Known methods for the production of bread products comprise preparing completely kneaded bread dough, placing pieces of bread dough in baking tins or preparing different forms of bread dough for the production of different kinds of bread products, such as soft bread rolls. In addition these known methods comprise placing baking tins or pieces of bread dough with certain distance from each other onto a baking plate and baking the bread dough using an oven. The time the pieces of bread dough in baking tins or dough to make large breads, and pieces of bread dough to make for example soft bread rolls, have to be baked in the oven, is relatively long, 35-50 and 25 minutes, respectively. The time for baking flat pieces of conventional bread dough, due to the larger volume relative to the surface of those pieces of bread dough, can be shorter. A known method, described in NL 1002456, describes pieces of bread dough with a thickness of 5-9 mm that need to be baked for a maximum of 15 minutes. In this method the single flat pieces of dough have to be placed onto the baking plate with certain distance from each other.

Due to the limited period for keeping the quality of bread products, its production takes place mostly in the hours of the night. A medium sized bakery often is in the possession of one production line that can produce different kinds of bread products. The term "production line"refers to a number of consecutive devices, where each device conducts different aspects of the bread production method in an automatic manner. However, for the production of a variety of bread products, this production line has to be adapted for each single kind of bread product and/or a number of additional manual actions has to be conducted.

Therefore, a major drawback of the known methods is that production of a variety of bread products by a medium sized bakery requires many working hours in the night. Working hours in the nigh are considered to be a problem and result in more expensive bread products.

An other drawback of known methods for the production of a variety of bread products concerns the fluctuations in the need for different kinds of bread products. This fluctuation can not be handled on time. The decision to produce a certain variety of bread products has to be made before the bread dough enters the oven. Taken together, this results in bread products that will not be sold or this results in the need for bread products that have not been produced.

An other drawback of the conventional methods for production of bread products, is that the energy costs are relatively high. Different reasons for high energy costs are, the large volume of bread products in relation to the surface, therefore it takes longer before the inner site of the bread is done, the inefficient use of the baking plate, the pieces of bread dough have to be placed with certain distance from each other, and, the high percentage of water of some kinds of breads, for example Turkish bread, therefore it takes longer before the bread dough is done.

A drawback of known methods for the production of bread products is placing each individual piece of bread dough onto the baking plate. This constitutes an extra laborious action or requires an extra device in the production line for its automation, which device has to be readapted for each different kind of bread product.

A drawback of the conventional bread products, such as bread rolls and large breads, is its transport and its storage. Conventional bread products are stored and transported in containers that, in general, have the same dimension. This dimension is adjusted to one kind of bread product. This means that other kinds of bread products will not be stored or transported optimally. Furthermore, the conventional bread products can not be stapled which results in a non optimally used volume of the container. In addition, bread products can not be stored optimally, for example in freezers, due to the different forms of the bread products. Especially the rounded forms prevent optimal storage.

As bread products, such as for example soft bread rolls, can not be stapled and not stored optimally, they can dry out easily. Therefore it is required that they are packaged as soon as possible after baking. This requirement of packaging quickly, and the fact that the bread products can not be stapled and can not be stored efficiently, prevents packaging the bread products efficiently in one packaging unit. More specifically, packaging different kinds of bread products, having for example different ingredients, in one packaging unit is difficult.

However, there is a need for it.

A drawback of many conventional bread products, such as large bread, is the presence of crust. In many cases, such as with children or old people and for sandwiches, it is desired to produce a bread product without crust. In many of those cases the crust has to be removed by cutting. This introduces an extra action. In addition the crusts are thrown away which is waste of bread.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for the production of a bread product that circumvents the drawbacks described above referring to the methods for the production of bread products according to the art.

Therefore the invention provides a method for the production of a baking product and bread products, which method comprises: - covering a carrier, such as a baking plate or (part of) a conveyer belt, entirely and uniformly with mainly coherent bread dough; - baking until the bread dough is done, resulting in one baking product; and - dividing this baking product in a number of bread products of at least one desired form.

