Frozen Laminated Dough Coating and Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for producing laminated rolled dough products, such as croissants and danish, face issues with uniformity, excessive flaking or shredding, and filling distribution, as well as bursting during cooking, which are not adequately addressed by current methods.
Innovation Solution
The process involves cutting a dough sheet into triangular pieces, stretching, curling, compressing, and coating the products to prevent moisture loss, allowing for even filling distribution and elimination of thawing and proofing steps, with optional additional filling layers and surface treatments to enhance product consistency and visual appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the dough sheet is cut into triangular pieces and rolled into crescent rolls without additional compression and coating, then the production process is simpler and faster, but the products exhibit excessive flaking or shredding and poor uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary compression through a roller unit before the curling operation to pre-form the dough structure, and applies a coating solution beforehand to prevent shredding during baking. These preliminary actions ensure uniform product formation and prevent defects without requiring complex post-processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters by applying mechanical compression (reducing thickness) and surface coating (changing surface properties) to the dough pieces. These parameter modifications improve product uniformity and prevent flaking while maintaining efficient production speeds.
2Ease of manufacture
If filling material is added in the center of the dough sheet before rolling, then the filling distribution is simple, but the filling is only present in the very center of the final baked product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the filling application process into multiple stages: initial central filling deposition, then additional filling application during or after the folding/rolling process. This segmentation allows filling to be distributed throughout the entire product structure rather than concentrated only in the center.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds filling material at multiple levels within the dough structure - initially in the center, then incorporates it during folding so that filling appears at different depths and locations in the final baked product, creating a nested distribution pattern.
3Reliability
If the amount of filler material is reduced to prevent bursting during cooking, then the bursting issue is mitigated, but the filling distribution and product quality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating solution to the surface of the rolled dough pieces before baking. This preliminary coating creates a protective barrier that prevents moisture loss and structural collapse during baking, allowing adequate filling material to be used without causing bursting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface properties of the dough by applying a coating, which modifies the physical parameters of the product. This coating creates a moisture-retaining surface that prevents bursting during baking, enabling proper filling distribution without compromising product stability.
4Ease of operation
If the dough is thawed and proofed before baking, then the dough is more flexible and easier to work with, but the production time is significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the dough by applying mechanical compression and surface coating, which allows the dough to be baked directly from a frozen or chilled state. This eliminates the need for time-consuming thawing and proofing while maintaining workability through the modified physical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition by baking the dough in a frozen or chilled state rather than requiring it to be at room temperature. The coating solution creates a protective barrier that allows the dough to undergo phase change during baking, eliminating the need for preliminary thawing and proofing steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in consistent, flaky, and airy final pastry products with evenly distributed filling, reduced shredding, and prevention of bursting, achieving improved product quality and visual presentation.
Implementation Method 1
exposed portions of the curled compressed product are sprayed or otherwise provided with a coating which functions to prevent premature moisture loss at the surface of the curled compressed product during subsequent baking
Implementation Method 2
each triangular-shaped piece is then re-oriented and directed through a compression roller unit which stretches the triangular-shaped piece
Implementation Method 3
The most preferred form of the invention has the curled compressed products frozen after being coated and later baked from a frozen state
Data Source
AI summary
Rolled dough products, such as croissants, are made by: layering fat between thin layers of dough in forming a multi-layer dough sheet; compressing the multi-layer dough sheet; cutting the dough sheet; reorientating the cut pieces; stretching the cut pieces; curling the pieces; flattening the pieces; coating or surface treating the pieces; and optionally freezing the pieces. With this method, freezer-to-oven (FTO) dough products are made eliminating the thawing and proofing steps, while significantly enhancing the production of desired flaky, rich, airy final pastry products. The process can include one or more filling materials, prior to cutting the dough sheet: depositing a filling layer, such as a chocolate ganache, in a central region of the multi-layer dough sheet; and folding lateral side portions of the dough sheet onto the central region to encase the filling layer.