A method for improving the freshness of flat breads comprising a) adding to flour or to a dough comprising a flour, a first maltogenic alpha-amylase having at least 70% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 comprising the substitutions D261G, T288P, and F188L; and a second maltogenic alpha-amylase having at least 70% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 comprising the substitutions D261G, T288P, F194Y, and N375S; and b) making flat breads from the dough.

A method for improving the freshness of flat breads comprising a) adding to flour or to a dough comprising a flour, a first maltogenic alpha-amylase having at least 70% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 comprising the substitutions D261G, T288P, and F188L; and a second maltogenic alpha-amylase having at least 70% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, and compared to SEQ ID NO: 1 comprising the substitutions D261G, T288P, F194Y, and N375S; and b) making flat breads from the dough.

An essentially carbohydrate-free, protein-based flour substitute and methods for preparing the same are disclosed herein. The flour substitute may be used to make pizza crusts, chips, taco shells, tortillas, crackers, sandwich thins, and other food products that are traditionally flour-based. The organoleptic properties of the disclosed flour substitute preferably resemble the organoleptic properties of traditional baked goods and are substantially different from the organoleptic properties of traditional meat products. The disclosed flour substitute comprises a meat or nut flour, a flavor-masking spice, salt, and a vegetable, fruit, or plant-based oil or an oil-based spray. The disclosed flour substitute is used to make substitute food products that preferably resemble, in both appearance and taste, the traditional food products that the substitute food products are replacing. The flour substitute is preferably fiber-free and does not contain any other non-digestible carbohydrates. Methods of preparing the disclosed flour substitute are also disclosed herein.

The present invention is directed to an extruded food product constituent composed of a gelling food product constituent extrudate and method of extruding a gelling food product constituent extrudate used as an ingredient of a food product normally using a gelling gum, like guar gum, xanthan gum or carrageenan as an ingredient. The gelling food product extrudate is composed of cold-water soluble gelling pregelatinized starch formed of starch in a starch-containing admixture modified by extrusion at extrusion pressures greater than 2000 PSI that gels when mixed with water, which preferably also modifies additional starch or starches in the admixture into a plurality of different molecular weight polymers of a cold-water soluble gellant that polymerize forming a gel when mixed with water, preferably forming a hydrocolloid gel, which more preferably is a self-gelling gel, which even more preferably is a thermo-reversible gel crosslinked by one or more proteins freed by or modified during extrusion. Preferred admixtures configured to produce gelling extrudates include admixtures composed of cereal grains, including sorghum, wheat, oats, barley and/or corn, and/or legumes, including chick pea, yellow pea, pea and/or lentils with legume containing admixtures producing gelling extrudates that form thicker gels whose viscosity increases over time that are well suited for use in non-dairy dairy substitutes like non-dairy butter, non-dairy creamers, non-dairy whipped cream, non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy cream cheese, non-dairy cheese, and non-dairy ice cream.

A domestic baking device for baking a food product, in particular a flat bread, from a dough portion initially held in a portion capsule (2), the domestic baking device comprising a baking apparatus for baking the dough portion and a capsule-emptying apparatus (7) for removing the dough portion from a portion capsule (2), the capsule-emptying apparatus (7) having at least one force application element, which can be moved along a movement path, for applying force to, in particular deforming and/or moving, the portion capsule (2), which force application element can be driven by means of an electric motor, characterized in that the capsule-emptying apparatus (7) is assigned monitoring means for monitoring the portion capsule emptying operation, the monitoring means comprising comparing means, which are designed to monitor the curve of an electrical motor signal, in particular a current or voltage signal, over the movement path of the force application element for the reaching or exceeding of a reference signal (12), which changes over the movement path of the force application element, and to perform an action if the reference signal (12) is reached or exceeded.

A domestic baking device for baking a food product, in particular a flat bread, from a dough portion initially held in a portion capsule (2), the domestic baking device comprising a baking apparatus for baking the dough portion and a capsule-emptying apparatus (7) for removing the dough portion from a portion capsule (2), the capsule-emptying apparatus (7) having at least one force application element, which can be moved along a movement path, for applying force to, in particular deforming and/or moving, the portion capsule (2), which force application element can be driven by means of an electric motor, characterized in that the capsule-emptying apparatus (7) is assigned monitoring means for monitoring the portion capsule emptying operation, the monitoring means comprising comparing means, which are designed to monitor the curve of an electrical motor signal, in particular a current or voltage signal, over the movement path of the force application element for the reaching or exceeding of a reference signal (12), which changes over the movement path of the force application element, and to perform an action if the reference signal (12) is reached or exceeded.

