Deep dish pizza crust

Abstract

A fully baked, deep dish pizza crust is provided having a water activity in the range of about 0.9 to about 0.95. The deep dish pizza crust is ideally suited for use in a refrigerated, ready-to-eat pizza kit. The deep dish pizza crust is of a convenient size and shape (generally square and about 4 by about 4 by about 0.75 in. deep) and is especially adapted as a single serving or snack food product. Also provided is a kit for preparing ready-to-eat deep dish pizza, the kit including one or more deep dish pizza crusts, pizza sauce, cheese, and one or more pizza toppings. The deep dish pizza crusts are designed so that they can be nested so as to reduce the volume requirements in the kit. Each of the components of the pizza kit, including the deep dish pizza crusts, is hermetically sealed from the other food items to substantially retard or prevent flavor, moisture, and microbial migration from one food item to another. The deep dish pizza crusts retain a soft, desirable texture throughout their anticipated shelf lives.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 572,808, filed on May 17, 2000, which was based on, and claimed benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 134,569, filed May 17, 1999.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to a pizza food product and a kit for assembling a deep dish pizza. The pizza crust of this invention is especially adapted for use in cartons and / or packages which also contain the other pizza ingredients necessary to assemble a snack or single-service sized, deep dish, ready-to-eat pizza. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Pizzas, while widely available frozen, are generally not as widely available refrigerated. In general, available pizza products, frozen or refrigerated, need to be fully baked before they can be eaten. Once a fully baked pizza crust has been refrigerated or frozen, it tends to “toughen” or become leathery, stale, and / or dry. See, for example, David, Englis...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The invention comprises a farinaceous pizza crust which can be fully baked, then refrigerated and later served cold or reheated without becoming leathery, dry, stale and / or tough. Preferably, the pizza crust is configured to have a deep dish shape. After baking, the crust preferably has a water activity in the range of about 0.90 to about 0.95 and retains satisfactory texture and chewability characteristics throughout a refrigerated shelf life that may be, e.g., about 75 days. The pizza crust is preferably adapted for use in a “single-serving” kit which allows easy preparation of a ready-to-eat, deep dish pizza. The kit preferably contains (1) at least one of the pizza crusts, (2) pizza sauce, (3) one or more cheese products, and, if desired, (4) one or more additional components that may include, for example, proteinaceous components such as sausage, pepperoni, ham or anchovies, or vegetable components such as slices of green pepper or olives. The pizza crust products and kits containing the pizza crust products of the present invention do not require the use of an anti-fogging agent to achieve the desired shelf life. The kit may also contain other items, e.g., a soft drink or other beverage and / or candy item. Preferably, the kit is contained in a single serve package having separate pouches and / or compartments for each of the various components to be separately sealed under an inert atmosphere to increase the shelf life of the product or kit. The seals are preferably hermetic, and are capable of withstanding stresses and strains associated with shipping and handling, including pressure variations associated with transport to and through high altitudes.

Problems solved by technology

Pizzas, while widely available frozen, are generally not as widely available refrigerated.

Once a fully baked pizza crust has been refrigerated or frozen, it tends to “toughen” or become leathery, stale, and / or dry.

When a crust becomes “leathery” (a term of art), it becomes harder to chew and loses its “chewability.” Furthermore, the distinction between the crisper bottom of the crust and the softer top part of the crust is generally lost when a baked crust is refrigerated.

Reheating pizza does not generally allow the crust's texture to return to its original state and may, in fact, further “toughen” it to an even more leathery texture.

While such leftover pizza may be fully edible from all health and safety considerations, the organoleptic properties are generally diminished.

Much of the loss of quality is due to the crust becoming more leathery.

Refrigerated pizzas with unbaked crust have their own problems.

Moreover, such products must also be baked by the consumer thereby diminishing the convenience desired by most consumers.

Even when baked in the home kitchen with conventional ovens, the overall quality is not as high as desired.

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