Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is in the field of layered snacks and ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals, and processes for making them. The present invention provides food items with improved crispy yet non-abrasive texture, as well as industrially-efficient and cost-effective processes for making food items with the improved crispy yet non-abrasive texture. Moreover, the present invention provides food items and processes for making them with more abundant flavor. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A traditional method of making snack foods and RTE cereals from whole wheat includes shredding wheat and forming the wheat into snacks or RTE cereals. More specifically, such methods include partially-cooking whole wheat berries and subsequently breaking the wheat berries. The partially cooked wheat berries are then fed to a shredding mill. The shredding mills include a first roller and a second roller disposed near the first roller. As the first roller and the second roller rotate, the partially cooked berries are fed between the first roller and the second roller and are broken into wiry strings. The rollers of the shredding mill also serve to align the strings into a thin layer. The thin layer of aligned strings is subsequently layered with other such string layers. The formation is then compressed into a mat. A mat can also be formed by folding the thin layer on itself. Regardless how it is formed, the mat is then cut into pieces and the pieces are baked into a wheat snack or a RTE cereal. Triscuits brand cracker is an example of a snack made from such technology. Shredded Wheats brand breakfast cereal is an example of a RTE cereal made from such technology. Other products with similar processing techniques include Chex brand and Crispix® ready-to-eat cereals. 
         [0003]    The prior snacks and RTE cereals that are made from the previous technology have the drawback that when the wheat strings separate during consumption, the individual strands have an undesirable texture to some consumers, and are also perceived as abrasive to some consumers. Such shredded products are also, often bland, with the primary flavors being salt and wheat. 
         [0004]    It is desirable to manufacture a snack food or a RTE cereal made from whole wheat and/or other grains such that the food has the similar or better nutritional value of a shredded wheat snack or RTE cereal and has a non-abrasive texture. Moreover, it is desirable to provide consumers with crisp, flavored snacks and RTE cereals with dual textures, such as those described herein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides layered food products, comprising at least two grain-based dough sheets, each sheet having a smooth continuous surface and a grooved continuous surface; and wherein said sheets are layered, so as to form a layered food product. Preferred are those layered food products, wherein the layered food product is a baked layered food product. Those layered food products, wherein said dough sheets comprise coarse ground wheat are preferred examples of the baked food products. In one such example, those baked food products, wherein the dough sheets comprise two dough sheets each having the smooth surfaces on the exterior and the grooved surfaces on the interior of the layered food product are included, preferably with flavorant in contact with the grooved surfaces and/or flavorant in contact with the smooth surfaces. Moreover, baked food products such as described, with cut and/or crimped edges are provided, preferably those that are appropriate size as a hand-held snack and/or a ready-to-eat cereal. 
         [0006]    Also provided are methods to make the layered food products, comprising: providing at least two grain-based dough sheets, each sheet having a smooth continuous surface and a grooved continuous surface; and layering said sheets, so as to form a layered food product. Preferred are methods, wherein the sheets are formed by passing grain-based dough through a set of at least two rollers, at least one of the rollers having a groove-forming surface, and at least one of the rollers having a smooth-forming surface, so as to form sheets having a smooth continuous surface and a grooved continuous surface. Preferably, the rollers are positioned such that each dough sheet presents its smooth surface on the exterior and its grooved surface on the interior of the layered food product. In particular, those methods wherein each set of rollers are positioned in conjunction with a conveyor, so as to facilitate layering and transporting of the dough sheets are included. Methods which further comprise cutting the continuous layered food product are preferred. Also included are methods wherein the cut food product is decoratively crimped, so as to retain the grooves on the interior surfaces but not on the edges. Methods wherein the crimped, cut, layered food product is subsequently baked are also included. There is also included the preferred method wherein the grain-based dough is fed through the rollers by sending dough in the form of kibbles to the roller sets, so as to form the dough sheets. Moreover, methods which include providing flavorants on the interior and/or the exterior of the layered food product are included. 
         [0007]    Products made by the process described herein are also included. 
       Definitions 
       [0008]    “Baked” as used herein has the meaning that is generally accepted by those skilled in the art of food processing, but also includes those processes, such as toasting or drying, that accomplish the same moisture-reducing and crisping result. Therefore, for the purposes of the present invention, expansion heating, puffing, atmospheric variations, and other techniques which cause sudden or slow loss of moisture of the food product are within the scope of the term “baking.” “Baking” is intended to include optional pre-drying of dough and subsequent toasting. 
         [0009]    “Coarse-ground” as used herein means breaking the reference particle into smaller pieces than originally found, and is intended to have the meaning that is generally accepted by those in the art of food processing, but also includes all grinds other than fine or super fine flour, as those words are interpreted by those in the art of food processing. 
         [0010]    “Crimped” as used herein has the meaning that is generally accepted by those skilled in the art of food processing, including simple cutting but also decorative trim at the cutting site. 
         [0011]    “Dough” as used herein means any mixture of ingredients that are capable of forming a cohesive mass that can be sheeted in the described manner. The term does not imply leavening agents as a necessary feature. Indeed, the present invention preferably uses doughs without leavening, although some leavening may be used in other embodiments. 
         [0012]    “Grain-based” as used herein means any dough that contains grain as a primary ingredient. For instance, “grain-based” includes doughs made from whole grains or refined grains, coarse-ground or finely or super finely ground whether blended with other grains or with other ingredients or not. 
         [0013]    “Grooved continuous surface” as used herein means that the primary structural feature is ridges or other raised topology, so as to create the resulting grooves, even if a portion of the surface is flat or smooth. For instance, “grooved continuous surface” includes doughs with continuous ridges, dashed ridges, wavy ridges, concentric circles of ridges, small dots of raised dough, small squares of raised dough, and other similar configurations. The directionality and height of the ridges may vary, except to the extent that the grooves present on the grooved surface may not prevent smoothness of the smooth continuous surface, nor may the height of the ridges prevent layering. 
