IES66228B2 - Food product - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of preparing a dough-based product, preferably a bread product, which is suitable for microwaving, the method comprising forming a dough in a manner known per se; incorporating in the dough a water-retaining agent comprising flour and an emulsifier; baking the dough; and packaging the resulting product in a laminated packaging material. The packaged product is frozen and when reheated in a microwave oven has an improved appearance and good organoleptic properties.

Description

FOOD PRODUCT This invention relates to a food product. In particular, it relates to a method of preparing a dough-based product, especially bread, which is suitable for microwaving, and to the product thus obtained.

When conventionally formed dough-based products, such as bread, are reheated by microwaving, the resulting product is generally very dry on the inside while the outer surface is soggy, thus making the product unappetising to the consumer.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the invention there is provided a method of preparing a dough-based product which is suitable for microwaving, the method comprising forming a dough in a manner known, per sa; incorporating in the dough a water-retaining agent,· baking the dough; and packaging the resulting product.

The dough-based product is preferably a bread product, such as a bread roll or pissa base.

The water-retaining agent preferably comprises from about 50% to 90%, preferably 70% to 80%, of flour and from about 10% to 50%, preferably 20% to 30%, of an emulsifier. The flour may be any suitable flour, in particular wheat flour enriched with vitamin B and iron. Suitable emulsifiers are mono and diglycerides and esters thereof, lecithin and hydrogenated oils, and mixtures thereof. The water-retaining agent may also contain conventional food additives, for example, sodium alginate and disodium phosphate.

The water-retaining agent is preferably added to the dough in the form of a slurry formed with breadcrumbs and water. The breadcrumbs and water-retaining agent are preferably dry-blended together before the addition of the water.

The dough is preferably formed from any commercially available strong white flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and shortening. A conventional preservative may optionally be included in the dough.

The dough is baked at a suitable temperature and for a sufficient period of time until cooked. Preferably, the resulting product is slightly undercooked so that optimum results may be obtained following the microwaving of the product.

It will ba appreciated that the food product of the invention may have any suitable shape. Where the product is bread, it is advantageously in the form of a roll about 15-20 cm long.

The food product of the invention is allowed to cool after baking and before packaging. If desired, where the product is a bread roll, it may additionally be treated in conventional manner to form a flavoured bread, such as garlic bread. Alternatively, it may be filled with any suitable filling, for example, a meat, fish, cheese, and/or tomato-based filling.

The food product is packaged after baking and cooling in a suitable food packaging material. The packaging material is preferably a laminate formed from an outer layer of strong paper, an inner layer of mylar or polyester, and an intermediate foil layer, the layers being held together by adhesive. Such food packaging material is well known.

The food product is preferably frozen following packaging. In order to reheat the food product, it is placed in a microwave oven in the packaging material and preferably still frozen for a suitable period of time. The microwaving instructions for each product may be indicated on the packaging. The resulting microwaved product has a good outer appearance and remains moist on the inside.

The invention is illustrated in the following non-limiting Example.

EXAMPLE Bread dough is formed by mixing together the following commercially available ingredients:- ,-r | Ingredient | I ! 1 Quantity (kg) | I ι (Paramount flour | 32.0 | |Yeast - blue | 1.5 | |Salt | 0.55 | |Perlova shortening | 1.5 | |Diamond Flour Improver | 0.4 | |Water | 1_L 14.0 | 1 Mixing is carried out in a conventional mixer for approximately twelve minutes. * f Water-retaining agent is formed by mixing together the following ingredients which are commercially available: Ingredient % (w/w) of composition I-1 | Wheat flour enriched with | |niacin, thiamin mononitrate,| |riboflavin and iron | I I 72.0 1 1 | Glycerol monostearate | I I 6.0 1 1 | Glycerol monooleate | I I 6.0 1 1 | Soy lecithin | I I 4.0 1 1 | Soybean oil | 4.6 1 1 | Non-fat dry milk | I I 7.0 1 1 | Sodium alginate | I I 0.2 1 1 | Disodium phosphate | 1 1 0.2 1 1 1 1 1_L. 100.0 _1 0.64 kg of the water-retaining agent are blended with 1.28 kg of breadcrumbs for about two minutes.

To this mixture are added 6.7 kg of water followed by mixing for about five minutes to form a slurry. The slurry is added to the dough prepared above and mixed on a slow speed for two minutes and on a fast speed for ten minutes, so that the slurry is fully incorporated in the dough. The dough is then cut into pieces, for example, measuring approximately 15 cm x 6 cm, and baked at 230°C for approximately eighteen minutes. The resulting bread is slightly undercooked.

The bread is then allowed to cool and is packaged as is or formed into e.g. garlic bread or filled with appropriate fillings. Suitable fillings can be based on meat, fish, cheese and/or tomato. Following packaging in a conventional, preferably laminated, packaging material, the product is frozen.

The frozen bread product can subsequently be reheated in the packaging material by microwaving for a suitable length of time, typically one to three minutes.

The bread product formed according to the invention has a dry exterior surface and remains moist on the inside following microwaving.

The invention thus provides a simple method of forming a dough-based product, especially bread, which can be microwaved without impairment of its appearance or taste.

Claims (5)

1. A method of preparing a dough-based product, j preferably a bread product, which is suitable for microwaving, the method comprising forming a dough in a manner known per ss; incorporating in the dough a water“retaining agent; baking the dough; and packaging the resulting product.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the water-retaining agent comprises from about 50% to 90% of flour and from about 10% to 50% of an emulsifier, and optionally food additives, the flour preferably being wheat flour enriched with vitamin 3 and iron, and the emulsifier being selected from mono and diglycerides and esters thereof, lecithin and hydrogenated oils and mixtures thereof.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the water-retaining agent is added to the dough in the form of a slurry with breadcrumbs and water, the water preferably being added to a blended mixture of the water-retaining agent and breadcrumbs.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the dough is baked at a suitable temperature and for a sufficient period of time to produce a slightly undercooked product which is subsequently allowed to cool before packaging in a laminated packaging material, and, if desired, in the case of a bread product, treating the product prior to packaging to form a flavoured bread, such as garlic bread, or incorporating suitable fillings therein, and freezing the packaged product.

5. , A method of preparing a dough-based product, substantially as herein described with particular reference to the accompanying Example.