PULL-APART MULTI-PORTION BAKED GOODS

Abstract

The present invention relates to the formation of pull-apart multi-portion baked goods composed of multiple portions of dough or thick batter, including, but not limited to, bread dough or muffin batter. Specifically, the invention relates to a pull-apart multi-portion baked good developed by arranging the multiple portions of dough or batter such that the baking process creates minimal connections linking said portions and thus obtains better consistency among each portion of the baked good than traditional arrangements. As one non-limiting example, the invention relates to an arrangement of portions that, once baked, form a substantially central connection that links each of said portions to one another. The invention further relates to baking molds that enables the formation of said consistent pull-apart multi-portion baked goods. Additionally, the invention includes methods of making said pull-apart multi-portion baked goods and said baking mold.

Claims

1) A pull-apart multi-portion baked good comprising two or more individual portions of said baked good wherein the individual portions connect to one another at a single focal point.

2) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein the individual portions connect to one another at a substantially central location.

3) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein the individual portions connect to one another at one location that is off-center within the pull-apart multi-portion baked good.

4) A pull-apart multi-portion baked good comprising: two or more individual portions of said baked good, wherein the individual portions connect to one another so as to form a radiating ring around a hole or void; and wherein each portion has two opposing edges that are not connected to another portion.

5) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 4 wherein the hole or void formed by the radiating ring is filled with a holder; and wherein said hole or void and/or said holder optionally is filled with edible or decorative accompaniments to the pull-apart multi-portion baked good, wherein said edible or decorative accompaniments comprises dips, glazes, cheeses, butters or flavored butters, creams, jams, jellies, preserves, flavor inclusions, sugars, nut butters, peanut butters, caramels, syrups, frostings, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and/or flowers.

6) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein one or more individual portions of said baked good has a shape, wherein such shape comprises petal-shapes, leaf-shapes, geography-shapes, animal-shapes, fruit shapes, vegetable shapes, crown-shapes, surfboard-shapes, substantially circular shapes, substantially oval shapes, substantially triangular shapes, and/or substantially tetrahedral shapes.

7) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 4 wherein one or more individual portions of said baked good has a shape, wherein such shape comprises petal-shapes, leaf-shapes, geography-shapes, animal-shapes, fruit shapes, vegetable shapes, crown-shapes, surfboard-shapes, substantially circular shapes, substantially oval shapes, substantially triangular shapes, and substantially tetrahedral shapes.

8) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein one or more individual portions is made of dough or batter comprising sweet bread dough, sour bread dough, white bread dough, wheat bread dough, nut bread dough, gluten-free bread dough, rye bread dough, Hawaiian bread dough, pretzel dough, puff pastry dough, artisan bread dough, bagel dough, brioche dough, flavored doughs, corn bread doughs, marbled mixes of doughs, compilations of two or more doughs, muffin batters, waffle batters, cake donut batters, pancake batters, cookie batters, and/or compilations of two or more batters.

9) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 4 wherein one or more individual portions is made of dough or batter comprising sweet bread dough, sour bread dough, white bread dough, wheat bread dough, nut bread dough, gluten-free bread dough, rye bread dough, Hawaiian bread dough, pretzel dough, puff pastry dough, artisan bread dough, bagel dough, brioche dough, flavored doughs, corn bread doughs, marbled mixes of doughs, compilations of two or more doughs, muffin batters, waffle batters, cake donut batters, pancake batters, cookie batters, and/or compilations of two or more batters.

10) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein one or more individual portions contains additives comprising extracts, liquors, coffees, spices, food coloring, chocolate, peanut butter, toffee, caramel, butterscotch, fruits, fruit juices, nuts, legumes, seeds, meats, cheeses, vegetables, mushrooms, energy boosting additives, medicinal additives, herbal additives, caffeine, Echinacea, vitamin C, protein powder, and/or mushroom powder.

11) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 4 wherein one or more individual portions contains additives comprising extracts, liquors, coffees, spices, food coloring, chocolate, peanut butter, toffee, caramel, butterscotch, fruits, fruit juices, nuts, legumes, seeds, meats, cheeses, vegetables, mushrooms, energy boosting additives, medicinal additives, herbal additives, caffeine, Echinacea, vitamin C, protein powder, and/or mushroom powder.

12) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 1 wherein one or more individual portions of said baked good contain fillings, are comprised of layers, have toppings, are coated, are enrobed, and/or are encrusted.

13) The pull-apart multi-portion baked good of claim 4 wherein one or more individual portions of said baked good contain fillings, are comprised of layers, have toppings, are coated, are enrobed, and/or are encrusted.

14) A baking mold having two or more cavities for receiving an individual portion of dough or batter within each such cavity; wherein each cavity is connected to each other within the mold; and wherein the cavities are positioned such that after baking the individual portions of dough or batter connect to one another at a single focus point or so as to form a radiating ring around a hole or void.

15) The baking mold of claim 14 wherein the single focus point is at a substantially central location within said baking mold.

16) The baking mold of claim 14 wherein the single focus point is located off-center within said baking mold.

17) The baking mold of claim 14 wherein the cavities of the baking mold contain divots or dividers.

18) The baking mold of claim 14 wherein the cavities of the baking mold contain divots or dividers.

19) A pull-apart multi-portion baked good produced by adding dough or batter to each cavity of the baking mold of claim 14 and contacting the filled baking mold with heat at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to allow the individual portions of dough or batter to connect to one another.

20) A pull-apart multi-portion baked good produced by adding dough or batter to each cavity of the baking mold of claim 14 and contacting the filled baking mold with heat at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to allow the individual portions of dough or batter to connect to one another so as to form a radiating ring around a hole or void.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings which correspond to the same.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good where the portions are connected at a single focal point located substantially in the center of the baked good.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good where the portions are connected in a radiating ring structure and a holder is used for dips or the like.

[0031] FIGS. 3-5 illustrate examples and features of the baking molds useful for forming the pull-apart multi-portion baked good shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a method of making the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods as contemplated by this patent application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The reference numerals used in the detailed description of the embodiment below correspond to the reference numerals used in the accompanying drawings.

[0034] The present invention encompasses embodiments of a pull-apart multi-portion baked good, as depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, as well as molds for such goods, shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, and an illustrative method of making such pull-apart multi-portion baked goods, as described in FIG. 6. FIGS. 1-6 depict exemplary, non-limiting embodiments of the inventions set forth herein.

[0035] FIG. 1 depicts an example of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100 where each portion 10 is connected at a single focal point 11 located substantially in the center of the baked good. In FIG. 1, the pull-apart multi-portion baked good has five portions where each portion 10 is identical and is of an asymmetrical hibiscus petal shape.

[0036] While FIG. 1 depicts a pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100 connected at a single focal point 11 located substantially in the center of the baked good, a second preferred embodiment, not shown, may comprise multiple portions connected at a single focal point that is located off-center.

[0037] In another preferred embodiment, the portions can be connected to form a radiating ring where the outer edges and most of the side edges are not connected to the other portions, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 depicts a pull-apart multi-portion baked good 200 that is connected so as to form a radiating ring around a void or hole 12. The outer edges 13 and the side edges 14 of each portion 20 are mostly not connected to other portions of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 200. In FIG. 2, the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 200 has four portions where each portion 20 is identical and is in the shape of a symmetrical clover leaf. FIG. 2 also depicts an example of a holder 15 that preferably can be placed into the hole 12 formed by the radiating ring. Preferably, the holder 15 or, in an alternative preferred embodiment, the hole 12, can be filled with a variety of condiments and accompaniments to the baked good. The holder 15 may also be added separately to the baked good 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[0038] Preferred examples of condiments and accompaniments for the holder 15 or hole 12 include dips, glazes, cheeses, butters or flavored butters, creams, jams, jellies, preserves, flavor inclusions, sugars (granular, powdered, colored, or glittered), nut butters, peanut butters, caramels, syrups, frostings, and/or other edible or decorative accompaniments to the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200.

[0039] The pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 are preferably scalable in size. In one preferred embodiment, the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100/200 is a single serving or individual snack with each portion 10/20 being a partial serving and/or bite-sized. Alternatively, the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 can be sized so that each portion 10/20 is a single serving or two servings or even more, such as what would be appropriate for a group or family or for multiple meals/uses.

[0040] Preferably, the size of each portion within the pull-apart multi-portion baked is identical, as depicted in FIGS. 1-2, so as to ensure that all consumers receive identically sized portions. In another preferable embodiment, not shown, small-sized portions could be mixed with large-sized portions within the same pull-apart multi-portion baked good to form adult- and child-sized portions. Another preferred embodiments, also not shown, would have a mixture of three or more portion sizes to provide a variety of size choices for the consumer.