"Bread product", where it is used in the present invention, refers to a product of dough that is done, i. e. ready to put on the market and suitable for consumption.

A preferred bread product according to this invention forms a substitute for the conventional bread products, such as sandwiches and soft bread rolls. Preferably the structure of the bread product is elastic, i. e. after light pressing the product will turn back into its original form. Preferably, the bread product does not have a hard crust and more

preferably absolutely no crust. The assigner shall market a bread product according to the invention using the name"Bengel".

The carrier serves as support for baking the bread dough in an oven. In case the carrier is a conveyor belt, the oven can be a conveyor belt oven through which the conveyor belt moves. The term"carrier"refers to, at least part of a conveyor belt that is present in an oven and, depending on the length of the conveyor belt, preferably the part of the conveyor belt that moves in the direction of the oven.

The method according to the present invention has the advantage that the baking product, i. e. the product that is leaving the oven, can be divided randomly. See for example figure 1.

Thus, the variety of bread products can be determined after baking. Therefore a fluctuating need for different kinds of bread products can be handled. Consequently the waste is reduced and therefore the price of the bread products can be lowered. For example, the baking product can be cut in rectangular bread products, which bread products can form a substitute for soft bread rolls. See figure 2A. It can also be cut in long strokes, such that it forms a substitute for the French"baquette". See figure 2B. It is also possible to cut it such that is results in bread products having a large surface, that are useful for making bread products that form substitutes for sandwiches. Ham or cheese or other containments for sandwiches can be introduced between the two parts. See figure 2C. It will be clear that the possibilities for dividing the bread product in principle are unlimited.

The major advantage of the method according to the present invention is that the complete method of producing the bread product by a medium sized bakery, generally having only one production line, at least for the main part, can be automated. This reduces the working hours in the night. Since only one kind of baking product is produced and therefore no adaptations have to be introduced in the production line, the method can be automated and still many different kinds of bread products can be produced. These adaptations are needed using known methods for producing bread products. Preferably, the oven is a conveyor belt oven. The term"conveyor belt oven"refers to an oven through which a continuous baking plate c. q. conveyer belt, is moved and that is not sealed. Dough is continuously baked into a coherent and uniform baking product. Advantageously, using such a conveyor belt oven in relation to the method of the present invention permits baking bread dough to be performed

automatically. Specifically, in relation to the present invention it is interesting that, if the carrier is a conveyer belt, the bread dough can cover a main part of the conveyer belt, which part extends from the oven to, reversing the method, rolling out the bread dough. With respect to the automation it is an advantage, that the resulting bread product, that is produced by means of a method according to the present invention, can be stapled automatically (see under). Therefore, in addition to the production of the bread product, also packaging the bread products can be automated.

A further advantage of the method according to the present invention encompasses optimal and efficient use of the oven due to the fact that the carrier is exploited optimally. As the carrier is covered for the largest part and uniformly with bread dough the number of carriers in an oven can be determined optimally. Namely, the thickness of the bread dough determines the number of carriers that can be present in the oven. In this way not only the baking plate but also the volume of the oven can be exploited optimally.

Dependent of the kind of bread dough and the desired"airiness"of the bread product to be produced, the thickness of the bread dough can be 1-9 mm. It is an advantage of such a thickness that the time for baking can be limited to 3-15 minutes. The time for baking can also be limited by decreasing the water content in the bread dough to 44-55%. This is generally 10 % less than usual for bread products. With the lower water content the fineness of the structure of the bread product also increases.

Preferably, using the method according to the present invention, for the bread dough incompletely kneaded bread dough is used, where the bread dough preferably is formable and not elastic, and the carrier is covered by rolling out the bread dough. The main advantage of using incompletely kneaded dough is that rolling out the bread dough is conducted more easily. If completely kneaded bread dough is used, which bread dough is elastic, during rolling out, due to the elastic property, the bread dough will tend to return to its original form. Therefore covering the carrier shall be more difficult. Preferably, bread dough used for rolling out is incompletely kneaded in such a way that when the bread dough has been rolled out and the carrier is covered with the bread dough, the bread dough will become elastic. In this way the final step of rolling out bread dough forms essentially the final step of kneading.

