United States Patent (19) [11] 3,818, 108 Morrison (45) June 18, 1974
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United States Patent (19) [11] 3,818, 108 Morrison (45) June 18, 1974 54 ZERO FERMENTATION BREAD PROCESS Production with Normal Bakery Equipment,” Cereal 75) Inventor: Bradley W. Morrison, Chateauguay, Science Today, Vol. 1 1, pages 530-532, 542 (Dec. Quebec, Canada 1966), TP1C34. 73) Assignee: The Ogilvie Flour Mills Company Primary Examiner-Raymond N. Jones Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Assistant Examiner-James Robert Hoffman 22) Filed: Oct. 19, 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby & (21) Appl. No.: 299,124 Cushman Related U.S. Application Data (63) Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 171402, Aug. 12, 57 ABSTRACT 1971 abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. An activated flour containing defined amounts of 767,921, Oct. 6, 1968, abandoned. - - - - - - - - - - - ascorbic acid and an edible oxidising agent when used in the manufacture of yeast-raised baked goods per 52) U.S. Cl.................................... 426/25, 426/208 mits the elimination of the distinct bulk fermentation (51 Int. Cl........................... A21d 2/22, A21d 2/04 period and thereby significantly reducing the overall 58 Field of Search....... 99/90 CB, 91; 426/25, 208 processing time, typically to around two hours or less. The flour is used in a process of improving the 56) References Cited straight-dough method of preparing yeast-raised baked UNITED STATES PATENTS goods in which the activated flour is mixed with con 3,304, 183 2/1967 Johnston et al.................. 99/90 CB ventional dough ingredients, the dough is relaxed and 3594, 80 7/1971 Hulse et al.......................... 99.191 X immediately thereafter divided, moulded, panned, OTHER PUBLICATIONS proofed and baked. Marston, 'Fresh Look at No-Time Doughs for Bread 3 Claims, No Drawings 3,818, 108 2 ZERO FERMENTATION BREAD PROCESS velopment) of the dough usually accomplished by fer This application is a continuation-in-part of my appli mentation. The continuous dough procedures have cation Ser. No. 171,402, filed Aug. 12, 1971, which in substantially eliminated prolonged fermentation of turn is a continuation of my application Ser. no. dough, but require costly investment in specialised ma 767,921 filed Oct. 4, 1968, both now abandoned. chinery to achieve this end. This invention relates to an improved process for pre A primary object of this invention is to provide an im paring bread, rolls, buns and like yeast-leavened bakery proved conventional, i.e., non-continuous, bread products. making process in which optimum dough and bread At present, there are three generally accepted meth characteristics are developed in a novel manner using ods for preparation of a bread dough suitable for divid 10 standard bakery equipment. ing and subsequent processing, namely: A further and more specific object of this invention i. the straight-dough procedure; is to provide a novel, conventional bread-making pro ii. the sponge-dough procedure, and cess in which the bulk fermentation period is elimi iii. the continuous or mechanically developed proce nated or greatly reduced without substantially detract dure. 5 In the art, the straight-dough and sponge-dough pro ing from the quality of the finished product. cedures are often designated as "conventional' proc This invention is based on our discovery, subse esses by way of distinguishing them from the more re quently verified by substantial development work, that cent continuous processes, and the term "conven mixtures of two commonly used flour improvers, tional' as applied to the processes is to be construed in 20 namely an ascorbate compound such as ascorbic acid this sense in this specification. and an oxidant such as an alkali or alkaline earth metal In the straight-dough method, all of the ingredients bromate will, in appropriate amounts, accelerate dough are mixed together as a single batch. Mixing is contin development to the extent that the bulk fermentation ued until the dough assumes a smooth appearance and period associated with conventional bread processes acquires an elastic character. The dough is then sub 25 can be eliminated or greatly reduced. jected to prolonged fermentation at increased yeast The amounts of each improver that must be em levels for a period of time of between about 2 and 4 ployed in combined use in order to obtain the desired hours, prior to subjecting the fermented dough to the results have been found to be within the following conventional processing steps of dividing, moulding, ranges: panning, proofing and baking. This method, therefore, 30 Ascorbates such as ascorbic acid: from about 20 to is associated with long process times, much handling about 150 p.p.m. (based on flour weight); flour oxidant and extensive areas for storage during the fermenta such as potassium bromate: from about 15 to about 50 tion. p.p.m. (based on flour weight). Optimum levels for The sponge-dough method is also a very time con each of the improvers will be apparent from the data suming one which requires a preliminary "sponge' 35 preserted in the examples given herein. preparation, the sponge including about 60 percent of Accordingly, in one of its aspects, this invention pro the flour, the yeast, yeast nutrients and enough water vides an improved conventional process for making to make a dough. The sponge is then subjected to a pro bread and like yeast-leavened products which com longed fermentation of 4 to 6 or more hours, in order prises mixing standard dough ingredients mainly in to render it capable of producing satisfactory bread. 