Microwaveable pizza crust
First Claim
1. A microwaveable mesophase gel-containing pizza crust comprising a pizza dough comprising about 0.5 to about 10 percent of a mesophase gel;
- 0 to about 25 percent maltodextrin;
about 10 to about 40 percent flour;
0 to about 20 percent starch;
0 to about 10 percent fiber;
0 to about 30 percent egg product;
0 to about 5 percent salt;
0 to about 10 percent oil; and
about 20 to about 40 percent water, wherein the pizza dough does not contain a conventionalleavening agent, wherein the pizza dough, when cooked in a microwave oven, rises and obtains a firm crust, and wherein the mesophase gel comprises a high HLB emulsifier which has an HLB of between about 11 and about 25, a medium HLB emulsifier which has a HLB of between about 6 and about 10 and a low HLB emulsifier which has a HLB of between about 2 about 6.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Microwaveable pizza crusts, which when heated in a microwave oven, rise in a manner similar to conventionally-baked pizza crusts. Such pizza crusts are mesophase gel-containing. Moreover, such mesophase-containing pizza crusts, when microwaved, do not only rise as is observed with conventional pizza crusts, but microwave treatment of these pizza crusts results in highly palatable and crisp pizza crusts, similar to those that are conventionally prepared. The mesophase gels formed herein for use in pizza crust are highly viscous, even in the absence of polymeric protein or polysaccharide thickening or bulking agents. The mesophase gel is formed using at least two emulsifiers and an aqueous phase. The addition of the mesophase gel to the other pizza crust components results in a leavening action, and contributes to the palatability and firmness of the resulting pizza crust.
31 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A microwaveable mesophase gel-containing pizza crust comprising a pizza dough comprising about 0.5 to about 10 percent of a mesophase gel;
- 0 to about 25 percent maltodextrin;
about 10 to about 40 percent flour;
0 to about 20 percent starch;
0 to about 10 percent fiber;
0 to about 30 percent egg product;
0 to about 5 percent salt;
0 to about 10 percent oil; and
about 20 to about 40 percent water, wherein the pizza dough does not contain a conventionalleavening agent, wherein the pizza dough, when cooked in a microwave oven, rises and obtains a firm crust, and wherein the mesophase gel comprises a high HLB emulsifier which has an HLB of between about 11 and about 25, a medium HLB emulsifier which has a HLB of between about 6 and about 10 and a low HLB emulsifier which has a HLB of between about 2 about 6. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19)
- 0 to about 25 percent maltodextrin;
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8. A pizza crust made by the method comprising:
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(a) forming an aqueous composition containing 0 to about 25 percent maltodextrin;
10 to about 40 percent flour;
0 to about 20 percent starch;
0 to about 10 percent fiber;
0 to about 30 percent egg product;
0 to about 5 percent salt;
0 to about 10 percent liquid oil; and
about 20 to about 40 percent water;
(b) adding 0 to about 2 percent maltodextrin to a mesophase gel to form a mesophase-maltodextrin gel;
(c) adding about 0.5 to about 10 percent of the mesophase-maltodextrin gel to the aqueous composition and mixing to form a pizza dough;
(d) shaping the pizza dough to form a microwaveable pizza crust;
wherein the pizza dough does not contain a conventional leavening agent, wherein the microwaveable pizza crust, when heated in a microwave oven, rises to form a palatable pizza crust, and wherein the mesophase gel comprises a high HLB emulsifier which has an HLB of between about 11 and about 25, a medium HLB emulsifier which has an HLB of between about 6 and about 10 and a low HLB emulsifier which has an HLB of between about 2 and about 6. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18)
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Specification