Newtons (with a standard deviation of 8.68).

[0094] In a color analysis test of exemplary Cheddar Cheese dough-based baked snacks 195 exiting the oven 140, the color of the exterior of the upper surface 220 of the baked snacks 195 was measured to be between 67 and 69 L, while the color of the exterior of the lower surface 230 of the baked snacks 195 was measured to be between 66 and 67 L. In a color analysis test of the exemplary Cheddar Cheese dough-based baked snacks 195 exiting the dryer 150, the color of the exterior of the upper surface 220 of the baked snacks 195 was measured to be between 64.5 and 65.5 L, while the color of the exterior of the lower surface 230 of the baked snacks 195 was measured to be between 63.5 and 64.5 L. Notably, the Hunter Rotational Colorimeter was used to perform the color analysis tests of the samples.

[0095] Example 2:

[0096] Exemplary dough formulations and certain selected processing conditions for making natural cheese-based baked snacks according to some embodiments are shown below. In this example, the target temperature of the dough was 85-95°F.

[0097] In one dough preparation, the cheese used was fresh full fat (50 wt.% fat and 44% moisture) Pepper Jack Cheese, and the dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together: Group 1 : 15.97 wt.% Pepper Jack Cheese, 14.37 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.96 wt.% sugar, 0.14 wt. % soda, 0.14 wt. % salt, 0.14 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% chopped rosemary; Group 2: 3.83 wt.% canola oil, 12.13 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.45 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3 : 31.93 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.92 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 15.97 wt.% Pepper Jack Cheese. The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm).

[0098] Two exemplary full fat Pepper Jack-based dough preparation were made with slight variation between the batches, and the measurements of the resulting doughs were as shown in Tables 4-6 below.

[0099] Table 4: Characteristics of Exemplary Full Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough Preparations

[0100] Table 5: Characteristics of the Full Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough After Baking

[0101] Table 6: Characteristics of the Full Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough After Drying

[0102] Both of the above-listed preparations of the full fat Pepper Jack-based dough ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0103] In another dough preparation, the cheese used was fresh Reduced Fat 33% Moisture Pepper Jack Cheese, and he dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together: Group 1 : 15.97 wt.% Pepper Jack Cheese, 14.37 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.96 wt.% sugar, 0.14 wt. % soda, 0.14 wt. % salt, 0.14 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% chopped rosemary; Group 2: 3.83 wt.% canola oil, 12.13 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.45 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3: 31.93 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.92 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 15.97 wt.% Pepper Jack Cheese. The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm).

[0104] In one exemplary embodiment, the dough was prepared using Pepper Jack Cheese via the following five stages: (1) half shredded cheese one or more herbs (e.g., basil, rosemary and / or oregano, etc.), and salt were added and mixed together for about 1 minute at low speed (e.g., 20 rotations per minute (RPM)) to enhance the flavor of the cheese; (2) pregelatinized waxy maize corn starch, sugar, and soda were added to the mixture of stage 1 and the ingredients were mixed together at low speed (e.g., 20 RPMs) for about 1 minute to incorporate the starch and cheese; (3) canola oil and water at 140°F were added to the mixture of stage 2 and the ingredients were mixed together at low speed (e.g., 20 RPMs) for about 2 minutes to hydrate the starch-cheese matrix; (4) flour (e.g., wheat flower or gluten-free flour), oat fiber, and yeast solution were added to the mixture of stage 3 and the ingredients were mixed at higher speed (e.g., 40 RPMs) for about 7 minutes to incorporate the flour, yeast, and fiber; and (5) more half shredded was added to the mixture of stage 4, and the ingredients were mixed at higher speed (e.g., 40 RPMs) for about 2 minutes to incorporate the rest of the cheese into the mixture.

[0105] Two exemplary reduced fat Pepper Jack-based dough preparation were made with slight variation between the batches, and the measurements of the resulting doughs were as shown in Tables 7-9 below.

[0106] Table 7: Characteristics of the Reduced Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough Preparations

[0107] Table 8: Characteristics of the Reduced Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough After Baking

[0108] Table 6: Characteristics of the Reduced Fat Pepper Jack-Based Dough After Drying

[0109] Example 3:

[0110] Exemplary dough formulations and certain selected processing conditions for making natural cheese-based baked snacks according to some embodiments are shown below. In this example, the target temperature of the dough was 85-95°F.

