Abstract:
There is a provided a pizza kit and a method for making a pizza from a kit. A package of powdered dough mix from the kit is opened. The powdered dough mix is poured into a bowl. The dough mix is mixed with an amount of liquid in the bowl. A dough ball is formed. The dough ball is pressed on a non-stick paper from the kit into the shape of a pizza crust. An amount of pizza sauce from the kit is added to the top of the pizza crust and the pizza is cooked.

Description:
RELATIONSHIP TO PRIOR APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This is a U.S. non-provisional application relating to and claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/343,409, filed Apr. 27, 2010. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to methods and kits for making pizza. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    When making pizza at home one can make it from scratch, starting with flour, yeast, water, etc. This tends to take 3-5 hours and is very messy but generates a good tasting and most versatile product. Frozen pizzas can be purchased which tend to contain all white bleached flour, partially hydrated oils and manmade preservatives. There are pizza kits, such as flat bread pizza kits and French bread pizza kits, that contain a preformed crust. They can be frozen, refrigerated or room temperature. These crusts are often times described as tasting dry, freezer burned, hard, chemical containing and like cardboard. These products contain many additives and preservatives. They do have the advantage in that the consumer decides on the topping. Frozen pizzas, frozen pizza crusts and frozen pizza shells, all require a great deal of energy to keep them frozen between manufacturing and consumer cooking. This increases their cost and it also increases their carbon footprint. These products use physical systems and chemical additives in an attempt to maintain freshness. 
         [0004]    What is needed is a quick and easy to make fresh pizza that allows the consumer to control dough thickness and toppings, and which can be prepared as fast as delivered pizza or about 30 minutes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with one form of this invention, there is provided a pizza kit, including a first package. A second package is provided containing a dough mix. The dough mix has a water activity of 0.85 or less. A pre-cut non-stick paper is provided and is adapted to receive pressed dough in the shape of a pizza crust. The first package houses the second package and the pre-cut non-stick paper. Preferably the pizza kit contains a third package containing a sauce. The first package also contains the third package. 
         [0006]    In accordance with another form of this invention, there is provided a method for preparing pizza from a kit. A package of powdered dough mix from the kit is opened. The powdered dough mix is poured into a bowl. The dough mix is mixed with an amount of liquid in the bowl. A dough ball is formed. The dough ball is pressed onto a non-stick paper into the shape of a pizza crust. An amount of pizza sauce is added to the top of a pizza crust and the pizza is cooked. Preferably the liquid is water or a mixture of water and milk. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is set forth in the independent claims. The invention, however, may be better understood in reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0008]    the FIGURE is a perspective view of a pizza kit of the subject invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0009]    The pizza kit  10  of the preferred embodiment of the present invention uses pre-mixed dry dough that preferably contains flour, yeast, sugar, salt, pepper and vitamin C. The ingredients are well mixed. The use of rapid rise yeast and a small amount of sugar make quick rising dough. This mix is stored at room temperature to reduce its&#39; carbon footprint. 
         [0010]    The dough is mixed with a warm liquid using a high water content to give a hydration of about 75%. This warm, wet dough easily dissolves the yeast and sugar to start fermentation. The vitamin C reduces the pH toward the optimum range for yeast growth. The vitamin C also helps the gluten develop. 
         [0011]    The pizza kit of the present invention may alternatively contain a gluten free dough. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. About 1 in 133 people have Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine. Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, and similar proteins. Upon exposure to gliadin the enzyme tissue transglutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to a truncating of the villi lining the small intestine (called villous atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients, because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption. The only known effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. While the disease is caused by a reaction to wheat proteins, it is not the same as wheat allergy. About 15% of people in the United States and 35 to 45% of people worldwide have a wheat allergy. Digestive problems, headaches and exhaustion are common negative effects of gluten. In wheat based pizza dough the gluten is also the “glue” that holds the crust together. Gluten free dough tends to be less cohesive that gluten dough and the use of parchment paper is a great help. To bind gluten free dough together it is common practice to add xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a highly processed material and is also a laxative. The gluten free dough of the present invention uses sweet rice flour, sometimes called glutenous flour, as a binder. The binding nature of this flour comes from starch and not gluten as the common name suggests. 