         [0014]    “Layered” as used herein is intended to have the meaning that is generally accepted by those in the art of food processing, including many processes that are known to be a sub-set of the term “layered” such as laminating, folding, stacking, etc. “Layered” does not imply any percentage of contact between sheets other than that at least one surface of one sheet is at least partially in contact with at least one surface of another sheet. In addition, “layered” does not imply ultimate flatness of the food product; twisted, shaped or otherwise physically distorted from flat food products can also be “layered” for the purposes of this description. 
         [0015]    “Sheet” or “Sheets” or “Sheeting” as used herein includes the meaning commonly-accepted in the art of cracker technology, as well as techniques well-known in the art of cereal technology, such as extrusion. “Sheet” and “sheets” are intended to mean a piece(s) of dough that is capable of being layered as described herein. “Sheeting” is intended to mean forming a piece(s) of dough capable of being layered as described herein. 
         [0016]    “Smooth continuous surface” as used herein means that the primary structural feature is a relatively flat topology that is substantially free of visible holes, so as to create the resulting smooth surface, even if the surface has wheat berries, fiber particulates or other particles making the surface slightly bumpy. For instance, “smooth continuous surface” includes dough sheets with flavors and/or inclusions that can be pressed through rollers so long as the flavors and/or inclusions do not create rips or holes in the surface, as well as dough sheets that have been topped with crushed candy, chocolate, herbs, etc., except to the extent that any inclusions, toppings, etc. prevent formation of ridges and the resulting grooves on the grooved continuous surface or prevent layering. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, and better understood by reference to the following detailed description, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying examples and drawings wherein: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a layered food of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exploded internal view of a layered food of the present invention with two sheets with grooved surfaces showing; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a schematic of a production line with two shredding mills. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The present invention provides layered snacks and layered RTE cereals and methods of making them. The dual- or multiple-layered snacks or cereals are preferably made from whole wheat and/or other grain materials such that the foods have the similar or better nutritional value of a wheat snack or shredded wheat and have a non-abrasive texture. More specifically, a snack of the present invention has a chip-like texture while a RTE cereal of the present invention has a light crunchy texture. 
         [0022]    The present food products can be made from any grain-based dough. The necessary feature of the dough used in the present invention is that it is of such a consistency that it can be transferred through rollers to form a grooved surface and a smooth surface. Wheat is the most commonly used grain in snack food doughs and RTE cereals and the most desired grain by consumers. Therefore, wheat is the most preferred primary ingredient in the doughs useful in the present invention. However, wheat in combination with other grains provides a more complex flavor profile than wheat alone, and, therefore, a combination of wheat and other grains is most preferred for use in the dough component of the present invention. Such other grain materials can be either whole grains or grain components, such as germs or starches. Preferably, the dough ingredients therefore include partially-ground whole wheat, additional grain materials, water, and flavorings. 
         [0023]    When wheat is used, the partially-ground wheat may be a pre-cooked wheat. Alternatively, the wheat may be raw cut wheat. Alternatively, other whole grains may be substituted for wheat. Pre-cooked wheat may be mixed with other ingredients without further cooking. Preferably, the pre-cooked wheat is pre-cooked bulgur wheat. The size of the preferred bulgur wheat particles is as follows: 0.1% through U.S. Screen Size #25, 30-35% through U.S. Screen Size #40, 35-40% through U.S. Screen Size #60, and 25-30% unscreened. 
         [0024]    When raw cut wheat is used, the raw cut wheat may be attained by cutting raw wheat berries. The most preferred raw cut wheat is used in the present invention is classified as follows: 46-54% through U.S. Screen Size #10, 20-25% through U.S. Screen Size #12, 10-13% through U.S. Screen Size #14, and 14-22% unscreened. 
         [0025]    Other whole grains, or any processing fractions of wheat or other grains, may be used in lieu of partially-ground or raw cut wheat, or in combination with such wheat, and can be, or be derived from, any of the following grains: maize, rice, barley, sorghum, millet, oats, rye, triticale, buckwheat, fonio, quinoa, teff, wild rice, amaranth, kaniwa, spelt, einkorn, emmer, and durum. Preferably, the doughs useful in the present invention are made from a grain or grains selected from the group consisting of: wheat and corn; wheat and brown rice; wheat and white rice; corn; white rice; brown rice; corn and white rice; corn and brown rice. Moreover, any of these grains may be combined with any other to produce a grain-based dough of the present invention. 
         [0026]    Any component or combination of components of any of the above grains may be used to make such dough. For instance, whole grain, flour, germ, bran and starch may be used. The grind may be milled, meal, very coarse, coarse, fine, super fine or extra fine. Masa corn is the preferred type of corn selected, when corn is used in the dough. When additional grain ingredients are added to the dough, preferred supplementary grain materials include white rice, corn starch, wheat starch and wheat germ. 
         [0027]    Cooking of the grains useful in the doughs is well-known in the art and includes heating the grain in contact with water or water vapor. This technique is often termed “pre-cooking” in cereal chemistry. The “pre-cooked” grain is then mixed with the other dough ingredients, for RTE cereals, formed into individual pieces and the dough is subsequently “pre-dried.” “Pre-drying” is often used prior to a “toasting” step in RTE cereal production, so as to reduce the moisture content of the dough from approximately 20-34% to approximately 10-14%. “Toasting” of the formed dough results in the desired crispness and color. The toasting step may also result in a “puffing” of the dough, which, when desired, may be accomplished by exposing the pre-dried dough to sudden high heat, causing the water in the dough to expand, and thereby also expanding the dough. 
         [0028]    Preferred flavorings include salt, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, as well as any other sweet and/or savory flavorings. Preferred sweet flavorings include honey, honey flavor, molasses, malt extract, cinnamon, maple, chocolate, apple, nuts, and any combination thereof. Preferred savory flavorings include onion, garlic, horseradish, yeast, and any combination thereof. 
         [0029]    Inclusions, such as sesame seeds, anise seed, rosemary leaves, nuts, candy bits, and the like are also useful in the present doughs. Inclusions of any sort are acceptable, provided that they can be sheeted such that the dough is able to be rolled through the rollers as described. Inclusions useful in the present doughs should be small enough to retain the structural integrity of the dough sheets, and not so big as to rip holes in the sheet, or puncture the grooved surface. 
         [0030]    Water used in the present doughs is preferably at a temperature of 65-90° F. Doughs useful in the present invention preferably have 25-45% moisture prior to baking. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Preferred 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Percent of Total 
               
