Abstract:
To provide a method and apparatus for flattening fermentabl dough while heating the dough to accelerate a dough fermentation and a dough crust obtained therefrom such as pizza pies. An apparatus for flattening a piece of fermentable dough, comprises a vertically movable table arranged in a horizontal direction and a heated upper plate arranged upwardly apart from the table, an driving means connected to the table for moving the table upward and downward, a tray detachably installed on the table, a sensor for detecting a position or a speed of the table, and a regulator for controlling a moving speed of the table, wherein the dough placed on the tray is pressed and contacted with the heated upper plate so that the contacted layer of dough is promptly fermented and soften to spread into a flattened dough crust.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for flattening fermentabl dough while heating the dough to accelerate a dough fermentation and a dough crust obtained therefrom such as pizza pies.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Conventionally, a task for spreading and forming fermentable dough is manually performed to spread each a quantity of dough. Specifically, in making pizza pies, fermentable dough are typically prepared by mixing wheat flour, sugar, yeast fungi and the like. The mixture is then kneaded and divided into several dough balls to be made round individually and packed in plastic bags. Thereafter, the dough balls in plastic bags are kept and stored in a freezer. When it need to flatten the dough balls, the dough ball is taken out from the freezer and fermented in a refrigerator at 2° C. to 5° C. for 10 to 12 hours (a primary fermentation process). Then, the raised dough balls are pressed to liberate gas from the fermentation and then, they are put back into the refrigerator it to be fermented at 2° C. to 5° C. for another 10 to 12 hours (a secondary fermentation process). Then, prior to baking, the secondarily fermented dough balls are manually spread into crusts having a thickness of about 2 mm to 5 mm. At pizzerias which serve a guest a made-to-order pizza, a method and an apparatus for forming a pizza crust having a smooth finished surface and a soft texture and good feeling when eaten after baking in a short time have been desired.  
         [0003]     Japanese Open Patent publication No. 2001-505064 discloses that an apparatus preparing pizza which includes all steps from kneading of dough to baking a pizza. In the step of flattening dough of the apparatus, pieces of dough loaded on a transporting plate are pressed into a thin disk shape crust by a heated press plate. However, it does not describe the relation between a fermentation states and a pressing speed of the dough.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,800,844; 5,469,779; 4,559,002; and 4,417,867 disclose dough press machines for preparing pizza crusts. These press machines comprise an upper plate moving to upward and downward and a fixed lower plate respectively, the upper plate includes a heating unit to enhance dough relaxation without baking it. These press machines press and form dough within 10 seconds. A pressing time or a thickness of crust is adjustable by manually setting in these press machines. However, they do not describe that a process of pressing fermentable dough, i.e. yeast raised dough, or a process of accelerating ferment dough by the dough press machine.  
         [0005]     The present invention relates to a method for flattening dough of a type of pan to which yeast is added to ferment it. Wheat flour is mixed with sugar, yeast and the like, the mixture is kneaded into dough, and heat is applied to the dough to ferment the yeast in the flour, to generate carbon dioxide gas. It is important for flattened dough crust having a soft texture and good feeling when eaten to form even honeycomb structures of bubbles of gas from fermentation in inner parts of the flattened crust. However, if the fermentable dough is rapidly pressed without regard to the fermentation process, in the case of press-forming the dough at the stage of the second fermentation, a good raised dough crust above described (a pizza crust) cannot be obtained for the following reasons.  
         [0006]     When a dough ball during fermentation is pressed, if the dough ball is rapidly pressed with a mechanical force, without a consideration of fermentation state of dough, the dough crust has insufficient honeycomb structures because of insufficient fermentation, or bubbles of gas are crushed not to form the porous honeycomb structure. Further, if dough is pressed at a temperature of above 100° C. to prevent retraction after pressing that commonly occurs in conventional pre-baked pizza marketed as a frozen food, the yeast may be damaged, which also fails to obtain a good texture raised crust.  
         [0007]     The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for flattening fermentable dough to which yeast is added, comprising that a fermentable dough ball placed between a lower plate and heating upper plate is pressed by regulating press speed in response to the fermentation state of the dough, while the heating upper plate contacts the upper layer of the dough ball to accelerate it&#39;s fermentation. Flattening and fermentation of fermentable dough is attained in a short time in the method.  