[0111] In one dough preparation, the cheese used was a dry grated Parmesan Cheese, and the dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together: Group 1 : 15.28 wt.% Parmesan Cheese, 13.75 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize com starch, 0.92 wt.% sugar, 0.13 wt. % soda, 0.13 wt. % salt, 0.13 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% oregano; Group 2: 3.67 wt.% canola oil, 15.89 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.35 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3: 30.56 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.83 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 15.28 wt.% Parmesan Cheese. The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm).

[0112] Two exemplary Parmesan-based dough preparation were made with slight variation between the batches. The measurements of the resulting doughs are shown in Tabled 10-12.

[0113] Table 10: Characteristics of Exemplary Parmesan-Based Dough Preparations

[0114] Table 11 : Characteristics of the Parmesan-Based Dough After Baking

[0115] Table 12: Characteristics of the Parmesan -Based Dough After Drying

[0116] Both of the above-listed preparations of the Parmesan-based dough ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0117] In another dough preparation, the cheese used was a Four Cheese blend, and the dough composition contained four groups of ingredients that were mixed together: Group 1 : 7.88 wt.% Sharp White Cheddar, 7.88 wt.% Dry Romano, 14.19 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.95 wt.% sugar, 0.14 wt. % soda, 0.14 wt. % salt, 0.14 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% oregano; Group 2: 3.78 wt.% canola oil, 13.24 wt.% water (at 140°F), and 2.42 wt.% yeast water solution; Group 3 : 31.53 wt.% flour (Climax® flour) and 1.89 wt.% oat fiber; and Group 4: 7.88 wt.% Mozzarella Cheese and 7.88 wt.% Asiago Cheese. The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm).

[0118] Four exemplary Four Cheese dough preparation were made with slight variation between the batches. The measurements of the resulting doughs are shown in Tables 13-15.

[0119] Table 13: Characteristics of Exemplary Four Cheese-Based Dough Preparations

[0120] Table 14: Characteristics of the Four Cheese-Based Dough After Baking

[0121] Table 15: Characteristics of the Four Cheese-Based Dough After Drying

[0122] Each one of the four above-listed preparations of the Four Cheese-based dough ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0123] In another dough preparation, the cheese used was a Cheddar Fruit and Seed, and the dough composition contained three groups of ingredients that were mixed together: Group 1 : 14.16 wt.% Sharp White Cheddar, 12.74 wt.% pre-gelatinized waxy maize corn starch, 0.85 wt.% sugar, 0.12 wt. % soda, 0.12 wt. % salt, 0.12 wt.% basil (whole leaves), 0.06 wt.% chopped rosemary; Group 2: 3.40 wt.% canola oil, 11.33 wt.% water (at 140°F), 2.17 wt.% yeast water solution, 4.53 wt.% sunflower seeds, and 6.23 wt.% cranberry crumbles; and Group 3: 28.31 wt.% flour (Climax® flour), 1.70 wt.% oat fiber; and 14.16 wt.% Shard White Cheddar. The mixing procedures were 2 minutes for each of Groups 1 and 2 at low mixing speed (e.g., 20 rpm), 7 minutes for Group 3 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm), and 2 minutes for Group 4 at high mixing speed (e.g., 40 rpm).

[0124] An exemplary Cheddar Fruit and Seed Cheese-based dough preparation was made, and the measurements of the resulting dough were as shown in Tables 16-18.

[0125] Table 16: Characteristics of Cheddar Fruit and Seed Cheese Dough Preparations

[0126] Table 17: Characteristics of Cheddar Fruit and Seed Cheese Dough After Baking

[0127] Table 18: Characteristics of Cheddar Fruit and Seed Cheese Dough After Drying

[0128] This dough preparation ran well through the apparatus 100 described above and successfully resulted in baked snacks 195 having the desired size, shape, color, flavor, and texture characteristics.

