US 11,730,169 B2
Apparatus and method for producing scored dough pieces
Chad Arnall, Webb City, MO (US); Steven Cox, Long Lake, MN (US); Paul Henderson, Farmington, MN (US); Kara M Hobart, New Hope, MN (US); Olivia Murch, Minneapolis, MN (US); Todd A Rasmussen, North Branch, MN (US); Michael Snyder, Stacy, MN (US); and Rodney W Worthy, Oronogo, MO (US)
Assigned to General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed by General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/779,886.
Prior Publication US 2021/0235708 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. A21C 11/12 (2006.01); A21C 5/08 (2006.01); A21C 9/08 (2006.01); A21C 11/10 (2006.01); A21D 6/00 (2006.01)
CPC A21C 11/12 (2013.01) [A21C 5/08 (2013.01); A21C 9/085 (2013.01); A21C 11/10 (2013.01); A21D 6/001 (2013.01); A21D 6/008 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for producing frozen un-proofed dough pieces with scores, the method comprising:
transporting an un-proofed dough sheet with a conveyor, the dough sheet having a lower skin in contact with the conveyor, an upper skin opposite the lower skin;
cutting the dough sheet with at least one circular cutter configured to cut the dough sheet into a plurality of dough strips as the at least one circular cutter rotates, the at least one circular cutter having a dough engaging portion configured to press the upper skin toward the lower skin to pinch the upper and lower skins together while cutting to form first and second dough strip sides;
cutting the plurality of dough strips to form a plurality of un-proofed dough pieces;
for each of the plurality of un-proofed dough pieces, penetrating the upper skin with at least one blade to cut through in part the un-proofed dough sheet from the upper skin toward the lower skin to form a score, wherein the at least one blade is configured to form the score that forms an opening during baking of a respective one of said plurality of un-proofed dough pieces; and
freezing the un-proofed dough pieces.