         [0008]     It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus suitable for flattening fermentable dough to which yeast is added, while accelerate fermentation of dough.  
         [0009]     It is further object of the invention to provide a dough crust produced by flattening fermentable dough to which yeast is added while accelerating fermentation of dough, which result in a smooth finished surface and a good texture and good feeling when eaten after baking the dough crust.  
         [0010]     According to the first aspect of the present invention, a method for flattening a piece of fermentable dough by a press-machine having a lower plate and a heated upper plate comprising a step of placing a given amount of the dough on the lower plate, a step of moving the heated upper plate or the lower plate to bring into contact the dough with the heated upper plate, so that the contacted layer of the dough is accelerated to ferment, and a step of regulating a distance between the heated upper plate and the lower plate so that the layer of dough relaxed by the fermentation is spread around the lower layer of the dough.  
         [0011]     In this method, a press speed is regulated in response to the fermentation state of dough. As a result, a flattened dough crust having honeycomb structure of gas from fermentation, soft texture and good feeling when eaten after baked is obtained. Long time for a secondary fermentation is not needed. Thus, the time and labor required for flattening dough can be drastically reduced. Also, flattening of dough is effected by spreading a softening portion of fermented dough, and therefore, driving power of the press machine can be reduced.  
         [0012]     In the embodiment of the present invention, a movement of the heated upper plate and lower plate is held for a predetermined period for the fermentation under the pressed to contact the dough with the heated upper plate, and the movement is resumed after a lapse of the period. Regarding to this, when large size dough is flattened, it is possible to recover the temperature of the heated upper plate which is dipped at the time of contacting with the dough. As a result, the flattening speed can be reliably adapted to the fermentation state of the dough. Further, it is not necessary to design the upper plate to have large heat capacity.  
         [0013]     In the embodiment of the present invention, the press machine having fixed the upper plate provided with a heating element and a vertically moving lower table, wherein comprising of a step of placing the given amount of dough on the lower table, a step of moving upward the lower table to press and contact the dough with to the upper plate, and the lower table after press-contacting the dough with the upper plate move upward and hold repeatedly depending on fermentation state of the dough. As a result, a layer of the dough contacting the heated upper plate is relaxed and is pushed out of, and thereafter, a next layer of dough is attained to contact the heated upper plate successively. It is possible to compensate the temperature of the heated upper plate that has been lowered by the next layer having a lower temperature.  
         [0014]     In the embodiment of present invention, the lower plate or table on which the dough is placed has a rough upper surface to prevent the bottom surface of dough from sliding. As a result, the bottom layer of dough is fixed during pressing process. Therefore, the flattening of the dough is effected by spreading the relaxed upper layer of dough around the lower layer. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a dough crust having a smooth finished surface after forming it.  
         [0015]     Further, according to the present invention, a moving speed and moving distance, or the hold period of the lower plate is are set to optimal values obtained from experimental flattening of the same compositions of dough and stored in a memory of a regulator, and a driving mechanism which drives the lower plate based on the data is regulated. As a result, it is possible to regulate automatically the moving speed and moving distance of the lower plate and to obtain the dough having a good texture.  
         [0016]     In the embodiment of the present invention, the lower plate has a tray detachably installed thereon, and the given amount of the dough are placed on a rough surface of the tray.  
         [0017]     In the embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a forming tray installed detachably on the lower plate, and a given amount of the dough are placed on the rough surface having a protrusion and recess formed on the forming tray. As a result, it is possible to form the dough into any shapes thereof by selecting the suitable forming tray and to take easily out the dough crust after forming, and it is suitable for continuously forming the dough.  
         [0018]     According to the second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for flattening a piece of fermentable dough, comprises a vertically movable table arranged in a horizontal direction and a heated upper plate arranged upwardly apart from the table, an driving means connected to the table for moving the table upward and downward, a tray detachably installed on the table, a sensor for detecting a position or a speed of the table, and a regulator for controlling a moving speed of the table, wherein the dough placed on the tray is pressed and contacted with the heated upper plate so that the contacted layer of dough is promptly fermented and soften to spread into a flattened dough crust.  
         [0019]     According to the apparatus described the above, the elevating driving mechanism controls automatically an elevating speed or distance or holding period of the elevating table on the basis of the signals of sensor that can detect a position or speed thereof. Therefore, the dough can be automatically press-formed in a short time. An operator dose only putting the dough on the forming tray and then pushing start buttons.  
