The present invention generally relates to gluten-free food products. In particular, the present invention concerns gluten-free pasta comprising a starch-containing material and Brassicaceae seed protein. A further aspect of the invention is a process for manufacturing gluten-free pasta.

A frozen topologically modified dough product is produced by creating topological features in a dough piece having a main body portion including an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the topological features is at least one of undulations in the upper surface created through formation of a series of crest and trough regions and a series of tunnels created in the main body portion of the dough piece, and then freezing the dough piece to produce a frozen dough piece. When cooked, particularly through a convection baking operation, the topological features increase the surface area for convection heat transfer during the baking operation, resulting in a significantly reduced overall bake time.

A frozen topologically modified dough product is produced by creating topological features in a dough piece having a main body portion including an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the topological features is at least one of undulations in the upper surface created through formation of a series of crest and trough regions and a series of tunnels created in the main body portion of the dough piece, and then freezing the dough piece to produce a frozen dough piece. When cooked, particularly through a convection baking operation, the topological features increase the surface area for convection heat transfer during the baking operation, resulting in a significantly reduced overall bake time.

A frozen, ready-to-bake dough product has an expanded dough core and an un-proofed dough veneer. The dough core is proofed before being enveloped by the outer dough veneer to form a dual density dough product having an inner, lower density body portion and an outer, higher density body portion, with the outer body portion constituting more than half of the overall body mass. The dual density dough product is frozen into a ready-to-bake dough product. Upon baking directly from the frozen state, a surface area of the dough product expands less than 60% while a volume of the dough product basically doubles due to expansion of the dough veneer, with the dough veneer establishing a crust for a light and airy inner bread body.

A frozen, ready-to-bake dough product has an expanded dough core and an un-proofed dough veneer. The dough core is proofed before being enveloped by the outer dough veneer to form a dual density dough product having an inner, lower density body portion and an outer, higher density body portion, with the outer body portion constituting more than half of the overall body mass. The dual density dough product is frozen into a ready-to-bake dough product. Upon baking directly from the frozen state, a surface area of the dough product expands less than 60% while a volume of the dough product basically doubles due to expansion of the dough veneer, with the dough veneer establishing a crust for a light and airy inner bread body.

Preparation of a food product comprising a bakery portion and ingredients may include: a first step for preparing the ingredients, a second step for preparing dough, a third step for preparing dough pieces, a step for packaging, in which the dough pieces and the ingredients are assembled and disposed in an impermeable pouch which is vacuum sealed, a step for fermentation, a step for cooking, and a step for cooling.

A packaged food product includes a container having at least one dough product and a cup within the container. The cup includes at least one sidewall, a plurality of tapered guide members located at spaced circumferential positions about the sidewall, a bottom wall and an upper annular rim. The rim also defines an opening, opposite the bottom wall, leading to an interior storage cavity of the cup. During initial insertion of the cup into a container, first portions of the guide members are progressively pressed against an interior sidewall surface of the container and assure a proper, level alignment of the cup, preventing the cup from tipping during insertion. With further insertion, second portions of the guide members lead to the rim, with the rim having a diameter which assures a tight friction fit, potentially in combination with a cup seal cover, to an inner diameter of the container.

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.

The process for producing low-gluten or gluten-free cooking dough for food purposes includes making a dough composition including, by weight relative to the total percentage by weight thereof: between 88.5 and 95% of dittany starch, between 0.1 and 0.5% of salt, between 40 and 65% of water, yeasts, between 3 and 5% of sugar, between 1.5 and 4% of pea protein, and between 0.2 and 3.6% of at least one thickener. The dough composition is kneaded in a closed chamber depressurized beforehand. Carbon dioxide CO2 is injected into the chamber at a pressure of between 25 and 550 mbar for 10 to 50 minutes simultaneously to the kneading step, so as to obtain a low-gluten or gluten-free cooking dough.