Method of reducing voids in dough
Methods of making dough pieces that can be baked to form baked bread articles having a reduced number of voids in the crumb are provided.
1 . A method of making a dough piece that can be baked to provide a baked bread article having a reduced total number of voids, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a sheet of a developed dough composition having a first surface and a second surface, the developed dough composition comprising:
(i) a flour component comprising white or refined flour,
(ii) a liquid component,
(iii) a leavening agent, and
(iv) a void-reducing amount of a light-colored fiber or bran;
(b) providing a dough cutting apparatus having a movable cutter with a dough-engaging portion that extends sufficiently to sever the dough sheet,
(c) severing the dough sheet with the dough-engaging portion to form a dough piece; and
(d) causing the moveable cutter to release the dough piece.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dough-engaging portion of the movable cutter has a dough shaping surface to shape and sever the dough sheet; and wherein the method further includes the step of causing the dough shaping surface of the dough-engaging portion to contact the first surface of the dough sheet and thereby drawing the first surface toward the second surface and substantially pinching the first and second surfaces together.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of baking the dough piece to form a baked bread article.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the dough-engaging portion of the movable cutter is blunt.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flour component consists essentially of white or refined flour.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber or bran is selected from the group consisting of oat fiber, oat bran, durum bran, cellulose-based fibers, grain-based fibers, whole grain durum flour, vegetable fiber, fruit fiber, sugar beet fiber, bamboo fiber, polydextrose, or a mixture thereof.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber or bran is present in the dough composition in an amount ranging from about 0.5% to about 25% by weight.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber or bran is oat fiber.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oat fiber is present in the dough composition in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 5% by weight.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber or bran is durum bran.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the durum bran is present in the dough composition in an amount ranging from about 0.5% to about 6% by weight.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the durum bran is provided in the form of whole grain durum flour.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the whole grain durum flour is present in the dough composition in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 15% by weight.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dough composition comprises:
about 35% to about 75% weight white or refined flour;
about 15% to about 50% weight water;
about 0.25% to about 10% weight yeast; and
about 1% to about 5% weight of oat fiber.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dough composition comprises:
about 35% to about 75% weight white or refined flour;
about 15% to about 50% weight water;
about 0.25% to about 10% weight yeast; and
about 0.5% to about 6% weight durum bran.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dough composition comprises:
about 35% to about 75% weight white or refined flour;
about 15% to about 50% weight water;
about 0.25% to about 10% weight yeast; and
about 1% to about 15% weight whole grain durum flour.
17 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the total number of voids in the baked bread article is reduced by about 20% or greater as compared to a total number of voids in a baked bread article prepared from a dough composition formulated without the void-reducing amount of light colored fiber or bran.
18 . A dough piece made by the method of claim 1 .
19 . A baked bread article made by the method of claim 3 .
20 . A method of making a baked bread article comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a sheet of a developed dough composition having a first surface and a second surface, the developed dough composition comprising:
(i) a flour component comprising white or refined flour,
(ii) a liquid component,
(iii) a leavening agent, and
(iv) a void-reducing amount of a light-colored fiber or bran;
(b) providing a dough cutting apparatus having a movable cutter with a dough-engaging portion that extends sufficiently to sever the dough sheet,
(c) severing the dough sheet with the dough-engaging portion to form a dough piece;
(d) causing the moveable cutter to release the dough piece; and
(e) baking the dough piece to form a baked bread article;
wherein the baked bread article has a total number of voids that is reduced by about 20%. or greater as compared to a total number of voids in a baked bread article prepared from a dough composition formulated without the void-reducing amount of light colored fiber or bran.