[0041] Preferred embodiments include pull-apart multi-portion baked goods with five portions, as indicated in FIG. 1, or four portions, as indicated in FIG. 2. Alternative preferred embodiments not shown may have six, seven, eight, or more portions.

[0042] In one contemplated preferred embodiment, the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods are comprised of multiple portions that have the same general shape, as shown in both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Not shown are alternative preferred embodiments that include pull-apart multi-portion baked goods where the portions have different shapes. Non-limiting examples of shapes that may be used for portions of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good include one or more of the following: petal-shapes, including but not limited to the shapes associated with hibiscus flowers, as shown in FIG. 1, sunflowers, daisies, plumeria, petunias, roses, peonies, and/or cherry blossoms; leaf-shapes, including but not limited to leaves associated with clovers, as shown in FIG. 2, grasses, fronds, flowers, and/or trees; geography-shapes, including but not limited to the shapes of the Hawaiian islands; animal-shapes, including but not limited to full animals, animal tails, animal paws, animal heads, animal rears, and/or animal ears; fruit and/or vegetable shapes, including but not limited to pineapples, bananas, berries, carrots, and/or cucumber; crown-shapes; surfboard shapes; substantially circular or substantially oval shapes; substantially triangular shapes, including but not limited to star arms and/or pointed sun rays; and/or substantially tetrahedral shapes, including but not limited to pyramids and/or stylized rectangular or tetrahedral sun rays.

[0043] In some preferred embodiments, the shapes of each portion may be asymmetrical, as depicted in FIG. 1, while in other preferred embodiments, the shapes of each portion may be symmetrical, as depicted in FIG. 2. In yet further preferred embodiments, not shown, the baked good can contain a mixture of symmetrical- and asymmetrical-shaped portions.

[0044] In another preferred embodiment, the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods are comprised of a single color of dough or batter, where said color is derived from dyes or the ingredients composing the dough or batter. Other preferred embodiments include pull-apart multi-portion baked goods that are comprised of dough or batter of two different colors, three different colors, four different colors, five different colors, or more. In other preferred embodiments, the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods may be comprised of dough or batter that is composed of different shades of the same color or different tones of the same basic color.

[0045] Preferably, the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods are comprised of a single dough or batter variety. In other preferred embodiments, the types of dough and/or batters within the pull-apart multi-portion baked good may differ and include two, three, four, five, or more dough and/or batter varieties. In still other preferred embodiments, the density of the dough or batter for the pull-apart multi-portion baked good also may differ, with some portions containing a denser dough or batter, such as that used for hamburger buns, while other portions use a less dense dough or batter, such as that used for dinner rolls.

[0046] Examples of dough that can be used for the present invention include, but are not limited to, sweet bread dough, sour bread dough, white bread dough, wheat bread dough, nut bread dough, gluten-free bread dough, rye bread dough, Hawaiian bread dough, pretzel dough, puff pastry dough, artisan bread dough, bagel dough, brioche dough, flavored doughs, corn bread dough, and/or marbled mixes or compilations of two or more doughs. One example of a preferred dough is Hawaiian bread dough. Examples of batters that can be used for the present invention include, but are not limited to, muffin batters, waffle batters, cake donut batters, pancake batters, cookie batters, and/or any thick batter that can form dividable portions of a multi-portion baked good that can pull-apart after baking. One example of a preferred batter is a waffle batter.

[0047] In certain preferred embodiments, the dough or batter used for each portion of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 shown in FIGS. 1-2 include one or more of the following additives: extracts, liquors, coffees and/or spices, including but not limited to food coloring, vanilla flavoring, mint extract, mocha, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, rum, champagne, whiskey, and/or beer; chips, chunks, and/or streaks of traditional dessert additives, including but not limited to chocolate, peanut butter, toffee, caramel, and/or butterscotch; fruits in whole, part, and/or juice form, including but not limited to berries, apples, oranges, pineapples, mangoes, cherries, and/or bananas; nuts, legumes, and/or seeds, including but not limited to tree nuts, peanuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and/or sunflower seeds; and/or savory components, including but not limited to bacon flavoring or bits, smoked meats, cheeses, vegetables, and/or mushrooms. Additional preferred additives to the dough or batter may include energy boosting, medicinal, and/or herbal components, including but not limited to caffeine, Echinacea, and/or vitamin C. In other preferred embodiments, additives may include powdered substances, including but not limited to protein powders or mushroom powder. The above preferred additives may be included as part of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods in multiple ways, including but not limited to, by being integrated into the doughs or batters as flavoring and/or mixed into the doughs or batters as particulates, and/or by both incorporation methods; alternatively, the additives may be included as fillings, toppings, and/or coatings. For example, FIG. 2 shows four types of toppings or coatings on the tops of each portions 20, including sprinkles 16, a glaze 17, a frosting 18, and an encrustment 19.