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Dough 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Wheat 
                 30-40 
               
               
                   
                 Other grains 
                 50-60 
               
               
                   
                 Water 
                 10-20 
               
               
                   
                 Flavoring 
                 10-20 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0031]    Toppings are optional ingredients in the food products of the present invention. Such toppings may be any know in the art, and include fat-based or sugar-based toppings. Any such toppings may be sweet or savory, or a combination of both. In addition, vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients may be added as a topping or in the dough. 
         [0032]    Making dough. In the methods of the present invention, making dough is an optional step. Pre-made dough may be used, or dough can be made according to the present disclosure. Preferably, the flavorings for the dough are pre-mixed with water and then added to the other dough ingredients. Such pre-mixed flavorants mixed with a pre-cooked wheat ingredient dough are more preferred. Most preferred doughs for use in the present invention are those that are made with pre-mixed flavorants, at least one pre-cooked wheat ingredient, and other pre-cooked grains. However, doughs made from raw cut wheat that has been steamed in hot water are also desirable for use in the present invention. Such steamed raw cut wheat which further includes flavorings and additional raw grains are also preferred doughs for use in the present invention. A proper cooking step is needed if raw grains are used. A rotary cooker may optionally be used in the cooking process. Also, a dough useful in the present invention preferably is allowed to rest for 10-60 minutes, more preferably 15-30 minutes. 
         [0033]    Forming sheets from dough. The present invention includes, in one embodiment, the use of industrial rollers to both sheet and form the grooved and smooth surface of the sheet. Feeding the dough into such apparatus in pieces, such as pieces commonly referred to as “kibbles” is preferred, particularly when an industrial process is used. Kibbling includes breaking the dough into generally round pieces which are 0.1 inch to 1 inch in diameter. Kibbles that are half inch in diameter or smaller are preferred. 
         [0034]    Also preferred is the use of production line to form two measures of dough into two sheets of dough having a grooved surface and a smooth surface each. Such a production line may include a first shredding mill and a second shredding mill disposed above and aligned with the first shredding mill. In this instance, the term “shredding mill” is used to generically describe to those in the art the general structure of the apparatus, but since the rollers described herein do not effect a “shredding” per se, the term is not used to describe the result. In particular, both shredding mills include a grooved roller and a smooth roller, and therefore would not result in “shredding” but rather a smooth surface and a grooved surface. When dough is passed through these rollers, the grooved roller presents a finely grooved surface extending circumferentially around the grooved roller and the smooth roller presents a smooth surface extending circumferentially around the smooth roller. Preferably, the method includes feeding a measure of dough to the first shredding mill and, simultaneously, feeding a second measure of dough to the second shredding mill. In such an example, the first shredding mill forms an upper dough sheet and the second shredding mill forms a lower dough sheet, each sheet having a grooved surface and a smooth surface. Preferably, the grooved roll is heated to approximately 100-130° F. 
         [0035]    The grooves of the grooved surface, pre-bake, optimally measure 0.008 inches to 0.024 inches in width and 0.006 inches to 0.020 inches in depth, however, any grooved surface with grooves that are up to 0.004 inches to 0.048 inches in width and 0.004 inches to 0.040 inches in depth will be operable in the present invention. In other words, the ridges that form the grooves are preferably 0.008 inches to 0.096 inches apart, more preferably 0.016 inches to 0.048 inches and most preferably 0.024 inches to 0.040 inches. The height of the ridges are preferably 0.004 inches to 0.040 inches, more preferably 0.008 inches to 0.032 inches and most preferably 0.012 inches to 0.016 inches. 
         [0036]    The sheets of the present invention can be of any thickness, so long as the layers remain crispy and without burn spots when baked, and so long as the sheets remain substantially free of holes. To modify the thickness of the dough sheets, the rollers can be arranged closer together, for thin sheets, or farther apart, for thicker sheets. The dough sheets, are preferably 0.016 inches to 0.048 inches in thickness prior to baking, more preferably 0.020 inches to 0.040 inches in thickness, and most preferably 0.024 inches to 0.032 inches in thickness. 
         [0037]    To create dough sheets with the specifications described, rollers may be designed and manufactured according to standard machining techniques. Ridges may be altered according to the preferred result, and such manipulations are within skill of the art. 