Preferably for the bread dough laminated bread dough is used, where the laminated bread dough preferably consists of 6 to 10 layers ; and the carrier is covered by rolling out the laminated bread dough. Advantageously, using laminated bread dough, a bread product having a fine structure can be obtained. A fine structure has the advantage of resulting in bread products that are able to maintain its qualities for a longer period. In addition the ability to staple is improved. Furthermore, bread dough that is covering the carrier can be punched to enhance the fineness of the structure. In this way the occurrence of large holes of air is prevented.

Furthermore, a pattern be can applied onto the bread dough. A pattern makes the bread products obtained more attractive and constitutes an esthetical function. It could also indicate the way to divide the baking product. In addition, bead like decoration material, such as sesame seed, maw seed or wheat flakes, can be applied onto the bread dough. This method is common for conventional bread products and provides the bread products with a better taste and an attractive appearance.

Different kinds of bread dough can be used to produce bread products by a method according to the present invention. For example, the ingredients for these different kinds of bread dough are, wheat, rye and other kinds of grain and all its derivatives, rye-and wheat leaven, seeds, pits, vegetables, fruit, such as for example dried fruit such as currants and raisins, nuts, vitamins, minerals, seasoning, spices, cheese, oils, fats, meat, sweeteners such as sugar, salt, malt extracts, dairy products, chocolate. If, for example, currants are incorporated, bread products can be made that form a substitute for conventional currant bread and conventional currant buns.

An other objective of the present invention is providing a baking product and bread products having no drawbacks described for bread products according to the art. The invention therefore provides in a baking product and in bread products produced by a method according to the invention. An important advantage of a baking product and bread product that are produced by such a method, is the fact that they are able to be stapled.

Multiple bread products according to the present invention can be stapled onto each other and be transported, which results in drastically reduced costs for storage and transport. In

addition during freezing the bread products take less space, due to their square in stead of rounded forms.

An other advantage concerning such a baking product and bread products is its fine structure. Due to the fine structure, it is more difficult for fungi to penetrate the bread product so the bread product can be kept at room temperature for a longer period of time. In addition, the fine structure improves the sensation of the bread, including the taste and provides the cut sides of the bread product with a more attractive appearance. Numerous different forms of bread products can be produced from the baking product. These forms can form a substitute for bread products such as soft bread rolls, roll breads,"baquettes", raisin breads and different kind of soft bread rolls. See, for example, figures 1 and 2.

Bread products according to the invention can be produced such, that they lack crust or contain crust that is elastic. This is useful because the bread product can be used to form, for example, sandwiches without crust. More specifically, this is an improvement concerning products for older people and children. The bread products can also represent substitutes for the normal cut slices from large breads.

Bread products according to the present invention have the advantage that bread products having different ingredients can be packaged more easily in one packaging unit. This results from the fact that the bread products have the ability to be stapled. Therefore they can be stored such that less air is present between the bread products, such that the bread products do not dry out quickly and can stay unpackaged for a longer time. Since the bread products have the ability to be stapled, they can be stored more easily and less space is needed for packaging the bread. In this way the need for having bread products with different ingredients packaged in one unit can be fulfilled.

The invention will hereafter be explained in detail referring to the figures.

Figure 1 therefore shows a representation of a baking product according to the present invention and an example for dividing it into bread products. Dashed lines indicate the way the baking product can be divided.

Figure 2 therefore shows a representation of different embodiments of bread products according to the present invention. Figure 2A represents a substitute for a soft bread roll.

Figure 2B represents a substitute for a"baquette"and figure 2C represents a substitute for a sandwich, wherein the bread product is cut and prepared.