Abstract:
An apparatus, method, and system for baking individual dough products or a plurality of dough products. A flexible, adjustable baking structure, such as a baking strip, is secured about the perimeter of at least one dough intermediate before baking on a flat pan. The flexible, adjustable baking structure acts as a temporary pan-like edge that allows the dough intermediates to evenly crisp and brown during baking while retaining its shape. The flexible, adjustable baking structure can be packaged along with a plurality of dough products, or packaged separately. The flexible baking strip allows a user to prepare any quantity of dough products on any type of flat, unwalled pan without compromising desired baked characteristics such as shape, visual appearance, taste and/or texture.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e)(1) of a provisional patent application, Ser. No. 60/869,183, filed Dec. 8, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The disclosure is generally directed to baking pans for dough products and related methods for baking dough products. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to a device to allow flexibility in the choice of baking pan or sheet and related methods and systems for preparing selected numbers of dough products while maintaining product shape and baked attributes. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Dough products in either a raw, refrigerated, or frozen state require application of energy, typically heat energy, in preparing a final baked bread having desirable baked product characteristics. Desirable baked product characteristics can include, for example, a golden brown appearance, a crisp outer edge, a moist center, and other similar and related characteristics. Factors influencing the achievement of such characteristics can include dough composition, pre-baking steps, and baking conditions such as pan type, oven temperature, baking time, and other such factors. 
         [0004]    Representative commercial ready-to-bake dough products, such as, for example, biscuits, dinner rolls, sweet rolls, and the like, generally come in packages containing multiple servings. The number of servings can be large, such as eight or more servings per package. Typically, multiple servings of dough products, such as an entire package of sweet rolls, are arranged in a pan with sidewalls, such as a cake pan, for baking. The dough products can be arranged in a cluster so that the outer perimeter of the cluster is sufficiently in contact with the sidewalls of the baking pan to ensure crisping on the top surface, while retaining moisture within the dough products. Use of such a baking pan generally results in the baked products baking evenly in height, with each dough product having similar browned and crisped outer surfaces with a moist center. 
         [0005]    There can be occasions when a consumer may not want to bake multiple servings or an entire package of dough products at one time. For example, a consumer may desire to bake only one or two servings at a time. If a small serving is prepared, such as a single serving, using the standard method of preparing a final baked product could result in baked products that may have undesirable characteristics due to size limitations associated with the baking pan. For example, one or two dough products placed in a cake pan individually standing alone or as a small cluster generally do not fill the cake pan. The side perimeter of the dough products does not contact either the edge of the pan or other dough products and at least a portion of the outer edge of each dough product or the small cluster is overly exposed. Therefore, one or more of the resulting baked products generally exhibits one or more undesirable characteristics such as, for example, a dry or hard center, uneven browning or no browning at all, loss of symmetry or shape, excessive crisping and loss of center moistness, and the like. 
         [0006]    Similarly, undesirable baked products can result if the optimally sized baking pan is not used. For example, if a cluster of dough products are baked on a cookie sheet rather than a pan having a side edge, the resulting baked product can again exhibit undesirable characteristics as described above because the sides of the products in the cluster is excessively exposed to the heat of the oven. In addition, the individual dough products can lose their desired baked product shape because accelerated baking occurs on the exposed sides of products, causing premature setting of the structure. Thus, the unexposed portion continues to rise and expand, while the outer portion does not expand any further. 
         [0007]    Another problem can arise when it is desired to prepare larger numbers of baked products, such as, for example, multiple packages of dough products. Baking pans with sides, such as cake pans, are often of insufficient size to bake more than a single package at any one time. Baking each package in series adds additional baking and preparation time. If multiple packages of dough products are placed on a cookie sheet lacking sides to accommodate the cluster size, the resulting products can exhibit undesired characteristics as described above. 
         [0008]    As such, it would be advantageous to have a versatile baking aid for use in conjunction with a flat pan for accommodating various portion sizes, both large and small, without compromising baked product quality. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    The present disclosure is directed to a flexible, length adjustable baking structure to act as a sidewall in close proximity, for selectively accommodating an individual dough product or a plurality of dough products arranged, for example, in a cluster or a row, while retaining and/or improving desirable baked product characteristics, such as, for example, shape, visual appearance, taste, moisture retention, increased bake volume, and texture that would typically be diminished with the use of a flat pan alone. Following the baking of a dough product utilizing the flexible baking aid, the resulting baked dough product is similar and in certain products, improved, in taste and visual appearance as a baked dough product prepared with a traditional baking procedure utilizing traditional bake-ware, such as a pan with side edges. 
         [0010]    In one aspect of the present invention, a flexible baking wall comprises an adjustable strip of material that can be wrapped about the perimeter of an individual dough product or a plurality of dough products arranged in a cluster or a row on a pan such that the outer perimeter of the dough product or plurality is in contact with the strip of material. The strip of material acts as a temporary pan edge to aide in retaining a desired shape of the dough product and to ensure browning and crisping of the outer edge of the dough product while maintaining a moist side and center. 