         [0038]    Layering dough sheets. Depending upon the desired texture, the dough sheets may be aligned with one another such that both smooth surfaces of the sheets face inwardly, or such that both grooved surfaces of the sheets face inwardly, or such that the grooved surface of one sheet faces inwardly and the smooth surface of the other sheet faces inwardly. Additional mills can be installed on the production line to produce the third sheet, fourth sheet, etc. Alternatively, a laminator can be used to create multiple layers from a single sheet. The exemplified method further includes forming dual sheets or multiple sheets via lamination. 
         [0039]    For the purposes of the present invention, any combination of doughs, whether by flavor, texture or appearance are within the scope. For instance, one sheet of dough may be chocolate flavored and dark in color, and the second sheet of dough may be cinnamon flavored and light in brown color. Moreover, stripes of color flavor, and/or texture or designs of color, flavor, and/or texture are within skill of the art. To effect such designs, one may use split feeding tubes or split hoppers, if on an industrial line. 
         [0040]    Flavorants between layers. At the layering step, there is an optional opportunity to season or fill the void or voids between the layers. Such flavorants may take the form of a dry seasoning blend, such as a taco seasoning, or a lubricious, low water activity filling, such as peanut butter. Such a filling may be applied by means known in the art and include dry deposition, spraying and extruding. Quantities of ingredients are known in the art and may be any that are desirable, so long as the sheets have the ability to substantially maintain a crimp around the perimeter of layered dough, and so long as the layered food products retain the crisp texture. 
         [0041]    Cutting sheets. While cutting sheets is technically an optional step in the processes of making the layered food products, when an industrial method is used, cutting will be commercially ideal for packaging the product. However, any such cutting can include a wide variety of designs and configurations, and preferably includes a scrap-less design, i.e. no web return. Circle, square, rectangle, hexagon shapes are preferred. Often, a tessellation of cartoon characters will be desirable for children&#39;s snacks, and that embodiment is within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0042]    Crimping. While crimping is also optional, and often simultaneous with cutting of layered sheets, it is not a necessary step, nor is it necessary for crimping to be simultaneous. Crimping may be accomplished after or before cutting, depending on the design desired. For the purposes of the present invention, however, it is necessary, when crimping is desired, to allow some of the layered product to remain only loosely layered, so as to allow at least a portion of the grooved surfaces to remain grooved. 
         [0043]    Baking. Baking the food product results in the most preferred food product of the present invention. However, since the intermediate, unbaked food product is inventive, and could be baked at home by the retail outlet or by the consumer, it is therefore an optional step in the present methods. The most preferred method, despite the possibility of distributing a ready-to-bake product, is to pre-bake prior to distribution. In an industrial embodiment of such a method, baking can occur at any temperature and time that will result in a crisping of the product and a moisture level of 0.5-5%, preferably 2-3%. 
         [0044]    Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a layered food of the present invention  20  is generally shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0045]    An exemplified food of the present invention  20  includes a plurality of layers joined to one another and, as shown in  FIG. 3 , more preferably includes a first layer  24  and a second layer  26  joined to the first layer  24 . The first layer  24  and the second layer  26  each have a smooth side  28  and a grooved side  30 , which can be seen in  FIG. 4 . The first layer  24  and the second layer  26  may be aligned such that the grooved side  30  of each layer faces inwardly and the smooth side  28  of each layer faces outwardly. Alternatively, the first layer  24  and the second layer  26  may be aligned such that the grooved side  30  of each layer faces outwardly and the smooth side  28  of each layer faces inwardly. Alternatively, the first layer  24  and the second layer  26  may be aligned such that the smooth side  28  of the first layer  24  faces outwardly and the grooved side  30  of the second layer  26  faces outwardly. 
         [0046]    With reference to the specific embodiment shown in the figure, dough is formed into a plurality of mats  32  and is preferably formed into an upper mat  34  and a lower mat  36 . The mats  32  are overlayed such that each mat forms a layer of the food product  20  when baked. The overlayed mats  32  are cut into pieces  38  and crimped together around a perimeter of the pieces  38  and the pieces are baked. The dough preferably has a consistency such that the mats  32  may be crimped together around the perimeter of the pieces  38  and remains separated inside the crimped perimeter. 
         [0047]    An example of a production line  40  used to form the dough into food products of the present invention  20  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The production line  40  includes a first shredding mill  42 , and a second shredding mill  44 , a first feeding tube  46  aligned with the shredding mill  42 , a second feeding tube  48  aligned with the shredding mill  44 , a conveyor  50  disposed below the shredding mills  42 ,  44 , a rotary cutter  52  disposed over the conveyor  50 , and an oven  54 . 