40 cluding flour, water and yeast. with from 20 to 150 Following this prolonged fermentation, which requires p.p.m. based on the flour weight of an ascorbate com considerable handling of the dough and necessitates pound and from 15 to 50 p.p.m. of at least one edible large floor areas to accommodate the troughs of dough oxidising agent to form a dough, relaxing the dough for required for the fermentation, the sponge is combined a period of up to about 30 minutes, and thereafter di with the remainder of the flour and water as well as 45 viding, moulding, panning, proofing and baking the with the other dough ingredients to produce the fin dough. ished dough which is then allowed to relax in dough The preferred ascorbate compound is L-ascorbic troughs on the floor for some 20 to 40 minutes (re acid and the preferred edible flour oxidant is a bro ferred to as the "floor time") before being subjected to mate, conveniently potassium bromate, and, for conve the other conventional baking steps. 50 nience, the following discussion will refer mainly to Both the straight dough and the sponge dough proce combinations of these two compounds, though other dures, therefore, rely upon a prolonged preliminary or ascorbates and other edible oxidising agents such, for bulk fermentation period not only for gas formation but example, as sodium bromate, calcium bromate, sodium to develop certain characteristics in the dough, such as iodate, potassium iodate, calcium iodate, potassium. good mixing properties and optimum extensibility, that 55 persulfate and chlorine dioxide may be employed. are essential for further effective processing and for the The chemistry involved in the combined action of production of bread of the desired high quality stan ascorbic acid and the bromate compound is not known. dards. This bulk fermentation period not only prolongs Both ascorbic acid and potassium bromate individually the overall processing time, but is also inconvenient, have been used for years in conventional bread proc reduces flexibility and requires extensive dough trough 60 esses and both are used as oxidants. capacity. Ascorbic acid is a very mild reducing agent though it In recent years, continuous or mechanical develop is generally agreed today that its improving effect is ox ment methods of bread preparation have been intro idative in character through dehydroascorbic acid duced. These methods in the main depend upon the uti which is produced in doughs from ascorbic acid lization of special mixing or dough development equip 65 through an enzyme, L-ascorbic acid oxidase. Dehydro ment, liquid brew systems, and often high levels of oxi ascorbic acid is a mild oxidant and it is therefore be dant to bring about the desirable physical changes (de lieved that dehydroascorbic acid is the active form of 3,818, 108 3 4. L-ascorbic acid so far as dough improvement is con tained by the new process is superior in quality to that cerned. obtained by the conventional straight dough process Ascorbic acid is a slow acting improver and when it and exhibits a more acceptable inner structure, a thin is used in dough its action does not become evident ner crust and improved aroma and flavor. until after several hours of fermentation, and that ac The process of this invention is of particular advan tion, as shown by dough rheology experiments, is that tage in being operable with any formula in which cereal of an oxidizing agent. This is to say ascorbic acid im flour is an ingredient in producing yeast-leavened bak proves the elastic character of dough and therefore its ery products. gas retention capacity. When used as a flour improver, By comparison with processes involving long fermen its optimum level usually varies from 75 to 150 p.p.m. O tation periods, the process according to the invention depending on flour strength. It is currently used in results in greater yields from a given weight of dough many countries in bread processes involving from 2 to forming ingredients due to the fact that with the new 6 hours of fermentation, process there is no fermentation loss. The new process Potassium bromate is also a slow acting flour im also increases the yield of bread by virture of increased prover.