         [0011]    In another aspect of the present invention, a method of baking dough products includes selecting a serving size of one or more dough intermediates. Placing the dough intermediates(s) on a flat pan, such as, for example, a cookie sheet. The length of the baking structure is adjusted, either shortened or multiple structures joined in series, so that at least a portion of the perimeter of at least one dough intermediate is in contact with the flexible baking strip. At least one flexible baking structure is wrapped around the outer perimeter of the selected serving size of dough intermediates. The one or more dough intermediates are baked to produce a desirable product with even surface and sidewall browning (or lack thereof) and crisping, evenly unbrowned side portions, and a moist center. 
         [0012]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for baking an individual dough product or a plurality of dough products comprises a package of dough intermediates, and one or more disposable flexible baking strips within the package. The one or more baking strips can be used to accommodate the baking of one or more of the dough intermediates to produce a baked dough product without compromising desirable visual, texture, and/or taste, and in certain products, produces improved characteristics, such as increased baked volume and/or moisture retention. 
         [0013]    In another aspect of the present invention, a method for simulating baking performance of a walled pan includes providing a flat cooking surface; providing a dough intermediate and baking strip in a dough product package; arranging one or more dough intermediates on the cooking surface; wrapping a flexible baking strip around the one or more dough intermediates; and baking the dough intermediate to produce a desirable product with even browning and crisping, evenly unbrowned side portions, and a moist center. 
         [0014]    As used herein, the term “dough intermediate” refers to dough-based products, such as rolls, biscuits, buns, and the like that require a further thermal processing step by the end user prior to consumption. 
         [0015]    As used herein, the term “dough product” refers to any of a variety of dough types such as, for example, developed dough and undeveloped dough as well as biscuits, rolls, bread, bread sticks, cookies, croissants, and pizza crust. 
         [0016]    As used herein, the term “dough packaging” refers to any of a variety of packaging types such as, for example, a plastic bag, paper bag, box, tube or can, a plastic-wrapped package, metal or metallized container, and the like. 
         [0017]    As used herein, the term “baking” refers to the application of dry heat energy by such methods as convection, conduction, and the like, or application of energy by infrared radiation, electromagnetic radiation, such as microwave energy, and the like. 
         [0018]    As used herein, the term “pan” refers to any of a variety of bakeware such as, for example, a cookie sheet, cake pan, pie tin, casserole, and the like, regardless of construction material. 
         [0019]    The above summary of the invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is top view of a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a flexible baking structure and dough intermediates according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a system for baking a variable number of dough products according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a system for baking a variable number of dough products according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a top view of a desirable result of a dough product baked with a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the prior art of a dough product baked without a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a comparison of a baked dough product baked with a flexible baking structure and a baked dough product baked without a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a top view of a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  is a top view of a flexible baking structure according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 11  is a top view of a system for baking a variable number of dough products with the flexible baking structure of  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
       [0031]    While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0032]    A flexible baking structure, including the related methods and baking systems of the present disclosure, provide for baking an individual dough intermediate or plurality of dough intermediates arranged, for example, in a cluster or a row, on a flat pan, so as to achieve baked products possessing desirable characteristics such as, for example, evenly browned and crisped upper surfaces, unbrowned sidewalls, moist centers, and acceptable visual appearance and symmetrical shape. The flexible baking structure can be used to bake a selected number of dough intermediates so as to eliminate product waste or reduce baking times for large numbers of baked products. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a flexible baking structure  100  can comprise an elongated strip  102  of material of length  104  and height  106 , and an engagement feature depicted herein as at least one tapered end  108 , and a plurality of spaced apart and substantially parallel apertures  110  arranged substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of strip  102 . Strip  102  can comprise length  104  from about 7 to about 20 inches. Strip  102  can comprise a variety of materials suitable for baking including, for example, paper, card stock, wax paper, aluminum foil, as well as other suitable materials and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, strip  102  comprises a paper having a tensile strength of at least about 20 pounds. Strip  102  can optionally comprise a coating  112 , such as, for example, a non-stick coating and other such coatings to enhance the baking process and/or finished baked product. In one embodiment, tapered end  108  can be shaped as an arrowhead. 