         [0048]    More specifically, the shredding mill  42  and the shredding mill  44  are used to form the dough into the lower mat  36  and the upper mat  34 , respectively. Each shredding mill includes a finely grooved roller  56 , a smooth roller  58 , and a scrape-off knife (not shown). The rollers  56 ,  58  are generally cylindrical. The grooved roller  56  presents a grooved surface extending circumferentially around the grooved roller  56 . The grooved surface defines fine grooves that extend in a circumferential direction around the circumference of the grooved roller  56 . The smooth roller  58  presents a smooth surface extending circumferentially around the smooth roller  58 . 
         [0049]    The dough is kibbled and is transferred to the first feeding tube  46  and the second feeding tube  48 . The first feeding tube  46  feeds kibbled dough to the shredding mill  42  and the second feeding tube  48  feeds kibbled dough to the shredding mill  44 . The shredding mill  42  forms the kibbled dough from the first feeding tube  46  into the lower mat  36  and deposits the lower mat  36  onto the conveyor  50 . The shredding mill  44  forms the kibbled dough from the second feeding tube  48  into an upper mat  34  and deposits the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36 . The scrape-off knife of the shredding mill  42  is stationary and is disposed adjacent to the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42  and removes the lower mat  36  from the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42  as the grooved roller  56  rotates. Likewise, the scrape-off knife of the shredding mill  44  is stationary and is disposed adjacent to the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44  and removes the upper mat  34  from the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44  as the grooved roller  56  rotates. Alternatively, additional shredding mills and feed tubes may be added such that more than two mats may be deposited onto the conveyor  50 . Specifically, the additional shredding mill would form dough into additional dough mats. 
         [0050]    When the shredding mill forms the kibbled dough into a mat, the grooved roller  56  forms the grooved side  30  of the mat and the smooth roller  58  forms the smooth side  28  of the mat. Flavorings may be applied to the layers and the grooved sides  30  provide a larger area to adhere flavorings. An optional depositor is schematically shown at  70 , positioned between the two mills  42  and  44  to add, for example, flavor seasoning, filling, etc. between the layers  34 ,  36 . Another option would be a topical depositor shown schematically at  72  for applying flavors, seasoning, etc. to the top of the layer  34 . The smooth outside surface in combination with the grooved inside surface also creates a desirable texture. 
         [0051]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , preferably the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42  may be disposed to the right side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  42  and the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44  may be disposed to the left side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  44 . In such a configuration, the shredding mill  42  deposits the lower mat  36  on the conveyor  50  such that the grooved side  30  of the lower mat  36  faces upwardly and the smooth side  28  of the lower mat  36  faces downwardly. Likewise, shredding mill  44  deposits the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36  such that the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34  faces downwardly toward the grooved side  30  of the lower mat  36  and the smooth side  28  of the upper mat  34  faces upwardly. When the upper mat  34  and the lower mat  36  are aligned such that the grooved side  30  of each mat  34 ,  36  faces inwardly, the grooves trap air between the mats  34 ,  36  such that the mats  34 ,  36  remain separated inside the perimeter when the mats  34 ,  36  are crimped together along the perimeter of the pieces  38 . In other words, when baked, the grooved sides  30  of the layers  24 ,  26  define a void or voids between the layers  24 ,  26  of the food product snack  20 . The air pocket(s) allows the mats  34 ,  36  to crisp on both surfaces such that each of the plurality of layers is crisp when baked. 
         [0052]    Alternatively, the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42  may be disposed to the left side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  42  and the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44  may be disposed to the right side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  44 . In such a configuration, the shredding mill  42  deposits the lower mat  36  onto the conveyor  50  such that the grooved side  30  of the lower mat  36  faces downwardly and the smooth side  28  of the lower mat  36  faces upwardly. Likewise, the shredding mill  44  deposits the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36  such that the smooth side  28  faces downwardly toward the smooth side  28  of the upper mat  34  and the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34  faces upwardly. 
