General Mills, Inc.

Frank Konkle

Peter A Huberg

Geoff Suski

Ed Francis

David Gale

Joseph B Moidl

Vince S Pestritto

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.

Method of reducing voids in dough

An apparatus is provided for forming, cutting and stamping a dough sheet into a plurality of uniformly stamped, imprinted dough pieces. The apparatus engages a leading portion of a dough sheet as it travels along a conveyor. The apparatus includes a drum rotatably disposed relative to the conveyor, a plurality of cutter molds disposed on the rotatable drum and a plurality of pattern imprinters formed within internal cavities defined by the plurality of cutter molds. Each of the cutter molds simultaneously cuts a dough piece received in the internal cavity and imprints on the dough piece to form a rounded edge roll. The pattern imprinter preferably has a star configuration for stamping the dough to form Kaiser-type rolls.

Dough cutting and stamping apparatus and method

An apparatus and method is provided for forming and cutting a dough sheet into a plurality of generally spherically shaped, boule-type dough products in a continuous process. The apparatus includes a rotatable drum and a plurality of cutter molds disposed on the rotatable drum for engaging, shaping and severing dough from the sheet as the dough sheet moves along the dough travel path. Each of the cutter molds including a peripheral edge portion, a base portion and a curved, annular side wall defining a concave, generally bowl-shaped internal cavity, with the peripheral edge portion establishing a cutting edge for the cutter mold.

Dough forming and cutting apparatus and method

Dough cutter

Kaiser roll cutter mold

Growing community of inventors

Elko, MN, United States of America

Frank Konkle