         [0020]     In the embodiment of the present invention, a temperature sensor is installed in the heated upper plate, the temperature sensor output a detected signal to the regulator.  
         [0021]     Furthermore, the moving speed and distance or holding period of the elevating table are set beforehand and stored in a memory, the elevating table is controlled on the basis of the data in response to a dough size or forming conditions such as room temperature. As a result, it is easy to select the elevating speed or holding position and period of the elevating table adapted for such environments as size or temperature.  
         [0022]     In the embodiment of the present invention, the heated press plate is provided with a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor is connected to the control unit, the temperature sensor is attached on the bottom face of a recess in the center of the press plate, and a position of the temperature sensor is arranged at a substantially intermediate in vertical direction of the press plate. As a result, the temperature of the heated press plate can be suitably controlled to that of promoting fermentation of the dough without extinct yeast in the dough and the temperature of the dough can be estimated.  
         [0023]     In another embodiment of the invention, a plurality of sizes of the forming trays are prepared, and the elevating table is provided with loading claws capable of detachably installed the respective sizes of the forming trays. These trays have rough surface, for example, small protrusions and recess on the surface. Preferably, the press plate is provided with an adhesion preventing material that does not allow the dough to adhere to the surface thereof. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a pizza dough forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the pizza dough forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a longitudinally sectional side view of the pizza dough forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  illustrates the arrangement of loading claws.  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line V-V in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a forming tray.  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view taken along VIII-VIII in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 9  is an explanatory view illustrating the processes of forming dough.  
         [0033]      FIG. 10  illustrates a control circuit.  
         [0034]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view of a forming die.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0036]      FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating a pizza dough forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a side view illustrating the embodiment of the pizza dough forming apparatus according to the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a longitudinally sectional side view illustrating the embodiment of the pizza dough forming apparatus according to the present invention.  
         [0037]     In the respective drawings, a pair of struts  2 , 2 , which is directed in the vertical direction, is provided on a housing  1 , and an upper cover  3  is attached onto the struts  2 . Sliding members  4  are slidably attached to the struts  2 , respectively, and a supporting plate  5  is fixed onto the sliding members  4 . An elevating table (a lower plate)  6  is attached onto the supporting plate  5 . A pair of push button switches  13   a  and  13   b  is provided on the left and right sides of the housing  1 . A power switch  40  is provided on the left side surface of the housing  1 .  
         [0038]     A plurality of loading claws  8  is provided for install a forming tray  7  on the elevating table  6 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the loading claws  8  is comprised of three outside loading claws  8 A along the periphery of a larger-diameter forming tray  7 A represented by a one-dotted chain line and three inside loading claws  8 B along a small-diameter tray  7 B represented by a two-dotted chain line.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , each of the loading claws  8  is formed to have a flange  8   a  at its upper end. The loading claw  8  is slidably fitted into a hole  10  that is formed in the elevating table  6 , is biased in its protruding direction with a spring  9 , and is held by locking a stopper screw  11  in a locking plate  12 .  
         [0040]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the supporting plate  5  is adapted to move up or down by means of an elevation driving mechanism  15  that is provided below the plate.  
         [0041]     The elevation driving mechanism  15  includes a driving motor  16 , and reduction gears  17  connected to a motor shaft  16   a  of the driving motor  16 . A crank arm  18  is secured to a pair of crankshafts  19   a  and  19   b . One crankshaft  19   a  is connected to the reduction gears  17 , and the other crankshaft  19   b  is supported by a bearing  60 . A crank pin  20  is secured to a front end of the crank arm  18 , and an elevating rail  21  is connected to the crank pin  20  via a bearing  22 .  
         [0042]     A connecting plate  24  that is attached to the underside of the supporting plate  5  is connected to an upper end of the elevating rail  21  via a universal joint  23 . An inner cover  25  is attached to a lower end of the connecting plate  24 . The inner cover  25  is adapted to move up or down within an outer cover  26  that is attached onto the housing  1 .  
