A vehicle-based, automated pizza-making system including a two-piece pizza pan conveyed between pizza-making components on a series of pan drive rails. The two-piece pizza pan can include a base and a removable ring for containing the unfinished pizza and toppings. The rails can include timing belts for conveying the two-piece pizza pan through the system with improved positional control and accuracy.

One variation of a method for preparing a foodstuff includes: loading a first batter into a first cook chamber; inserting a first core insert into the first cook chamber to form a first thin-shell cavity of a first geometry; heating the first chamber to cook the first batter into a brittle edible shell of the first geometry; loading a second batter into a second cook chamber; inserting a second core insert into the second cook chamber to form a second thin-shell cavity approximating the first geometry; heating the second chamber to cook the second batter into a soft edible shell approximating the first geometry; applying a binding promoter to the soft edible shell; nesting the soft edible shell inside of the brittle edible shell to form a multilayer edible carrier; and loading a set of fillings into the multilayer edible carrier to complete a foodstuff.

A device for spreading a runny batter on a hotplate for manufacturing pancakes or crêpes, including a rotary shaft intended to be disposed almost perpendicular with respect to the cooking face of the hotplate, a plate fixed to said rotary shaft, said plate carrying a spreading and raking means, and at least one abutment designed to bear, run or slide on the heating face of the hotplate. The spreading and raking includes at least one rake, the working free edge of which is rectilinear, making it possible to spread a portion of batter previously deposited on the heating face of said hotplate and rake the thickness of batter as long as it remains liquid so as to redeposit a layer of material upstream in order to layer the batter and fill in the holes, reproducing the action of a person skilled in the art of making pancakes or crêpes.

A comestible processing machine including a loader plate comprising a plurality of spaced apart openings passing through the loader plate, a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably attached to the loader plate at each of the openings, a sensor configured to detect a comestible disposed within one or more of the plurality of openings, and an actuator coupled to the loader plate and configured to assist in removal of the comestible from the one or more of the plurality of openings.

A dough press includes a handle and a press unit that includes a base seat, a lower press-plate and an upper press-plate. The base seat has a first recess sub-unit and a second recess sub-unit, each having at least one recess. A depth of the at least one recess of the second recess sub-unit is different from that of the at least one recess of the first recess sub-unit. The lower press-plate has an engaging sub-unit removably engaged with the at least one recess of a selected one of the first and second recess sub-units. The handle is pivotable relative to the base seat to drive pivot movement of the upper press-plate toward the lower press-plate, thereby compressing and flattening a dough.

The present teaching relates to a method for forming rings from dough or other masses. A mass portion is positioned into a forming device on an abutment under a pressing device, wherein the pressing device has a centering ring, a displacement rod, a cut-out ring and a press ram. The centering ring is placed on the abutment, wherein the mass portion is laterally enclosed by means of the centering ring and is pressed by means of the press ram against the abutment into an approximately cylindrical form with a uniform thickness. A core hole is made in the mass portion by means of the displacement rod, so that a thin core of the mass portion remains between the abutment and the displacement rod. The core is punched out by the cut-out ring, and the press ram is lifted off the mass portion formed into a ring.

A stamping device serves to create one or more rows of endless dough rings. The stamping device has a stamping head with a stamping punch or a plurality of stamping punches, wherein each stamping punch is associated with a dough ring row. A dough piece support of the stamping device has a dough piece holder or a plurality of dough piece holders. Each dough piece holder of the dough piece support is associated with one of the stamping punches. An opening for the associated stamping punch is configured in a dough piece holder or in each of the dough piece holders as a die. A stamping device results in which the stamping of dough rings in particular to produce doughnuts can also be used, for example, for baking by hand.

The present invention relates to a dough processing device, for use on a dough line, comprising at least one dough processing tool, such as a flour dispenser, a roller, a cutter, a folding shoe, for processing the dough on a conveyor; arranged in a frame, arranged for being placed as a bridge over a dough conveyor and thereto having supports at opposite ends; provided with a fastener, for fastening the supports on either side to a dough conveyor housing; wherein at least one support is provided with a transport device, for transporting the dough processing device directly over a conveyor while supporting the dough processing device on said conveyor. The invention further relates to a dough processing line comprising such a dough processing device.

The present invention relates to a dough processing device, for use on a dough line, comprising at least one dough processing tool, such as a flour dispenser, a roller, a cutter, a folding shoe, for processing the dough on a conveyor; arranged in a frame, arranged for being placed as a bridge over a dough conveyor and thereto having supports at opposite ends; provided with a fastener, for fastening the supports on either side to a dough conveyor housing; wherein at least one support is provided with a transport device, for transporting the dough processing device directly over a conveyor while supporting the dough processing device on said conveyor. The invention further relates to a dough processing line comprising such a dough processing device.

A vehicle-based, automated pizza-making system including a two-piece pizza pan conveyed between pizza-making components on a series of pan drive rails. The two-piece pizza pan can include a base and a removable ring for containing the unfinished pizza and toppings. The rails can include timing belts for conveying the two-piece pizza pan through the system with improved positional control and accuracy.