[0048] Preferably, each portion of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 may optionally include fillings, toppings, and/or have coatings. In addition to the additives noted previously, non-limiting examples of preferred fillings, toppings, and/or coatings for the portions include, but are not limited to, puddings, glazes 17, salts, frostings 18, brines, pretzels, candies, syrups, sauces, creams, cheeses, meats, spices, jams, jellies, butters, nut butters, peanut butter, schmears, guacamole, cinnamon-based fillings or toppings, sugar-based fillings or toppings, sprinkles 16, maltodextrine-based powders, yogurts, humus, dairy spreads, dressings, and/or dips such as onion dip, ranch dip, cheese dip, bean dip, vegetable spreads, and/or consumer added dips. The fillings, toppings, and/or coatings for certain preferred embodiments can be added pre- or post-baking. Each portion of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 can have the same fillings and/or toppings or can have two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or more different fillings and/or toppings, or combinations of fillings and toppings. The fillings preferably can be added through various mechanisms, including but not limited to piping, spooning, layering, enrobing, encrusting, and/or injecting one or more fillings. The toppings and/or coatings can be preferably applied, as non-limiting examples, as a drizzle, as a glaze 17, as a frosting 18, on the top of a portion, and/or as a thin or thick coating on top and/or on all exposed sides. As another alternative preferred embodiment, the toppings and/or coatings can be applied as an infusion, by soaking, by encrusting 19, and/or by enrobing one or more portions of the multi-portion baked good 100/200. One example of a preferred topping or coating is using pretzel coating and/or a pretzel brine. One preferred filling is a pudding, preferably mango or pineapple. Another preferred filling is using peanut butter with or without jelly.

[0049] In other preferred embodiments, each portion of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods may optionally include layers within one or more single portions, including but not limited to one, two, three, four, and/or five or more layers within each portion. As another alternative embodiment, the layers may contain different additives within the bread or dough components; for example, a portion of the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100/200 may include one layer that is spiced bread dough and a second layer that is the same spiced bread dough but also contains fruit particulates. An yet another preferred embodiment, the layers may contain a mixture of different types of doughs or batters. In one preferred embodiment, a layer of a Hawaiian bread dough may be sandwiched between two pretzel doughs. In other preferred embodiments, fillings, toppings, or coatings may divide the layers within each portion 10/20.

[0050] The present invention also includes baking molds for the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods 100/200 of FIGS. 1-2. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate baking molds capable of making the pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, a single baking mold containing five cavities is shown for a five-portion pull-apart baked good where each portion is identical in size and in the shape of an asymmetrical hibiscus leaf. Preferably, the baking mold is made of one or more of the following materials: plastics, ceramics, silicon-containing materials, metals, rubbers, polymers, paperboard, and/or glass. In another preferred embodiment, the mold is a bake-able plastic mold wherein the pull-apart multi-portion product 100 is baked in the mold within which it is sold. In another preferred embodiment of the baking mold for the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods, the baking mold may have coatings including but not limited to a non-stick coating, such as, e.g., ceramic coatings, polytetrafluoroethylene coatings, and/or coatings of oil or mineral oil, or a coating that indicates temperature changes or doneness, such as by color changes or conformational changes.

[0051] One of the preferred embodiments of the baking mold 300 is shown in FIG. 3, where the cavities of the baked mold 31 are positioned so that each of the portions of the pull-apart baked good will radiate outward from a single focal point located at a substantially central location upon baking. In another preferred embodiment, not shown, the cavities of the baked mold may be positioned that each of the portions of the pull-apart baked good will be connected, upon baking, at one location that is off-center. In another non-limiting preferred embodiment, not shown, the baking mold may contain cavities that position each of the portions to form a radiating ring upon baking where the outer edges and most of the side edges are not connected to the other portions.