         [0043]     When the driving motor  16  rotates, the crankshafts  19   a  and  19   b  rotate via the reduction gears  17 . This rotation is transmitted to the crank arm  18  to turn the crank pin  20  about the crankshafts  19   a  and  19   b . As a result, the elevating rail  21  connected to the crank pin  20  moves up or down, and the supporting plate  5  connected to the elevating rail  21  then moves up or down. A pulse generating board  45  is attached to the crankshaft  19   b . The rotation of the pulse generating board  45  is detected with a position sensor  46  so that the vertical position and the elevating speed of the elevating table  6  can be detected. In the embodiment of the present invention, the crank arm is used in the elevation driving means, a conventional rack and pinion mechanism or hydraulic piston cylinder can be used. Further, the sliding members  4  can be omitted by supporting the elevating table on the driving mechanism.  
         [0044]      FIG. 6  illustrates the surface of the forming tray  7  on which dough is placed, and  FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of  FIG. 6 . The forming tray  7  includes a disc made of a metal, for example, aluminum, aluminum alloy, titan, or the like, which is lightweight, high thermal conductive, and strong against thermal deformation. A reinforcing rib  27  having an inverted U-shaped section is formed at the periphery of the forming tray  7 . On the surface of the forming tray  7 , fine grooves are stamped as marks for displaying respective forming sizes, such as a large-diameter circle  28 L, a middle-diameter circle  28 M, and a small-diameter circle  28 S. Further, dam can be provided for regulating the forming size of dough along the diameter circle  28 L,  28 M and  28 S, respectively. The refined rough surface are provided by the sandblast treatment on the upper surface of the forming tray  7  on which the dough is placed in order to prevent the sliding of dough under the pressing. The upper surface of the forming tray  7  is subjected to alumite treatment in order to improve the release of dough after forming the dough and to form the asperities without edge portion.  
         [0045]     Referring back to  FIG. 3 , a heating element  43  is provided above the struts  2 . The heating element  43  is attached to the underside of a mounting plate  47  that is fixed to upper ends of the struts  2  with fixing screws  44 . That is, the heating element  43  is constructed such that a rib-shaped pressing member  48  is fixed to the underside of the mounting plate  47  with setscrews  49 , and a press plate  51  made up the upper plate is fixed to the underside of the pressing member  48  with a heater  50  interposed therebetween. The press plate includes, for example, a far-infrared heating material made of the mixture of carbide and titan, preferably, as an embodiment of the present invention, but the heating material is not limited to such a far-infrared heating material. Further, the present invention has been described that the heated upper plate is fixed, while the lower plate is provided to move up or down on the elevating table  6 , and however, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, a press machine having a fixed lower plate and a heated upper plate moving downward can be used.  
         [0046]      FIG. 8  is a partially enlarged view of a portion VIII in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , an adhesion preventing material  54  is thinly applied onto the surface (underside) of the press plate  51  so that pressed dough  118  does not stick to the press plate  51 . As the adhesion preventing material  54 , Teflon coating or edible oil may be thinly spread. At the central part of the press plate  51  is formed a recess  55  that has a bottom face  55   a  at a substantially intermediate position of the press plate  51  in its vertical direction. A temperature sensor  52  is attached to the bottom face of the recess  55 . Mold  56  is applied to the recess  55  so as to cover the exterior of the temperature sensor  52 . A circular cutout  50   a  is formed at the central part of the heater  50  so that radiant heat is not applied to the temperature sensor. As a result, the temperature of the press plate  51  is detected with the temperature sensor  52  so as to regulate the current carrying of the heated heater, and therefore, the temperature of the press plate  51  is controlled to that of promoting the fermentation of the dough  118 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 10  illustrates a control circuit. In  FIG. 10 , reference numeral  30  denotes a central processing unit (CPU)  30  that comprises a database  31  in which data such as formation time, temperature, and the thickness of dough are stored, a calculating unit  32 , an executing unit  33  which sends a control signal to heater  50  or motor  16 , a communication port  34 , and an interface  42  which connects to the respective switches or sensors. A setting unit  35  sets operation of the heater or motor, and a display unit  36  is provided at the front face of the upper cover  3 . The display unit  36  comprises a display  37  and an operation button  38 . An inverter  39  controls the driving motor  16  based on the output from the executing unit  33 . The inverter  39  has effected to PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control of motor  16  based on the control signals from the executing unit  33 . Signals from the two start push buttons  13   a  and  13   b , the power switch  40 , a safety device  41 , a position sensor  46 , and a temperature sensor  52  are input from the interface  42  to the calculating unit  32 .  
