A rotary dough molding machine (10). The machine has a frame (6), a die roller (4) rotatably mounted to the frame (6), a knife (3) for scraping dough from the die roller (4), the knife (3) extending along the die roller (4), and a driver for moving the knife (3) between a scraping position and an inactive position, with the driver having a first drive (1) acting on the first end (31) of the knife (3) and a second drive (2) acting on the second end (32) of the knife (3). The first drive (1) and the second drive (2) can be actuated independently of each other.

An egg food product and a method for making the same. In one embodiment the method of making a food product comprises feeding a liquid composition into a cavity, the liquid composition comprising at least 80% liquid egg comprising albumen and yolk; mixing the liquid composition in the cavity; raising the temperature of the mixed liquid composition to above 175 F.; and after raising the temperature, extruding the mixed liquid composition through a die cavity having a temperature greater than 175 F. to solidify and shape the mixed liquid composition into a solid composition; and cutting the solid composition to a desired length.

A plurality of dough pieces are produced using a rotary dough cutter including a shaft, a plurality of walls extending radially outward from the shaft and a plurality of interior blades extending radially outward from the shaft. The plurality of walls define a plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough cutter molds include a first dough cutter mold and a second dough cutter mold. A first wall of the plurality of walls defines part of both the first dough cutter mold and the second dough cutter mold. Each of the plurality of interior blades is located in one of the plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough pieces are cut from a dough sheet with the plurality of walls. The plurality of dough pieces are scored with the plurality of interior blades. After scoring, the plurality of dough pieces are proofed and then frozen.

A plurality of dough pieces are produced using a rotary dough cutter including a shaft, a plurality of walls extending radially outward from the shaft and a plurality of interior blades extending radially outward from the shaft. The plurality of walls define a plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough cutter molds include a first dough cutter mold and a second dough cutter mold. A first wall of the plurality of walls defines part of both the first dough cutter mold and the second dough cutter mold. Each of the plurality of interior blades is located in one of the plurality of dough cutter molds. The plurality of dough pieces are cut from a dough sheet with the plurality of walls. The plurality of dough pieces are scored with the plurality of interior blades. After scoring, the plurality of dough pieces are proofed and then frozen.

An assembly line technique is described in which food items with a deposited layer of smear prior to baking can be cut and segregated into small pieces. The food pieces are deposited randomly into an ovenable serving container in such a way as to reduce contact between the smear coated surface(s) of the food pieces. This results in a pull-apart food product that can be rapidly microwave heated in the container and served in the container.

An assembly line technique is described in which food items with a deposited layer of smear prior to baking can be cut and segregated into small pieces. The food pieces are deposited randomly into an ovenable serving container in such a way as to reduce contact between the smear coated surface(s) of the food pieces. This results in a pull-apart food product that can be rapidly microwave heated in the container and served in the container.

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.

A method of making a soft pretzel bite includes cutting a series of transverse slots on one lateral side of a dough strip, curling the transverse slotted dough strip into a respective rolled dough strip, exposing each transverse slot, and transversely cutting each rolled dough strip into dough bites. The method includes washing each dough bite in a caustic solution with the length of each transverse slot being sufficient for excess caustic solution to drain way from the dough bite. The dough bite is baked into a pretzel bite. Each transverse slot allows a volume of the pretzel bite to increase without being constrained by a pretzel skin formed around each transverse slot to aerate an interior of each pretzel bite.

An in-line dumpling molding system is disclosed. The in-line dumpling molding system according to the present invention comprises: a dumpling wrapper cutting device, which cuts a supplied dough sheet to form dumpling wrappers; a dumpling-molding lower folding device, which is disposed below the dumpling wrapper cutting device, on which the cut dumpling wrappers are loaded, and which presses and folds the dumpling wrappers onto which dumpling fillings have been supplied; and a sealing device, which is disposed above the dumpling-molding lower folding device, and presses and seals the folded dumpling wrappers.