[0052] An additional preferred embodiment of the baking mold 300 of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the bottom of the baking mold 300 is visible and optional divots 19 are included within each cavity 31, as shown in dashed lines. The divots 19, which can be located on the bottom or on the sides of the baking mold 300, keep the individual portions of the dough or batter from moving during the baking process. Other preferred modifications to the baking mold, not shown, include varying the depth of the cavities of the baking mold so that it is shallower where the connections are desired as compared to other locations within the baking mold, such as the sides of the mold. Still further preferred embodiments add dividers to the mold to better hold the portions of dough or batter within their desired cavities.

[0053] Preferably, the baking mold 300 for the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods is made of one or more of the following materials: plastics, ceramics, silicon-containing materials, metals, rubbers, polymers, paperboard, and/or glass. In another preferred embodiment, the baking mold 300 is a bake-able plastic mold where the pull-apart multi-portion good is sold within the mold in which it is to be baked. In other preferred embodiments of the baking mold 300, the baking mold 300 has a non-stick coating, such as, e.g., ceramic coatings, polytetrafluoroethylene coatings, and/or coatings of oil or mineral oil, or a coating that indicates temperature changes or doneness, such as by color changes or conformational changes.

[0054] In certain preferred embodiments, the baking mold 300 comprises a single mold that produces one pull-apart multi-portion baked good, as shown in FIGS. 3-4. Such preferred embodiments are particularly useful for larger versions of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods, including but not limited to multi-serving or family sized baked goods where each portion is one or more servings of the baked good. In other preferred embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 5, the baking mold 500 comprises two, three, four, five, six, or more baking molds 300 with each mold capable of making a single pull-apart multi-portion baked good. FIG. 5 is an example of a multi-mold baking mold 500 that has six baking molds 300, with each mold making a single pull-apart multi-portion baked good 100. Such a preferred embodiment is particularly useful for making smaller versions of the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods, including but not limited to single-serving or individual baked goods where each portion is bite-sized or only a partial serving of the baked good.

[0055] FIG. 6 provides an illustrative example of a preferred method of making the pull-apart multi-portion baked goods of the present invention. In step 110, each portion of dough or batter is placed in the separate cavities of the baking mold. Optionally, the dough or batter can be inserted into the mold in layers. After placement of the portions, there are at least three options for how to proceed. As one preferred option, the baking mold containing the dough or batter portions is frozen (step 120). The frozen pull-apart multi-portion baked good is then packaged (step 130) for shipping and sale. Upon purchase or receipt, the customer or the consumer fully bakes the frozen pull-apart multi-portion baked good (step 140). As a second preferred option, the baking mold containing the dough or batter portions is partially baked or par-baked (step 122). The partially baked pull-apart multi-portion baked good is then packaged (step 132) for shipping and sale. Upon purchase or receipt, the customer or the consumer finishes the baking process for the par-baked pull-apart multi-portion baked good (step 142). As a third preferred option the baking mold containing the dough or batter portions is fully baked (step 124). The fully baked pull-apart multi-portion baked good is then packaged (step 134) for shipping and sale. Upon purchase or receipt, either the customer or the consumer can choose to reheat the fully baked pull-apart multi-portion baked good (step 144) or enjoy it as is. As an optional step 150 in the process outlined in FIG. 6, the pull-apart multi-portion baked good can be filled, topped, and/or coated by the manufacture before, during, or after the placement stage (step 110), after the freezing or baking stages (step 120, step 122, or step 124), or the consumer or customer may fill, top, or coat the baked good before or after the final baking or optional reheating stages (step 140, step 142, or step 144). The steps set forth in FIG. 6 are not exclusive; the dough or batter may be proofed, fermented, and/or allowed to rest, rise, blossom, and/or undergo leavening processes and such processes may occur prior to the placement of the dough or batter into the mold, after the dough or batter is placed in the mold, and/or prior to or following any of the baking steps by the manufacturer, consumer, or customer. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand other baking, decorating, packaging, shipping, selling, displaying, and preparation steps can be easily incorporated into the method set forth by FIG. 6.

[0056] Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular configurations of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding configurations described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.