         [0048]     Generally, the fermentation speed of the dough varies depending on the conditions such as the properties of dough to be used, and environments (room temperature, humidity and the like). Further, the fermentation speed depends on contacting area of dough with the heated press plate  51  in first pressing step, that is, how set firstly moving distance of the elevating table  6 . When the dough is contacted with the press plate  51  by the first press, the temperature of the press plate  51  is lowered. Lowering of the temperature depends on the thermal capacity of the press plate  51  and the size of dough. If the thermal capacity of press plate  51  is designed to have too large capacity, it causes the consumption of the unnecessary electric power, and therefore, it is necessary that the thermal capacity of press plate  51  be designed a appropriate for a size of most frequently forming dough can form. Accordingly, when the dough with larger size is formed, or when the environmental temperature is extremely low, the moving upward of the elevating table  6  holds in a state that the dough is contacted with the press plate  51  by the first pressing, until the temperature of the press plate  51  recovers, and the dough is promptly fermented to soften. Then moving upward of the elevating table  6  resumes. The specifications of moving of the elevating table  6 , moving speeds or distances or holding positions and holding times and the like, is preferably set to optimal values, which obtained from one or more experimental forming executions and these optimal values are stored in the database  31 . The elevating table  6  is controlled by reading out the control data from the database  31 , based on the environmental temperature or a size of dough that is set in the setting unit  35 .  
         [0049]     In the embodiment of the present invention, in the first press step, the elevating table  6  is moved upward until the dough placed on the forming tray  7  is pressed into ½ in thickness of the dough, so that the fermentation of the dough is accelerated to soften the dough, and press out the fermented portion of dough to spread around the lower portion of the dough. The moving speed of the elevating table  6  is regulated so as to spread fermented dough around the lower portion of the dough successively.  
         [0050]     In a case of the dough with L size, the ascent of the elevating table  6  is caused to stop for a specified time to ferment the contacted portion of dough with the heated press plate  51  in a state that the dough is pressed into ½ in thickness by the first pressing. After the contacted portion of dough is fermented and soften, moving upward of the elevating table resumes. If necessary, the elevating table  6  can be controlled to move and hold intermittently. The moving distances and holding periods of the elevating table  6  are stored in the database  31 , these data are read out for controlling the motor  16  from the database  31  on the base setting data in the setting unit  35 . Further, the temperature of the press plate  51  may be set depending on a size of dough in consideration of lowering of the temperature in the press plate  51  when contacts with dough. preferable that the temperature of the press plate  51  be preferably set 48˜52° C. in temperature not to extinct yeast in the dough.  
         [0051]     The operation of the apparatus for forming dough will now be described.  
         [0052]     In the initial state, the elevating table  6  of the pizza dough forming apparatus positions in upward, abutting the press plate  51 . In the power switch  40  on, electric power is supplied to the apparatus, the display  37  flashes on and off, and an electric current is applied to the heater  50  to heat the press plate  50 . When the press plate  51  reaches at a given temperature, the display  37  is changed to turn on, informing the pizza forming apparatus is available (standby). In this standby state, when the right and left start push buttons  13   a  and  13   b  are simultaneously pushed by operator&#39;s both hands, the elevating table  6  moves down, as shown in FIGS.  1  to  3 . The method of forming dough is explained as follow.  
         [0053]     Firstly, a size of dough, the temperature of environments and the like are set in a setting unit  35 . In this embodiment, the dough having three types of size are provided, i.e., large size (350 mm of the diameter after forming), medium size (250 mm of the diameter after forming) and small size (150 mm of the diameter after forming). As shown in  FIG. 9 ( a ), dough  118 , which has been primarily fermented in a refrigerator, is taken out. The taken-out dough  118  is formed into a disk shape having a thickness of about 30 to 50 mm by hand. Then, as shown in  FIG. 9 ( b ), the disk of dough  118  is put on the central part of the forming tray  7 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 9 ( c ), the forming tray  7  having the dough  118  thereon is installed to the elevating table  6 . Specifically, in the case of a large-sized forming tray  7 A, the tray is allowed to engage with the outside loading claws  8 A (at this time, the inside loading claw  8 B is pressed by forming tray  7 A to move down), and in the case of a small-sized forming tray  7 B, the tray is allowed to engage the inside loading claws  8 B.  
