The invention relates to a closed continuous process to sterilise flour to reduce the enzymatic activity within the flour as well as to reduce microbial contamination of the flour and thereby minimise pasting of the starch and maintaining the flour in its native form. The invention also relates to the flour obtained by the method as well as the use of the flour

A process of producing a frozen sheeted dough, which can be prepared without using stress-free sheeting process and transferred directly from the freezer to oven without a proofing step. The process comprises mixing the dough ingredients comprising yeast and chemical leavening agents; resting the dough to form air cell structure; subjecting the dough to high stress sheeting compressions and freezing the dough. The frozen dough can be directly transferred to an oven without a proofing step. The resulting baked product has desirable texture and taste.

The present method is directed in one embodiment to a non-soluble, substantially white granular salt substitute for dough-based products. In certain embodiments, the dough-based product comprises a filling sealed within a pocket while in other embodiments, the dough-based product is not filled. In certain embodiments, the dough-based product is heated by baking, deep-frying or microwaving. In certain embodiments, the salt substitute of the present invention may be used in place of other large-particulate salts such as kosher salt for use on dough-based products. Certain non-dough-based products such as salted caramel ice cream, confections, as well as products utilizing a reduced-salt blend are also improved using the present invention. In certain embodiments, the salt substitute comprises white tapioca.

The present invention relates to a yeast strain of the species saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from spontaneous leavened dough, which is capable of remaining viable at temperatures below 8 C., in an inactive condition with respect to carbon dioxide production, and of resuming a normal fermentative and leavening capacity when shifted to an optimal temperature range. Moreover, the invention relates to solid and fluid doughs, comprising at least water, flour and yeast according to the invention, to the uses of such doughs and their production.

Described are dough compositions and methods, wherein the dough composition is prepared using a metabolized portion of dough comprising bubbles, metabolically active yeast, and developed dough matrix, combined with non-metabolized yeast, and wherein the dough composition preferably has useful properties such as yeast-leavened freezer-to-oven capabilities, without the need for chemical leavening agents or modified atmosphere packaging.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a food based on leavened dough, leavened puff pastry dough or puff pastry dough, comprising the following steps: (i) preparing a leavened dough, leavened puff pastry dough or puff pastry dough comprising flour and water, (ii) kneading the dough, (iii) fashioning the dough to obtain the raw food, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: (iv) shaping at least one surface of the raw food in a curved or corrugated shape, preferably in the shape of a single arch, or in the form of multiple, tandemly arranged arches, (v) freezing and/or deep-freezing the raw food in said arch or multiple arch shape. The present invention relates also to frozen or deep-frozen food products based on leavened dough, leavened puff pastry dough or puff pastry dough, produced according to this process, said foods preferably being chosen, among others, from Viennese pastries, croissants, chocolate rolls, breads.

A method of producing a piece of laminated dough that is frozen after partial fermentation is provided. The method of producing the piece comprises the steps of: (a) mixing and kneading flour, water, yeast, gluten, and other materials to make a dough mass, (b) causing the dough mass to be formed in a belt-like shape, (c) putting fat on the formed dough to sandwich fat layers between dough layers to form a sheet of laminated dough in a long belt-like shape, (d) cutting the sheet to obtain a piece in a desired shape, (e) forming the piece into a piece in a desired shape, (f) fermenting the formed piece so that the specific volume of the piece becomes 1.2 to 1.8 cm.sup.3/g, (g) rapidly freezing the fermented piece, and (h) preserving the frozen piece in a freezer.

A process of producing a frozen sheeted dough, which can be prepared without using stress-free sheeting process and transferred directly from the freezer to oven without a proofing step. The process comprises mixing the dough ingredients comprising yeast and chemical leavening agents; resting the dough to form air cell structure; subjecting the dough to high stress sheeting compressions and freezing the dough. The frozen dough can be directly transferred to an oven without a proofing step. The resulting baked product has desirable texture and taste.

A flour and cheese based food product, which is appealing to the olfactory, and taste senses and have good nutritional value. The food product is a pizza comprises a baked dough base, which is dressed by cheese, toppings, sauce, condiments etc. wherein a unique set of ingredients impart a distinct flavor to the food product. Present invention also provides a method to prepare the above food product.

This invention relates to a microwaveable composition comprising a batter component comprising from about 10 wt % to about 45 wt % of flour, from about 0.2 wt % to about 1.0 wt % of an encapsulated leavening agent, and from about 10 wt % to about 35 wt % of water, by weight of the batter component, and a paste component, the composition being microwaveable at a power output of between about 800 W and about 2100 W from a frozen state to a multi-layered cooked product in less than about 50 seconds. The invention also relates to a method for preparing the microwaveable composition.