         [0053]    Alternatively, the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42  may be disposed to the right side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  42  and the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44  may be disposed to the right side of the smooth roller  58  of the shredding mill  44 . In such a configuration, the shredding mill  42  deposits the lower mat  36  onto the conveyor  50  such that the smooth side  28  of the lower mat  36  faces downwardly and the grooved side  30  of the lower mat  36  faces upwardly. Likewise, the shredding mill  44  deposits the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36  such that that the smooth side  28  of the upper mat  34  faces downwardly toward the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34  and the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34  faces upwardly. 
         [0054]    The conveyor  50  transfers the upper mat  34  and the lower mat  36  below the rotary cutter  52 . The rotary cutter  52  cuts the mats  32  into pieces  38 . The pieces can be circle, square, rectangle, hexagon, and the like. The conveyor  50  then transfers the pieces  38  to the oven  54 . The oven  54  bakes the pieces  38  into food product  20 . Additional toppings may be added to the pieces  38  prior to baking and may also be applied to the food products  20  after baking. 
         [0055]    The exemplified method further includes matting the kibbled dough into dough mats  32 . Specifically, the method further includes feeding the dough pieces to the shredding mills  42 ,  44 . More specifically, the method further includes transferring the dough pieces onto the first feeding tube  46  and the second feeding tube  48 . The dough pieces transferred to the first feeding tube  46  are fed by the first feeding tube  46  to the shredding mill  42  and the shredding mill  42  mats the dough pieces into the lower mat  36 . Likewise, the dough balls transferred to the second feeding tube  48  are fed by the second feeding tube  48  to the shredding mill  44  and the shredding mill  44  mats the dough pieces into the upper mat  34 . Likewise, if the production line  40  includes additional feeding tubes and additional shredding mills the dough pieces transferred to the additional feeding tubes are fed by the additional feeding tubes to the additional shredding mills and the additional shredding mills mat the dough pieces into mats  32 . Thus, multiple-layered food products can be produced. 
         [0056]    The exemplified method further includes finely grooving a side of each dough mat  32  to form the grooved side  30  and simultaneously smoothing a side of the dough mat to create the smooth side  28 . Specifically, when the dough pieces are flattened between the grooved roller  56  and the smooth roller  58 , the grooved roller  56  forms a grooved side  30  of the dough mat and the smooth roller  58  forms a smooth side  28  of the dough mat. 
         [0057]    The exemplified method further includes removing the dough mat from the shredding mill. Specifically, the method includes scraping the grooved roller  56  with the scrape-off knife to remove the dough mat from the grooved roller  56  as the grooved roller  56  rotates. More specifically, as the dough is flattened between the grooved roller  56  and the smooth roller  58 , the dough adheres to the grooved roller  56 . The grooved roller  56  is heated to reduce the adherence of the dough to the grooved roller  56  and the scrape-off knife removes the dough from the grooved roller  56 . 
         [0058]    The exemplified method further includes depositing the dough mats  32  onto the conveyor  50 . Specifically, the method further includes depositing the lower mat  36  onto the conveyor  50  and depositing the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36 . More specifically, when the lower dough mat is removed from the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  42 , the lower dough mat  36  is deposited onto the conveyor  50 . When the upper dough mat  34  is removed from the grooved roller  56  of the shredding mill  44 , the upper dough mat  34  is deposited onto the lower mat  36 . 
         [0059]    The exemplified method further includes positioning the upper mat  34  and the lower mat  36  such that the grooved side  30  of each mat  34 ,  36  faces inwardly and the smooth side  28  of each mat faces outwardly. Alternatively, the method includes positioning the upper mat  34  and the lower mat  36  such that the grooved side  30  of each mat  34 ,  36  faces outwardly and the smooth side  28  of each mat  34 ,  36  faces inwardly. Alternatively, the method includes positioning the upper mat  34  and the lower mat  36  such that the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34  faces inwardly and the smooth side  28  of the lower mat  36  faces inwardly toward the grooved side  30  of the upper mat  34 . 
         [0060]    The exemplified method further includes transferring the dough mats  32  on the conveyor  50  to the rotary cutter  52 . The method further includes cutting the mats  32  into pieces  38  with a rotary cutter  52 . 
         [0061]    The exemplified method further includes baking the dough pieces  38  into crispy food products  20 . The method may also include applying oil and flavoring toppings to the crispy food product  20  before or after baking. 
         [0062]    The process may also include adding a filling between the mats  32 ,  34 ,  36  prior to depositing the upper mat  34  onto the lower mat  36 . 
         [0063]    The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings, and the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 
       EXAMPLE 1 
     Making, Sheeting, Layering and Baking a Grain-Based Dough 
       [0064]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Cold Water 
                 32.00 
               
