(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date (10) International Publication Number 24 May 2007 (24.05.2007) PCT WO 2007/058659 Al (51) International Patent Classification: (74) Agent: TAYLOR, Douglas, J.; General Mills Marketing, A21D 13/00 (2006.01) Inc., Number One General Mills Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55426, (US). (21) International Application Number: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every PCT/US2005/041994 kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AT,AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CN, (22) International Filing Date: CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, 17 November 2005 (17.1 1.2005) GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, (25) Filing Language: English LY,MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RU, SC, SD, SE, SG, (26) Publication Language: English SK, SL, SM, SY, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, YU, ZA, ZM, ZW (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): GEN¬ ERAL MILLS MARKETING, INC. [US/US]; Number (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every One General Mills Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55426 kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, (US). GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), (72) Inventors; and European (AT,BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, (75) Inventors/Applicants (for US only): WELLS, Christo¬ FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV,MC, NL, PL, PT, pher, C. [GB/GB]; 20 Williams Close, Amble Morpeth RO, SE, SI, SK, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, Northumberland NE65 OGF (GB). DOUGLAS, Brian GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). [GB/GB]; Tantallon, 3 Cheviot Park, Foulden, Berwick Published: Upon Tweed Northumberland TD15 IUS (GB). FLEM¬ — with international search report ING, Shona, J. [GB/GB]; Fern Cottage, Paxton, Berwick Upon Tweed Northumberland TD15 ITE (GB). SMITH, For two-letter codes and other abbreviations, refer to the "G uid Susan, P. [GB/GB]; 11 Bennison Square, Eyemouth, ance Notes on Codes and Abbreviations" appearing at the beg in Berkwickshire, Scotland TD14 5SB (GB). ning of each regular issue of the PCT Gazette. (54) Title: LAMINATED FILO DOUGH STACK AND METHOD OF MAKING (57) Abstract: Laminated filo dough stacks are reported that i comprise alternating layers of a filo dough composition and a laminating fat composition. The laminated filo dough stacks are prepared using puff pasty dough making processes. LAMINATEDFILO DOUGH STACKAND METHOD OF MAKING BACKGROUND FiIo dough is a thin sheet of developed dough that typically comprises flour, water, and oil. In many recipes, thin sheets of filo dough are coated with butter or oil and are manually stacked to form a laminated structure having a plurality of dough layers separated by layers of butter or oil. The laminated fϊ lo dough stack is then filled with a desirable filling, and the resulting article baked. Filo dough is used in many recipes, for example, in spanakopita (spinach and feta enclosed in fϊlo) and also in baklava (a dessert in which filo is. layered with nuts and spices, baked, and covered with honey syrup). When baked, the laminated structure causes the laminated fϊlo dough to puff and to form flaky and crip layers. Traditionally, fϊlo dough has been made by hand, stretching the dough into very thin sheets using the baker's knuckles to minimize puncturing or tearing. The process of making fϊlo dough by hand is laborious and takes considerable skill. Today, most fϊ lo dough is purchased in the form of ready-made sheets of layer dough, which are sold either fresh or frozen. Although individual sheets of fϊlo dough are often available to the consumer in pre- made fresh or frozen form, the process of creating the laminated structure is time consuming and difficult. For example, if not defrosted properly, the thawed sheets of fϊlo dough can stick together from excessive moisture. Once separated, the thin sheets must be used quickly to avoid drying out and cracking. What is desired is a pre-made laminated stack of fϊlo dough that can be refrigerated or frozen and sold to the consumer in a ready-to-use form. SUMMARY The present invention provides a laminated filo dough stack comprising alternating layers of filo dough and laminating fat. The laminated filo dough stack is prepared using a puff pastry process for preparing laminated dough. It has been found that the puff pastry process can be used to manufacture a laminated filo dough stack that can be provided to the end-user for direct use without the labor-intensive process of preparing a laminated filo dough stack by hand. In addition, the laminated filo dough stack improves upon hand- laminated filo dough stacks because it can be hand-rolled by the end-user in order to increase its surface area and decrease its thickness. A laminated filo dough stack of the invention comprises a plurality of alternating filo dough layers and laminating fat layers. Typically, the dough composition comprises flour, water, fat (e.g., oil), sugar, salt, and L-cysteine. In an exemplary embodiment, the filo dough composition comprises flour in an amount of about 50% weight to about 70% weight; fat (e.g., oil) in an amount of about 1% weight to about 2% weight; water in an amount of about 15% to about 30% weight; salt in an amount of about 1% to about 5% weight; sugar in an amount of about 1% to about 5% weight; and L-cysteine in an amount of less than about 1% weight. The laminated fat layers are present in an amount of about 15% to about 35% weight, calculated as a percentage of the total weight of the laminated filo dough stack. In one embodiment, the laminated fat layers are present in an amount of about 20% to about 29% weight of the total weight of the laminated filo dough stack. Typically, the laminating fat composition comprises butter, margarine, or shortening, and may optionally include water and salt. The overall thickness of the laminated filo dough stack of the invention typically ranges from about 1 mm to about 100 mm, more typically ranging from about 2 mm to about 10 mm, or from about 2 mm to about 5 mm. The individual filo dough layers typically have a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm, more typically ranging from about 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The laminating fat layer typically has a thickness ranging from about 0.1 mm to 5 mm, more typically ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm. In embodiments of the invention, the laminated filo dough stack is prepared using a puff pastry process for preparing laminated dough. Specifically, in embodiments of the invention, a filo dough composition is sheeted and a layer of laminating fat is applied to a portion of a surface of the sheeted dough. The sheeted dough and fat layer are then subjected to repeated folding and sheeting in order to form a laminated filo dough stack of the invention having the desired number of layers of filo dough and laminating fat. The puff pastry process may be conducted in a batch process or in a continuous process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a laminated filo dough stack of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The embodiments of the invention described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. Filo dough of the invention comprises alternating layers of filo dough and laminating fat. The laminating fat layers function to hold the filo dough layers together in the form of a laminated stack. In embodiments of the invention, the laminated filo dough stacks are manufactured using a puff pastry process. Advantageously, the laminated filo dough stacks of the invention can be hand-rolled by the end-user in order to provide a thinner laminated filo dough stack having a larger surface area. This feature allows the end-user of the laminated filo dough stack to increase - A - the surface area of the laminated dough stack and to reduce its thickness if this is desirable in view of the intended use of the dough stack. In addition, as compared to hand-laminated filo dough stacks (i.e., those prepared by hand-laminating individual sheets of filo dough) which often have an oily or greasy outer surface, the laminated filo dough stacks of the invention typically have a dry outer layer of filo dough, making them easier and more convenient to handle. Referring to FIG. 1, a side view of an embodiment of a laminated filo dough stack of the invention is shown. Laminated filo dough stack 10 comprises filo dough layers 12, 14, 16, and 18 and laminating fat layers 13, 15, and 17. Filo dough layers 12, 14, 16, and 18 comprise a filo dough composition. Interposed between filo dough layers 12 and 14 is laminating fat layer 13. Interposed between dough layer 14 and 16 is laminating fat layer 15.