         [0012]    For a dough mix to be stable at room temperature the FDA requires a water activity of 0.85 or less. Water activity is defined as the equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) divided by 100. A water activity of 0.91 is required for salmonella species and clostridium botulinum to grow. Yeast requires a water activity of 0.88 to grow. A water activity of less than 0.65 will stop the growth of xerophilic molds sometimes found in flour. The dough mix preferably has a water activity less than 0.85 and more preferably less than 0.65. Baked products have a water activity of about 0.1 to 0.2. For flours a water activity of 0.2 to 0.6 is desirable. The dough mix may be vacuum sealed in a plastic package. 
         [0013]    One aspect of one embodiment of the present invention is the use of parchment paper. Modern parchment paper is made by running sheets of paper pulp through a bath of sulfuric acid or sometimes zinc chloride. This process partially dissolves or gelatinizes the paper, a process which is reversed by washing the chemicals off followed by drying. This treatment forms a sulfurized cross-linked material with high density, stability and heat resistance and low surface energy—thereby imparting good non-stick or release properties. 
         [0014]    The non-stick properties can be also achieved by employing a coated paper, for which a suitable release agent—a coating with a low surface energy and capability to withstand the temperatures involved in the baking or roasting process—is deposited onto the paper&#39;s surface; silicone (cured with a suitable catalyst) is frequently used. As used herein, non-stick paper means parchment paper or coated paper as described above. 
         [0015]    The non-stick paper allows the consumer to make a pizza using very wet, hydrated, dough without sticking or problems transferring it for topping and cooking. It also greatly reduces the effort need to clean up after cooking. The non-stick paper improves hygiene by keeping the dough from contacting counter tops and other surfaces that might harbor germs or residual gluten. 
         [0016]    The present invention uses a “canned” pizza sauce. As used herein, “can” may be a metal, glass or plastic package. The preferred “can” is a plastic bag made from nylon-polyethelene co-extruded film. A four gram bag was used to replace 225 grams of glass and metal. This reduces the carbon foot print of the product, reduces weight for shipping and makes the product more child friendly. An important feature of the packaging is a long shelf life and room temperature storage to reduce its&#39; carbon footprint. The sauce itself has a pH of less than 4.6 to avoid the growth of clostridium botulinum. The term “pH” is commonly defined as the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration. 
         [0017]    The present invention enables one to easily make a pizza in 30 minutes from start to stomach. Also, the consumer can make a thin crust or a thick crust with the same kit. The room temperature storage of this kit makes it a low carbon footprint product. 
         [0018]    In the description above, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention, including structures, components and characteristics, may be practiced without these specific details. 
       Example 1 
       [0019]    A wheat based dough mix package  12  is opened and poured into a bowl containing ½ cup of warm liquid. The temperature should be above about 100° F. to help activate the yeast but not above about 135° F. which could kill the yeast. The warm liquid could be water or a mixture of water and milk, such as whole milk, low fat milk, non-fat milk, soy milk, or almond milk. 
         [0020]    The flour and liquid is mixed with a spoon for about 75 strokes to form a dough ball. The ball is coated with about 2 teaspoons (10 mls) of oil to make it easier to handle. The dough ball is left to rest for about 5 minutes to let the gluten strands relax to aid in handling. The dough ball is then pressed out on parchment paper  14 . The parchment paper is of an appropriate size and shape to use as a template for the final pizza. 
         [0021]    The pizza sauce from package  16  is added to the pressed out dough and other toppings such as cheese might be added. The pizza and parchment paper are easily placed in an oven or on a grill using a pizza peel, cooking sheet, or the like. It is cooked directly on a grate, on a pizza stone or a metal plate/pan for about 10 minutes at 450 F to a homemade pizza in 30 minutes. 
       Example 2 
       [0022]    A gluten free dough mix package is opened and poured into a bowl containing ½ cup of warm water. The flour and water are mixed with a spoon for about 75 strokes and pressed together using hands to form a dough ball. Parchment paper, as in Example 1, is laid out and a tablespoon, 15 mls, of oil is placed in the center. The dough ball is rolled in the oil and pressed out with hands to the size and shape of a pizza crust. This is baked for five minutes at about 450° F. and removed from the oven. Sauce and any other toppings are added and the pizza is cooked for about an additional 8 minutes to a homemade pizza in 30 minutes. 
         [0023]    While the invention has been described in terms of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.