A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a climate control assembly for regulating a chamber temperature within the chilled chamber. A controller receives a command to perform a dough proofing cycle and a dough removal time, determines a temperature schedule to facilitate the dough proofing cycle, the temperature schedule ending at the dough removal time, and operates the climate control assembly to regulate a chamber temperature of the chilled chamber in accordance with the temperature schedule.

A refrigerator appliance is provided including a cabinet defining a chilled chamber and a climate control assembly for regulating a chamber temperature within the chilled chamber. A controller receives a command to perform a dough proofing cycle and a dough removal time, determines a temperature schedule to facilitate the dough proofing cycle, the temperature schedule ending at the dough removal time, and operates the climate control assembly to regulate a chamber temperature of the chilled chamber in accordance with the temperature schedule.

An apparatus (e.g., a conveyor system) configured to transport dough through a plurality of substations as described herein. The plurality of substations provides for the handling (e.g., cut, shape, flatten, proof, etc.) of the dough, which has been fermented for eighteen to twenty hours before beginning the baking process, without excess flouring.

An apparatus (e.g., a conveyor system) configured to transport dough through a plurality of substations as described herein. The plurality of substations provides for the handling (e.g., cut, shape, flatten, proof, etc.) of the dough, which has been fermented for eighteen to twenty hours before beginning the baking process, without excess flouring.

A system to make a bread loaf includes means for moving continuously pans along a predetermined path, each pan including at least one cavity sized and configured for making a bread loaf. Means conditioning continuously a batch of unconditioned dough reduces the size of air pockets therein to form a conditioned dough. Means continuously extrude the batch of conditioned dough at a controlled volumetric feed rate and at a controlled pressure to provide a constant stream of conditioned dough that is continuously cut into individual packets. The entire batch is converted into individual packets of conditioned dough corresponding to a predetermined number of bread loaves to be produced from the batch, with all the packets deposited individually in cavities of the pans within 10-20 minutes after mixing ingredients that make the batch.

A system to make a bread loaf includes means for moving continuously pans along a predetermined path, each pan including at least one cavity sized and configured for making a bread loaf. Means conditioning continuously a batch of unconditioned dough reduces the size of air pockets therein to form a conditioned dough. Means continuously extrude the batch of conditioned dough at a controlled volumetric feed rate and at a controlled pressure to provide a constant stream of conditioned dough that is continuously cut into individual packets. The entire batch is converted into individual packets of conditioned dough corresponding to a predetermined number of bread loaves to be produced from the batch, with all the packets deposited individually in cavities of the pans within 10-20 minutes after mixing ingredients that make the batch.

A leavening apparatus for leavening dough pieces comprises a leavening chamber for receiving dough pieces and a climate control module for controlling the climate in the leavening chamber for the leavening process. A control device for controlling the leavening process according to climate data detected in the leavening chamber is paired with the climate control module. The climate control module comprises a device for creating an air stream and a device for creating water aerosol to be entrained by the air stream. The leavening chamber has an upper inlet for the climate control media ‘air’ and ‘moisture’ provided by the climate control module, and a lower outlet the opening width of which can be adjusted. During operation, an air stream generated by the climate control module is introduced via said inlet into the leavening chamber, said air stream flowing out of the outlet of the leavening chamber. The leavening chamber further has one each of a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and a CO.sub.2 and/or O.sub.2 sensor, said sensors being configured to transmit the detected climate data to the control device. A method for conditioning the climate in the leavening chamber of a leavening apparatus of this kind is also described.

A leavening apparatus for leavening dough pieces comprises a leavening chamber for receiving dough pieces and a climate control module for controlling the climate in the leavening chamber for the leavening process. A control device for controlling the leavening process according to climate data detected in the leavening chamber is paired with the climate control module. The climate control module comprises a device for creating an air stream and a device for creating water aerosol to be entrained by the air stream. The leavening chamber has an upper inlet for the climate control media ‘air’ and ‘moisture’ provided by the climate control module, and a lower outlet the opening width of which can be adjusted. During operation, an air stream generated by the climate control module is introduced via said inlet into the leavening chamber, said air stream flowing out of the outlet of the leavening chamber. The leavening chamber further has one each of a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor and a CO.sub.2 and/or O.sub.2 sensor, said sensors being configured to transmit the detected climate data to the control device. A method for conditioning the climate in the leavening chamber of a leavening apparatus of this kind is also described.

The present invention relates to a system for providing a dough sheet, comprising a mixer for mixing ingredients to a dough, a portioning device for portioning the dough in batches into carriers, a first fermenting stage, formed by a cabinet, the cabinet comprising a conveyor, configured for conveying the carriers along a trajectory through the cabinet, a first handler for placing the carriers in a fermenting cabinet, a second fermenting stage, formed by a conveyor, a second handler, for picking the carriers from the cabinet and placing the dough batches from the carriers onto the fermenting conveyor, wherein the second handler is configured for placing the dough batches in a touching or overlapping manner and a dough sheeting stage, for receiving the dough from the second fermenting stage and forming a sheet from the dough.

The present invention relates to a system for providing a dough sheet, comprising a mixer for mixing ingredients to a dough, a portioning device for portioning the dough in batches into carriers, a first fermenting stage, formed by a cabinet, the cabinet comprising a conveyor, configured for conveying the carriers along a trajectory through the cabinet, a first handler for placing the carriers in a fermenting cabinet, a second fermenting stage, formed by a conveyor, a second handler, for picking the carriers from the cabinet and placing the dough batches from the carriers onto the fermenting conveyor, wherein the second handler is configured for placing the dough batches in a touching or overlapping manner and a dough sheeting stage, for receiving the dough from the second fermenting stage and forming a sheet from the dough.