A method for preparing frozen foods includes the steps of washing vegetables in order to eliminate any residues; subjecting the vegetables to mechanical treatment in order to isolate the edible part thereof; and cutting the vegetables into small parts. Then, the small parts are cooked and frozen to a temperature comprised between 10 C. and 30 C. The method further includes the steps of measuring predefined quantities of ingredients which include the small parts of vegetables, egg white and at least one regulator for parameters such as flavor enhancement, flavoring, and texture; homogenizing the ingredients; distributing the mixture on at least one surface in order to generate layers thereof of predefined dimensions; freezing the layers; and subjecting the layers to surface topping with ingredients chosen from among tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, soy products, meat, meat products, fish, fish products, oils, and fats.

A method for preparing frozen foods includes the steps of washing vegetables in order to eliminate any residues; subjecting the vegetables to mechanical treatment in order to isolate the edible part thereof; and cutting the vegetables into small parts. Then, the small parts are cooked and frozen to a temperature comprised between 10 C. and 30 C. The method further includes the steps of measuring predefined quantities of ingredients which include the small parts of vegetables, egg white and at least one regulator for parameters such as flavor enhancement, flavoring, and texture; homogenizing the ingredients; distributing the mixture on at least one surface in order to generate layers thereof of predefined dimensions; freezing the layers; and subjecting the layers to surface topping with ingredients chosen from among tomato sauce, cheese, vegetables, soy products, meat, meat products, fish, fish products, oils, and fats.

A shelf-stable ready-to-eat packaged focaccia, is described having appearance and organoleptic qualities comparable to those of a fresh focaccia, which has a relative humidity comprised between 25 and 32%, preferably 27% and water activity (a.sub.w) comprised between 0.85 and 0.92, preferably 0.89, and blind holes on its surface having depth of at least 50% of the thickness of the focaccia. A process for the production of a ready-to-eat shelf-stable packaged focaccia is also described which comprises the steps of: a) preparing a dough for focaccia comprising, by weight based on the total weight of the dough, 40-60% flour, 20-35% water, 7-16% vegetable oils and/or fats and/or fractions thereof, of which 1-6% extra virgin olive oil, 0.5-4% yeast, 0.1-3% salt, 0-15% at least one organoleptically characterising ingredient; 0-0.1% at least one baking processing aid, 0-0.8% at least one emulsifier and 0-1.5% dietary fibres; b) extrusion of the dough thus prepared thus obtaining a plurality of sheets of extruded raw dough for focaccia, and subsequent lamination of the plurality of sheets of raw dough for focaccia thus obtaining a layer of laminated raw dough for focaccia; c) first leavening of the layer of laminated raw dough for focaccia thus obtained at a temperature comprised between 20 and 30? C.; d) shaping of the layer of leavened raw dough for focaccia thus obtained forming a plurality of blind holes on the surface of the dough and filling of the holes with a saline solution; e) second leavening of the raw dough thus obtained at a temperature comprised between 30 and 37? C.; f) oiling of the upper surface of the dough thus obtained with filling with the oil of said holes; g) baking of the raw dough thus obtained in an oven at a temperature comprised between 210 and 240? C.; and h) packaging of the focaccia thus obtained.

A shelf-stable ready-to-eat packaged focaccia, is described having appearance and organoleptic qualities comparable to those of a fresh focaccia, which has a relative humidity comprised between 25 and 32%, preferably 27% and water activity (a.sub.w) comprised between 0.85 and 0.92, preferably 0.89, and blind holes on its surface having depth of at least 50% of the thickness of the focaccia. A process for the production of a ready-to-eat shelf-stable packaged focaccia is also described which comprises the steps of: a) preparing a dough for focaccia comprising, by weight based on the total weight of the dough, 40-60% flour, 20-35% water, 7-16% vegetable oils and/or fats and/or fractions thereof, of which 1-6% extra virgin olive oil, 0.5-4% yeast, 0.1-3% salt, 0-15% at least one organoleptically characterising ingredient; 0-0.1% at least one baking processing aid, 0-0.8% at least one emulsifier and 0-1.5% dietary fibres; b) extrusion of the dough thus prepared thus obtaining a plurality of sheets of extruded raw dough for focaccia, and subsequent lamination of the plurality of sheets of raw dough for focaccia thus obtaining a layer of laminated raw dough for focaccia; c) first leavening of the layer of laminated raw dough for focaccia thus obtained at a temperature comprised between 20 and 30? C.; d) shaping of the layer of leavened raw dough for focaccia thus obtained forming a plurality of blind holes on the surface of the dough and filling of the holes with a saline solution; e) second leavening of the raw dough thus obtained at a temperature comprised between 30 and 37? C.; f) oiling of the upper surface of the dough thus obtained with filling with the oil of said holes; g) baking of the raw dough thus obtained in an oven at a temperature comprised between 210 and 240? C.; and h) packaging of the focaccia thus obtained.