[0129] FIGS. 4-6 respectively represent bar graphs that compare the bulk density, stack (i.e., 10 baked snacks 195) height, and moisture of some of the above-discussed exemplary cheesebased bite-sized snacks 195 after baking in the oven 140 and after drying in the dryer 150. FIG. 4 shows that, generally speaking, the bulk density of the cheese-based baked snacks 195 (postbaking in the oven 140) tends to further decrease after the drying of the baked cheese-based baked snacks 195 in the dryer 150. FIG. 5 shows that, generally speaking, the stack height of the cheesebased baked snacks 195 (post-baking in the oven 140) tends to further decrease after the drying of the baked cheese-based baked snacks 195 in the dryer 150. FIG. 6 shows that the moisture of the cheese-based baked snacks 195 (post-baking in the oven 140) significantly decreases after the drying of the baked cheese-based baked snacks 195 in the dryer 150.

[0130] FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively represent bar graphs that compare the post-baking bulk density and stack height of exemplary embodiments of cheese-based bite-sized that were prepared by baking in the oven 140 only and without drying in the dryer 150. FIG. 7 shows that the texture of the texture of the baked snacks 195 produced by just baking in the oven 140 and without drying in the dryer 150 have a texture that is substantially different from the texture of the embodiments of the baked snacks 195 that are produced by being both baked in the oven 140 and dried in the dryer 150. However, FIG. 8 shows that the baking-only method can produce baked snacks 195 of overall heights that are similar to the baked snacks 195 produced by the over-dryer method.

[0131] Example 4:

[0132] Three different dough formulations for making natural Cheddar Cheese-based baked snacks having substantially differing amounts of starch and flour were prepared. The three exemplary formulations are listed side-by-side in Table 19 below.

[0133] Table 19: Dough Formulations with Preferred, High, and Lower Amounts of Starch and Flour

[0134] A comparison of the weight percentages of natural cheese, starch, flour, and water between the three formulations listed Table 19 above is provided in Table 20 below.

[0135] Table 20: Comparative Weight Percentages of Cheese, Starch, Flour and Water of theThree Dough Formulations

[0136] A comparison of the baked times of the dough formulations listed Tables 19 and 20 above is provided in Table 21 below.

[0137] Table 21 : Bake Times of the Three Dough Formulations

[0138] A comparison of various parameters of the three doughs prior to baking is shown in Table 22 below. The pre-bake dough LFRA data in peak load grams is also shown in bar graph form in FIG. 9.

[0139] Table 22: Pre-Bake Parameters of the Three Dough Formulations

[0140] Table 22 and FIG. 9 indicate that the dough containing Low Starch and Low Flour (i.e., Dough #2) is soft, which also makes it sticky and challenging to sheet, making this dough less than ideal for large-scale operations. Table 22 and FIG. 9 further show that the dough containing High Starch and High Flour (i.e., Dough #3) is firmer than both Control (i.e., Dough #1) and Dough #2. The firmness of Dough #3 could also make it potentially difficult to sheet. On the other hand, by virtue of its texture, the Control dough (i.e., Dough #1) was easy to sheet and cut and was not sticky to the touch.

[0141] Doughs 1, 2, and 3 were baked until color developed, but removed from the oven 140 prior to burning. The higher starch and flour content in Dough #3 resulted in a longer bake time and a higher moisture for this dough. The texture of the baked snacks 195 prepared from Doughs 1, 2, and 3 was analyzed by Cracker Density and 3 Point Bend Texture Measurements.

[0142] A comparison of the 3-point bend texture analysis of the baked snacks produced from the three dough formulations in Tables 19-22 is shown in FIG. 10 and Table 23 below.

[0143] Table 23 : Post Bake Texture of the Three Different Baked Snacks

[0144] As can be seen in FIG. 10 and Table 23, the texture of the baked snacks 195 produced from dough formulations 1, 2, and 3 is significantly different. Notably, the preferred texture range of the baked snacks 195 is defined by the baked snacks 195 produced from the Control dough, i.e., Dough #1. This texture range, (i.e., 15.47± 5.34 N) is visually depicted in FIG. 10 by the lighter horizontally oriented rectangular area. Notably, FIG. 10 shows that the texture of some of the baked snacks produced from the High Starch, High Flour Dough #3 fell into the preferred texture range.