         [0054]     Next, as shown in  FIG. 9 ( d ), when the right and left start push buttons  13   a  and  13   b  are simultaneously pushed by the operator&#39;s hands, the CPU  30  operates. The calculating unit  32  compares input data in the setting unit  35  with the data stored in the database  31 , and control signals are calculated. Then, the control signals are sent from the executing unit  33  to the inverter  39 . The position of the forming tray  7  is detected with the position sensor  46 , the detected signal feedback to the CPU  30  to control the driving motor  16 . The rotation of the driving motor  16 , in other words, the ascent of the forming tray  7  is controlled according to the values set in the setting unit  35 . As shown in  FIG. 9 ( e ), the elevating table  6  moves upward at high speed due to the control by CPU. As a result, the dough is pressed and formed into about ½ in thickness (15 to 25 mm) and the fermentation of dough is promoted by enlarging the contact area of the disk of dough with the heated press plate  51 . The fermented layer of dough is pressed out to spread around lower layer of the dough, a next layer of dough contacts with the heated press plate  51  and is fermented and spread around the lower layer of dough successively. Thus, the secondary fermentation and the forming, specifically, flattening of dough are completed in about thirty seconds. Thereafter, when the right and left start push buttons  13   a  and  13   b  are simultaneously pushed, the elevating table  6  moves down. As shown in  FIG. 9 ( f ), the forming tray  7  with the dough  118  flattened to 1˜5 mm in thickness is taken out from the apparatus.  
         [0055]     In the case that a large size disk of dough is formed in a apparatus provided with a heated press plate having relatively small heat capacity, when the dough is pressed into ½ in thickness, temperature of the press plate  51  is lowered, the press plate  51  holds in this position for a predetermined period for waiting recovering temperature thereof. The elevating speed of the elevating table  6  is controlled so that the dough contacted with the press plate  51  is effected on the fermentation and the diameter expansion is effected by spreading the dough relaxed by the fermentation.  
         [0056]     According to inventor&#39;s experiment, when the dough is press-formed while promoting the fermentation by heating it, if a bottom surface of dough contacting to the surface of the lower plate slides during pressing, the bottom surface of the flattened dough crust is uneven. A dough crust having a smooth surface is not obtained. It is important that the bottom surface of dough is fixed on the surface of the lower plate or the forming tray  7  as much as possible.  
         [0057]     A upper layer of dough is promptly fermented to relax and press out to spread around a lower layer of dough fixed to the lower plate. In this method, a dough crust having smooth surface is obtained.  
         [0058]     A big pressing power is required for flattening and spreading a dough ball added no yeast, un-fermentable dough. A motor having a large torque is needed. In the present invention, however, fermented and relaxed dough is pressed to spread as described above, a big pressing power is not needed, the motor is required not so much torque.  
         [0059]     In the embodiment of present invention, after taking out flattened dough crust from the apparatus, the operator pushes the right and left push buttons  13   a  and  13   b  for long period (about 3 seconds). The elevating table  6  moves up, and the dough forming apparatus returned to a standby state. If the formation is continuously performed, another dough is put on the elevating table  5  which is downward and the right and left start push buttons  13   a  and  13   b  are simultaneously pushed, so that dough formation is performed as described above.  
         [0060]      FIG. 11  illustrates a shaping die for shaping a dough disk  118  into a round shape, as shown in FIGS.  9 ( a ) and  9 ( b ).  
         [0061]     The shaping die  56  has a substantially hollow truncated cone shape. Edible oil is applied to the inner surface of the forming die  56 , primarily fermented pizza dough  118  is put on the forming tray  7 , and the shaped of the dough is arranged by pressing it with the shaping die  56  from the upside. As a result, rounding-off of dough and application of edible oil can be simultaneously performed.  
         [0062]     As described above, since the dough  118  is press-formed with the press plate  51  in response to the fermentation speed of the dough  118 , bubbles of the carbon dioxide gases generated by the fermentation is maintained in a state of closed cells in the dough. As a result, it is possible to flatten fermentable dough in a short time by a relatively small driving force of motor and to obtain a raised dough form having high quality such as a smooth finished surface and a good texture. Long period for the secondary fermentation process for a prolonged time as in a conventional case is not required. As a result, the time and labor required for manufacturing a dough form can be drastically reduced. Also, according to the forming method of the present invention, dough can hold its formed shape, whereas hand-spread dough decreases in diameter with the lapse of time.