IP Library Granted Patent US 7,175,865
Granted Patent B2
US 7,175,865 · App. 11/127,485 · Granted Feb 13, 2007

Method of producing frozen dough, and related products

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,175,865
App. No.
11/127,485
Granted
Feb 13, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described are methods for preparing frozen dough compositions that exhibit desirable frozen storage stability and that can also exhibit desirable baked organoleptic (e.g., taste, smell, and texture) properties, as well as related methods.

Claims (71)

1. A method for producing an unproofed frozen dough, the method comprising

preparing a yeast-containing dough comprising an early stage portion of yeast,

allowing at least some of yeast of the early stage portion of yeast to ferment to form a yeast-fermented dough composition,

adding dry yeast to the yeast-fermented dough composition, and

freezing the yeast-fermented dough composition without proofing and while some of the added dry yeast is non-hydrated.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising

adding dry yeast ingredient to the dough, the dry yeast ingredient comprising granules of yeast cells,

mixing the dry yeast ingredient into the yeast-fermented dough composition using a mixing time and a mixing speed that allows granules to remain following mixing, and

and freezing the dough within 1 hour from mixing in the dry yeast ingredient.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising, after allowing at least some of the yeast of the early stage yeast portion to fermented,

adding late stage dry yeast ingredient to the yeast-fermented dough composition in an amount to include from 0.5 to 5 weight percent added late stage dry yeast ingredient per total weight frozen dough composition, the dry yeast ingredient comprising granules of yeast cells,

mixing the dry yeast ingredient into the yeast-fermented dough composition using a mixing time and a mixing speed that allows granules to remain following mixing, and

freezing the dough composition within 1 hour from addition of the dry yeast ingredient.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dry yeast is in the form of a dry yeast ingredient containing less than 10 percent moisture by weight.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising

thawing the frozen dough, and

proofing the thawed dough to at least twice a frozen volume, within a time in the range from 15 to 120 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising

preparing a yeast-containing dough by combining ingredients comprising

from 30 to 70 weight percent water,

from 30 to 70 weight percent flour, and

from 0.5 to 5 weight percent early stage yeast, based on the total amount of dough, and

allowing some of the yeast of the early stage yeast to ferment to produce yeast-fermented dough composition,

adding from 0.5 to 5 weight percent late stage dry yeast ingredient to the yeast-fermented dough composition, based on the total weight of the dough composition.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising freezing the dough composition within 1 hour from addition of the late stage dry yeast ingredient.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising

storing the frozen dough at frozen conditions for at least two weeks,

thawing the dough, and

proofing the dough.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising

storing the frozen dough at frozen conditions for at least 30 weeks,

thawing the dough, and

proofing the dough.

10. A method for producing a frozen, unproofed dough composition, the method comprising

preparing a yeast-containing dough comprising an early stage portion of yeast,

allowing at least some of yeast of the early stage portion of yeast to ferment to form a yeast-fermented dough composition,

adding dry yeast to the yeast-fermented dough composition, and

freezing the yeast-fermented dough composition without proofing.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising combining by mixing, dough ingredients comprising

from 30 to 70 weight percent flour,

from 30 to 70 weight percent water,

up to 10 weight percent fat, and

from 0.5 to 5 weight percent high moisture yeast. based on the total weight of the dough composition, to produce a yeast-containing dough composition,

allowing yeast to ferment to produce a yeast-fermented dough composition,

adding from 0.5 to 5 weight percent dry yeast ingredient to the yeast-fermented dough composition, based on the weight of the dough composition, the dry yeast ingredient including granules of yeast cells,

mixing the dry yeast ingredient into the yeast-fermented dough composition using a mixing time and a mixing speed that allows granules to remain following mixing, and

freezing the dough within one hour after adding the dry yeast ingredient.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising

preparing a dough sponge comprising

flour,

water, and

from 0.5 to 5 weight percent high moisture yeast ingredient, based on the total weight of the dough composition,

fermenting the dough sponge to provide a yeast-fermented dough sponge, adding from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight dry yeast ingredient to the fermented dough sponge, based on the total weight of the dough composition, and

freezing the dough composition within one hour after adding the dry yeast ingredient.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising

combining by mixing, dough ingredients comprising

from 30 to 70 weight percent flour,

from 30 to 70weight percent water, and

from 0.5 to 5 weight percent high moisture yeast ingredient to produce a yeast-containing dough sponge, based on the total weight of the dough composition,

allowing the yeast to ferment to produce a yeast-fermented sponge dough composition,

adding additional dough ingredients to the yeast-fermented dough sponge including

flour,

up to 10 weight percent shortening, and

from 1 to 3 weight percent dry yeast ingredient. based on the weight of the dough composition, and

freezing the fermented dough composition within 1 hour following addition of the dry yeast ingredient.

14. The method of claim 10 comprising

preparing a yeast-containing dough composition,

processing the dough to produce re-work dough composition,

allowing the re-work dough to ferment to provide a yeast-fermented dough composition,

adding dry yeast ingredient to the yeast-fermented re-work dough composition, and

freezing the dough composition within one hour of the addition of the dry yeast ingredient.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2013
From: GENERAL MILLS MARKETING, INC.
To: GENERAL MILLS, INC.
Reel/Frame 029682/0075 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2005
From: LONERGAN, DENNIS A.
To: GENERAL MILLS MARKETING, INC.
Reel/Frame 017116/0660 →