[0145] The baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #2 had a brittle texture that may lead to breakage and crumbliness, which is generally not desirable. The baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #3 had a higher standard deviation due to their “bubbly” texture, and generally required more force to break, indicating they are on average above the desired bite force. On the contrary, the baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #1 advantageously had a range in break force that allows for a tender bite without too much effort, but did not fall apart too easily, which is appealing to the consumers.

[0146] A comparison of the density measurements of the baked snacks produced from the three dough formulations in Tables 19-23 is shown in Table 22 above and FIG. 11. Table 22 and FIG. 11 show that the density of the baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #1 was about 0.176 g / cm3, the density of the baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #2 was about 0.231 g / cm3, and the density of the baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #3 was about 0.210 g / cm3. The baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #1 were less dense than the baked snacks 195 produced from Dough #2 and from Dough #3, advantageously resulting in a light and airy cracker with a crisp bite, which is appealing to the consumers.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of other modifications, alterations, and combinations can also be made with respect to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim:

1. A baked snack comprising: natural cheese, flour, and pregelatinized waxy maize starch; wherein the natural cheese is present in the baked snack at a higher wt.% relative to any other ingredient; and wherein a matrix formed at least in part by the natural cheese fills an interior of the baked snack.

2. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein: the natural cheese is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 25 wt. % to about 45 wt. %; the pregelatinized waxy maize corn starch is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 25 wt. %; and the flour is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 33 wt.%.

3. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein a peak force hardness of the baked snack is from 500 grams to 2,500 grams.

4. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein a density of the baked snack is from about 110 g / L to about 240 g / L.

5. The baked snack of claim 1, further comprising between about 1% to about 4% moisture.

6. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein the baked snack has a maximum height of about 0.6 cm to about 1.2 cm.

7. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein an exterior of the baked snack has a color in a range of 58-71 L.

8. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein the baked snack includes a plurality of docker pin holes, each of the docker pin holes having a diameter from 0.065 to 0.080.

8. The baked snack of claim 1, wherein the natural cheese is selected from at least one of: Cheddar, Parmesan, Pepper Jack, Asiago, Gouda, Fontina Jack, and a blend of Cheddar, Parmesan, Asiago, and Mozzarella.

9. A method comprising: forming a dough by combining ingredients including natural cheese, flour, pregelatinized waxy maize starch, and water, wherein the natural cheese is present in the dough at a higher wt.% relative to any other ingredient; sheeting the dough to form a dough sheet; cutting the dough sheet to form a plurality of dough pieces; baking the dough pieces in an oven, wherein the dough pieces exiting the oven have a moisture content of about 8 wt.% to about 16 wt.%; and drying the dough pieces in a drying after the baking to produce baked snacks having a moisture content of about 1 to about 3 wt.%, and having a matrix formed at least in part by the natural cheese filling an interior thereof.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein: the natural cheese is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 25 wt. % to about 45 wt. %; the pregelatinized waxy maize corn starch is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 2 wt.% to about 25 wt. %; and the flour is present in the baked snack in an amount of about 20 wt.% to about 33 wt.%.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the baked snacks have a peak force hardness from 500 grams to 2,500 grams.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the baked snacks have a density from about 110 g / L to about 240 g / L.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the baked snacks have a maximum height of about 0.6 cm to about 1.2 cm.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the baked snacks have an exterior with a color in a range of 58-71 L.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the natural cheese is selected from at least one of Cheddar, Parmesan, and Pepper Jack.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the forming of the dough further comprises: forming a first mixture by mixing a first portion of a cheese, one or more herbs, and one or more seasonings together for about 1 minute at about 20 rotations per minute; forming a second mixture by adding pregelatinized waxy maize corn starch, one or more sweeteners, and soda to the first mixture, and mixing the second mixture for about 1 minute at about 20 rotations per minute; forming a third mixture by adding one or more water at about 140°F and one or more oils to the second mixture and mixing the third mixture for about 2 minutes at about 20 rotations per minute; forming a fourth mixture by adding a wheat flour or a gluten-free flour, a fiber, and a yeast solution and mixing the fourth mixture for about 7 minutes at about 40 rotations per minute; and forming a fifth mixture by adding a second portion of the cheese to the fourth mixture and mixing the fifth mixture for about 2 minutes at about 40 rotations per minute.

Images