               
                   
                 Fine Granulated Sugar 
                 8.00 
               
               
                   
                 Malt Extract - Non Diastatic 
                 2.00 
               
               
                   
                 62 DE Corn Syrup 
                 2.00 
               
               
                   
                 Honey 
                 1.60 
               
               
                   
                 Granulated Salt 
                 0.50 
               
               
                   
                 Honey Flavor 
                 0.50 
               
               
                   
                 Extra Fine Bulgur Wheat 
                 30.00 
               
               
                   
                 Fine Toasted Whole Wheat 
                 10.00 
               
               
                   
                 Defatted Wheat Germ Granules 
                 5.00 
               
               
                   
                 Masa Flour 
                 2.90 
               
               
                   
                 Pre-cooked Brown Rice Flour 
                 2.90 
               
               
                   
                 Modified corn starch 
                 2.60 
               
               
                   
                 Total 
                 100.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0065]    The first seven ingredients were mixed for three minutes on high. The remaining ingredients were added to the mixture of the first seven, and mixed on low for five minutes. The resultant dough was allowed to rest for 15 to 60 minutes before being formed into sheets having a smooth surface on one side and a grooved surface on the other side. The grooved surface was formed using rollers with ridge height of 0.012 inches, which resulted in a corresponding groove depth of 0.012 inches. Sheets were layered with grooved surfaces facing inward and baked at 400-450° F. for two to five minutes and a finished moisture of 2 to 3 percent. 
       EXAMPLE 2 
     “Original” Flavored Food Product Seasonings 
       [0066]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Original 
                   
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Base 
                 88.40 
               
               
                   
                 Spray oil 
                 10.00 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
                 1.60 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0067]    The baked, layered grain-based dough of Example 1 was sprayed with oil and sprinkled with salt on the exterior surfaces at the weight percentages above, so as to create a “plain” or “original” flavored food product. 
       EXAMPLE 3 
     “Ranch” Flavored Food Product Seasonings 
       [0068]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ranch 
                   
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Base 
                 85.00 
               
               
                   
                 Spray oil 
                 10.00 
               
               
                   
                 Ranch Seasoning 
                 5.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0069]    The baked, layered grain-based dough of Example 1 was sprayed with oil and sprinkled with ranch seasoning on the exterior surfaces at the weight percentages above, so as to create a “ranch” flavored food product. 
       EXAMPLE 4 
     “Brown Sugar Cinnamon” Flavored Food Product Seasonings 
       [0070]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Brown Sugar Cinnamon 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Base 
                 85.00 
               
               
                   
                 Spray oil 
                 10.00 
               
               
                   
                 Brown sugar cinnamon seasoning 
                 5.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0071]    The baked, layered grain-based dough of Example 1 was sprayed with oil and sprinkled with brown sugar cinnamon seasoning on the exterior surfaces at the weight percentages above, so as to create a “brown sugar cinnamon” flavored food product. 
       EXAMPLE 5 
     Making, Baking, Sheeting and Layering a Grain-Based Onion Flavored Dough with Inclusions 
       [0072]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Cold Water 
                 35.00 
               
               
                   
                 Fine Granulated Sugar 
                 8.00 
               
               
                   
                 High Fructose Corn Syrup 
                 2.00 
               
               
                   
                 62 DE Corn Syrup 
                 2.00 
               
               
                   
                 Toasted Onion Powder 
                 0.30 
               
               
                   
                 Extra Fine Bulgur Wheat 
                 30.00 
               
               
                   
                 Fine Toasted Whole Wheat 
                 6.00 
               
               
                   
                 Defatted Wheat Germ Granules 
                 3.30 
               
               
                   
                 Masa Flour 
                 2.90 
               
               
                   
                 Pre-cooked Brown Rice Flour 
                 2.90 
               
               
                   
                 Modified Corn Starch 
                 2.60 
               
               
                   
                 Crunchy Brown Rice* 
                 3.00 
               
               
                   
                 Defatted Wheat Germ Granules* 
                 2.00 
               
               
                   
                 Total 
                 100.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0073]    The first five ingredients were mixed for three minutes on high. The next six ingredients were added to the mixture of the first three, and mixed on low for five minutes. The resultant dough was allowed to rest for 15 to 60 minutes. The rested dough was formed into sheets having a smooth surface on one side and a grooved surface on the other side. The grooved surface was formed using rollers with ridge height of 0.012 inches, which resulted in a corresponding groove depth of 0.012 inches. Sheets were layered with the last two ingredients (crunchy brown rice and defatted wheat germ granules) sandwiched between the layers and grooved surfaces facing inward. The layered food product was baked at 400-450° F. for two to five minutes and a finished moisture of 2 to 3 percent. 
       EXAMPLE 6 
     Making, Sheeting, Layering and Baking a Grain-Based Dough Using Raw Grains 
       [0074]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Water 
                 31.80 
               
