General Foods Limited

Kraft General Foods, Inc.

Stuart A Cochran

William C Seidel

Nabil A El-Hag

Ronald P Wauters

Sudhakar P Shanbhag

Ralph E Kenyon

Earl J Benjamin

Kenneth R Schwabe

David A Cin

Louis Carricato

Mary E Crocker

Susan K Veach

Vicki L Cipriano

The invention describes refrigerated, frozen or shelf stable, improved baked goods which will substantially retain palatability upon microwave heating. The improvement is accomplished by the incorporation into the baked good dough formulation of an effective amount of a protein modifier which contains free sulfhydryl groups. L-cysteine is a preferred protein-modifier which is incorporated into a dough at a preferred level of 220 ppm (baker's percent). Other protein modifiers may substitute for all or a portion of L-cysteine at a level based on their sulphydryl content.

Microwaveable baked goods

The invention describes a refrigerated, frozen or shelf stable improved baked good which will substantially retain its palatability upon microwave heating. The improvement is accomplished by the incorporation into the baked good of an effective amount of a chemically-modified starch with the exception of modified starches which are cross-linked only. The chemically-modified starch is preferably a food acceptable acetylated starch, hydroxypropylated starch, succinylated starch, propylated starch or combination. The modified starch is incorporated in an amount sufficient to reduce deteriorization in the palatability of the baked good upon microwave heating, preferably from 5 to 30 baker's percent. The starches are derived from potato, corn, wheat, rice and combinations.

A process for simulating the taste and texture of deep fat fried potatoes has been developed. The process consists of having the potatoes washed, peeled, trimmed, sorted, cut, blanched, or otherwise processed in conventional manner, and thereafter starch coated, oil soaked, par-fried and frozen. This process produces an improved potato product that more closely approximates deep fat fried foods. Most preferably the potato comestible will be reheated on a heat transferring apparatus.

Process for preparing frozen par-fried potatoes

Process for preparing a high density bread having a relatively strong cell structure which is suitable for making bread crumbs or cubes for use in stuffing mix which comprises preparing a fully developed yeast containing bread dough with an initial mixing to full development, and resting said developed dough. Thereafter dividing, and then baking said dough, during baking the dough being initially subjected to a temperature sufficiently high and for a period of time effective to kill the yeast and prevent substantial oven spring and then continuing baking until the bread dough is fully baked. This process is carried out either without a proofing step or with a minimal proofing step prior to the baking of the dough, the proofing and oven spring being limited so that the density of the resultant baked bread is within the range of about 17 to 36 lbs/cubic foot. The bread is then staled and divided into crumbs or cubes for incorporation into a stuffing mix. The bread crumbs or cubes obtained according to this process have structural strength, an excellent taste, and a density of from about 12 to 22 lbs/cubic foot. The crumbs also hydrate without the formation of a pasty mass and generally retain their individual identity in a stuffing.

Process for making high density bread for use in a stuffing mix

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East Windsor, NJ, United States of America

Stuart A Cochran