         [0034]    Apertures  110  can be intermittently spaced along substantially strip length  104  of strip  102 . Apertures  110  can traverse the longitudinal axis of strip  102  so as to have an aperture length  114  of less than strip height  106  of strip  102 . Aperture spacing between each of the plurality of apertures  110  is from about 0.25 inches to about 2.0 inches. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , at least one tapered end  108  can be adapted to be slidably received within a selected aperture  110  to form a baking ring  116 . In one embodiment, tapered end  108  can be received in an aperture  110  of a second strip  118  to link at least two baking structures  100  to form a larger baking ring  116 . Second strip  118  preferably comprises a similar construction as elongated strip  102 . 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 , a method of baking an individual dough intermediates  120  or plurality  122  of dough intermediates can comprise selecting a serving size including one or more dough intermediates  120 , and arranging the dough intermediate(s)  120 , for example, in a cluster or a row, on a pan  124 , such as a cookie sheet. At least one flexible baking structure  100  can be adjusted around outer perimeter  126  of dough intermediate  120  or plurality  122  so that at least a portion of perimeter  126  of at least one dough intermediate  120  is in contact with baking strip  102 . As depicted in  FIG. 3 , a flexible baking structure  100  is secured around an individual dough intermediate  120 . As depicted in  FIG. 4 , a plurality  122  of three dough intermediates  120  are arranged in a cluster with at least one flexible baking structure  100  secured around perimeter  126 . As depicted in  FIG. 5 , a plurality  122  of four dough intermediates  120  are arranged in a cluster with at least one flexible baking structure  100  secured around perimeter  126 . More or less dough intermediates  120  can be arranged in any configuration, such as, for example, in a row or a cluster. In one embodiment, a plurality  122  of individual dough intermediates  120  can be arranged without using a cluster configuration. A baking structure  100  can be fitted around each individual dough intermediate  120 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 8 , strip  102  can comprise a height  106  of about 50% to about 150% of height  119  of a dough intermediate  120 . Flexible baking structure  100  generally maintains the shape of at least a base portion  130  of dough intermediate  120  during the baking process. For example, a shorter strip  102  is desirable for a dinner roll or biscuit type dough intermediate  120 . If height  106  of strip  102  is approximately 50% of height  119 , a top portion  132  of dough intermediate  120  is allowed to “puff” out over strip  102 , while strip  102  maintains the shape of base portion  130  of dough intermediate  120 . 
         [0037]    Plurality  122  and/or one or more individual dough intermediates  120  are baked at standard time and temperatures as if an entire package of dough products  128  is prepared. Baking structure  100  is removed and either disposed of or saved to be used additional times. As depicted in  FIG. 6 , baked dough product  128  exhibits desirable visual, texture, and taste characteristics, such as, for example, even browning and crisping, a moist center, and desired shape, similar to baked products baked according to standard baking methods. In some instances, baked dough product  128  exhibits improved baked characteristics, such as, for example, improved moisture retention, increased baked volume, and the like, over baked products baked according to standard baking methods. 
         [0038]    Individual dough intermediates or a small plurality  122  of dough intermediates  120  are often baked on a pan  124 , such as a cookie sheet, with no raised edge, or in a pan  124  that is larger in area than plurality  122 . Outer perimeter  126  of plurality  122  has no contact with an edge or wall of a pan and is completely exposed to the environment of an oven during baking. As a result, dough products  128  exhibit undesirable characteristics, such as uneven browning or crisping, excessive drying on the product side portions, due to overexposure to heat on one side, and loss of a defined baked shape, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0039]    Referring to the illustrative example shown in  FIG. 8 , an individual baked dough product  128  baked using baking structure  100  retains the shape of base portion  130  while allowing top portion  132  to protrude over strip  102 . On the other hand, baked dough product  134  baked without using a baking structure  100  bakes into an asymmetrical and unsightly shape. 
         [0040]    One or more baking structures  100  can be packaged with dough intermediates  120  to create a system for baking individual dough products or a cluster of dough products. In one embodiment, the ratio of baking strips to dough products can be 1:1. In an alternative embodiment, baking structure  100  can be sold separately from dough intermediates  120 . Baking structures  100  can be sold individually, or as a group, such as a wound roll of baking structures  100 . 
         [0041]    Another representative embodiment of a flexible baking structure  200  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Flexible baking structure  200  can comprise an elongated strip  202  of material having a strip length  204  and strip height  206 , and an engagement feature depicted herein as a plurality of spaced apart slits  208  arranged substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of strip  202 . Strip  202  can comprise length  204  from about 7 to about 20 inches. Strip  202  can comprise a variety of materials suitable for baking including, for example, paper, card stock, wax paper, aluminum foil, as well as other suitable materials and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, strip  202  comprises a paper having a tensile strength of at least about 20 pounds. Strip  202  can optionally comprise a coating such as, for example, a non-stick coating and other such coatings to enhance the baking process and/or finished baked product. 
         [0042]    Slits  208  can be intermittently spaced along strip length  204  of strip  202 . Slits  208  generally traverse the longitudinal axis of strip  102  so as to have a slit length  210  less than strip height  206 . Slit spacing between each of the plurality of slits  208  can be from about 0.25 inches to about 2.0 inches. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , slits  208  are arranged on opposed sides of the strip  202  so as to promote interlocking of the ends of the strip  202 . Slits  208  can operably link multiple strips  202  to form a larger baking ring. 
         [0043]    In an alternative configuration shown in  FIG. 10 , a flexible baking structure  300  can substantially resembly flexible baking structure  200  with the exception of slits  208  being arranged in an alternating, opposed configuration. In this manner, flexible baking structure  300  can be wrapped over itself as illustrated in  FIG. 11  so as to individually isolate a plurality of dough intermediates  120  during baking. 
         [0044]    The flexible baking structure, method of using the flexible baking structure to prepare a dough product, and the system for baking individual dough products or a plurality of dough products provide the option of baking one or more dough products in conjunction with any flat pan, without compromising desirable baked product characteristics such as taste, texture, and shape. 
         [0045]    The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof; therefore, the illustrated embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The claims provided herein are to ensure adequacy of the present application for establishing foreign priority and for no other purpose.