               
                   
                 Cut Wheat 
                 45.50 
               
               
                   
                 Rice 
                 11.40 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Grits 
                 8.50 
               
               
                   
                 Oat Bran 
                 2.80 
               
               
                   
                 Total 
                 100.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0075]    All of the ingredients were mixed and steam cooked at 2 psi for 40 to 50 minutes, then another 3 minutes at 17 psi. The cooked ingredients formed a dough and the dough was allowed to temper for 15 to 30 minutes. The tempered dough was then formed into sheets having a smooth surface on one side and a grooved surface on the other side. The grooved surface was formed using rollers with ridge height of 0.012 inches, which resulted in a corresponding groove depth of 0.012 inches. The sheets were layered with grooved surfaces facing inward. The layered food product was baked at 400-450° F. for two to five minutes and a finished moisture of 2 to 3 percent. 
       EXAMPLE 7 
     Making, Sheeting, Layering and Baking a Grain-Based Dough Using Raw Grains 
       [0076]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Water 
                 31.80 
               
               
                   
                 Cut Wheat 
                 28.60 
               
               
                   
                 Toasted Whole Wheat Ground 
                 14.20 
               
               
                   
                 Second Head Milled Rice 
                 14.20 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Grits Coarse 
                 1.40 
               
               
                   
                 Defatted Wheat Germ Granules 
                 2.80 
               
               
                   
                 Sugar 
                 4.80 
               
               
                   
                 Brown Granulated Sugar 
                 1.20 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
                 1.00 
               
               
                   
                 Total 
                 100.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0077]    The rice and corn grits, in the amounts above, were pre-steamed for twenty minutes at 15 psi. All of the other ingredients, in the amounts above, were mixed with the rice and corn grits, along with the water. The resultant mixture was cooked at 17 psi for four minutes, and then at 2 psi for 50 minutes. The cooked ingredients formed a dough and the dough was allowed to temper for 15 to 30 minutes. The tempered dough was then formed into sheets having a smooth surface on one side and a grooved surface on the other side. The grooved surface was formed using rollers with ridge height of 0.012 inches, which resulted in a corresponding groove depth of 0.012 inches. The sheets were layered with grooved surfaces facing inward. The layered food product was baked at 400-450° F. for two to five minutes and a finished moisture of 2 to 3 percent. 
       EXAMPLE 8 
     Making, Sheeting, Layering and Baking a Grain-Based Dough Without Wheat 
       [0078]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Water 
                 9.50 
               
               
                   
                 Second Head Milled Rice 
                 40.50 
               
               
                   
                 Corn Grits Coarse 
                 27.50 
               
               
                   
                 Rice Flour 
                 9.00 
               
               
                   
                 Oat Bran 
                 4.50 
               
               
                   
                 Defatted Wheat Germ Granules 
                 4.20 
               
               
                   
                 Sugar 
                 4.00 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
                 0.80 
               
               
                   
                 Total 
                 100.00 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0079]    The rice and corn grits, in the amounts above, were pre-steamed for twenty minutes at 15 psi. All of the other ingredients, in the amounts above, were mixed with the rice and corn grits, along with the water. The resultant mixture was cooked at 17 psi for four minutes, and then at 1 psi for 40 to 50 minutes. The cooked ingredients formed a dough and the dough was allowed to temper for 15 to 30 minutes. The tempered dough was then formed into sheets having a smooth surface on one side and a grooved surface on the other side. The grooved surface was formed using rollers with ridge height of 0.012 inches, which resulted in a corresponding groove depth of 0.012 inches. The sheets were layered with grooved surfaces facing inward. The layered food product was baked at 400-450° F. for two to five minutes and a finished moisture of 2 to 3 percent. 
       EXAMPLE 9 
     Layered Food Products with Sugar Frosting Coating 
       [0080]    A 75 brix solution of sucrose and water was prepared. The solution was heated to 230° F. to raise the brix to approximately 80 brix. The syrup was applied to pieces of layered, baked food product in a coating drum via spray application. The application rate was from 10 to 50 percent syrup to base, depending on the batch. The coated pieces were removed from the coating drum and placed in a dryer. The coated pieces were then dried at approximately 200° F. for approximately 30 minutes so as to lower the moisture to below 3 percent in the finished food. 
       EXAMPLE 10 
     Layered Food Products with Fondant Frosting Topping 
       [0081]    Eighty-seven and one-half percent by weight powdered sugar was combined with 12% water and 0.5% gelatin in a double boiler pan. The combination was heated to approximately 160° F. The heated combination was applied to the tops of the baked, layered food pieces at approximately 10 to 20% application rate, via spray application. The topped food pieces were allowed to cool, so as to allow the gelatin to set the fondant.

Technology Category: 1