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 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.

Described are dough compositions and methods of making dough compositions, the dough compositions being chemically leavened and being prepared from ingredients that include a low temperature inactive yeast and a yeast inhibitor; the methods include inactivating the low temperature inactive yeast to inhibit the metabolic activity of the yeast as desired; the compositions and methods can be used, e.g., to prepare refrigerated dough products.

A packaged food product includes a container having therein a cup for a food ingredient, at least one dough product and a plastic separator interposed between the cup and the at least one dough product. The separator seats upon a rim of the cup and includes a peripheral side surface in frictional engagement with an inner sidewall of the container. The separator has a convex or dome shape when initially inserted into the container but, when the dough product(s) proof within the container, forces applied to the separator from the developed pressure cause the separator to flatten while radially expanding in order to establish an effective frictional fit with the sidewall of the container. An underside of the separator can optionally include reinforcing ribs.

A method for preparing a pre-rolled fresh pizza dough, for future use, includes measuring out the ingredients; kneading; extruding the dough; dividing the dough; shaping with or without rounding, and packaging. The kneading step includes an initial phase of folding, or mixing the ingredients; a first phase of high-pressure kneading; a second phase of low-pressure kneading; and a third phase of high-pressure kneading.

A method of commercial mass producing a dough product having a desired design formed thereon comprises directing a rope of dough along a conveyor, the rope of dough including an outer surface, creating a series of distorted initial designs upon successive regions of the outer surface of the rope and reshaping (e.g., cutting or crimping) the rope into individual food pieces. The initial designs created upon the dough rope are distorted in relation to the desired final designs. An individual food piece formed by the reshaping includes a periphery within which at least one of the distorted designs is transformed into the desired design by the reshaping.

A method of commercial mass producing a dough product having a desired design formed thereon comprises directing a rope of dough along a conveyor, the rope of dough including an outer surface, creating a series of distorted initial designs upon successive regions of the outer surface of the rope and reshaping (e.g., cutting or crimping) the rope into individual food pieces. The initial designs created upon the dough rope are distorted in relation to the desired final designs. An individual food piece formed by the reshaping includes a periphery within which at least one of the distorted designs is transformed into the desired design by the reshaping.

Pizza dough for later use, which can be stored at refrigeration temperature for up to 100 days with artisanal quality, comprising in percentage by weight of the finished product: flour (50-65), water (20-35), fats (0-8), salt (0.7-2), sugar (0-2), deactivated yeast (0.05-0.15), fermented flour (0.1-2), vinegar (0.1-2), baking powders (0.5-2), gums (0.1-3).

Anhydrous fat compositions are described that are solid at 20 C. and include about 3% to about 10% by weight of a lecithin, distilled monoglycerides having an iodine value of less than 50, or a combination thereof. Fat compositions described are suitable for use in making doughs that can be cooked to make baked goods that advantageously maintain an acceptable eating experience over a heated hold time, achieve better eating quality after reheating, and/or exhibit improved flakiness. Also described are methods of making such fat compositions, methods of making doughs containing such fat compositions, packaged and unpackaged doughs containing such fat compositions, methods of making baked goods using the described doughs, and baked goods made using the described doughs.

A process is provided for preparing pizza dough for later use. The process includes the steps of mixing the dry components with the liquid components, kneading, dividing into dough pieces of the desired weight, hardening the dough pieces by cooling, vacuum-packing in oxygen-barrier packaging, and storing at a refrigeration temperature.