System And Method For Preparing Naan Bread

Abstract

A method and system for preparing naan bread is provided. A conveyor oven is used to bake flattened and pre-shaped naan bread loaves. The conveyor oven uses high temperature gas heat to bake the naan, imparting traditional characteristics such as the slightly smoky or scorched appearance. The oven interior is preferably lined with stone, granite, clay or porcelain to enhance baking and provide traditional flavour.

1 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread having a crisp-chewy consistency, a visibly bubbled surface texture and an oiled, slightly scorched top surface, the bread being packaged cooled or frozen, with instructions for re-heating when made in accordance with a method comprising the steps of:
 (a) preparing a naan bread dough;   (b) dividing and forming the dough into balls;   (c) rising the round balls of dough;   (d) flattening the round balls into generally circular discs;   (e) stretching each disc into an irregular non-circular shaped loaf;   (f) loading the shaped loaves onto a conveyor and spraying the loaves with oil immediately prior to baking; and   (g) running the conveyor through a gas oven at a temperature of at least 700° F. for a period of time sufficient to bake the loaves to a crisp-chewy consistency, having a visibly bubbled surface texture and a slightly scorched top surface.   
     
     
         2 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread having a visibly bubbled surface texture and an oiled, slightly scorched top surface, the bread being packaged cooled or frozen, with instructions for reheating, when made in accordance with a system comprising:
 a naan bread dough preparing station for:   preparing a naan bread dough;   dividing and forming the dough into round balls; and   rising the round balls of dough;   a loaf shaping station for:
 flattening the round balls of dough into generally circular discs; and 
 stretching each disc into an irregular non-circular shaped loaf; 
   a conveyor oven station for;   spraying the loaves with oil immediately prior to baking; and baking the shaped loaves by running the shaped loaves on a conveyor through a high temperature gas oven at a temperature of at least 700° F. for a period of time sufficient to produce baked naan breads each having a crisp chewy consistency, a visibly bubbled surface texture and a slightly scorched top surface.   
     
     
         3 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  2 , wherein the oven comprises an interior surface at least a portion of which is stone, granite, clay or porcelain. 
     
     
         4 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  3 , wherein the system allows the bread to contact the portion of the interior surface made of stone, granite, clay or porcelain as it bakes. 
     
     
         5 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  2 , wherein the oven comprises top and bottom heating sources, for baking the bread from above and below, and for imparting a scorched appearance to parts of the bread. 
     
     
         6 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  5 , wherein the top heating source is located approximately 15 to 30 cm from the conveyor. 
     
     
         7 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  5 , wherein the top and bottom hearing sources comprise a gas burner, and wherein the burner does not touch the bread as it is baking. 
     
     
         8 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  7 , wherein the burner is angled to indirectly bake the bread moving on the conveyor. 
     
     
         9 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  2 , wherein the oven comprises a housing having:
 an exterior steel shell;   an interior baking cavity lined at least in part with stone, granite, clay or porcelain; and   an intermediate insulating layer between the shell and the baking cavity, comprising sand-filled panels and loosely packed rock wool.   
     
     
         10 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  9 , wherein the oven housing is tunnel shaped having a tunnel through which the conveyor passes. 
     
     
         11 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  10 , wherein the tunnel is a linear tunnel, having a dough entry portion that is separate from and located away from a baked bread exit portion. 
     
     
         12 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  2 , wherein the system further comprises a cooling and packaging station for cooling naan breads from the oven and packaging the breads for refrigerated or frozen storage prior to consumption in a re-heated form. 
     
     
         13 . The high temperature conveyer-oven baked naan bread of clam  2 , wherein the conveyor is operable at a speed to permit up to 8000 breads to be put through the oven per hour. 
     
     
         14 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread having a visibly bubbled surface texture and an oiled, slightly scorched top surface, the bread being packaged cooled or frozen, with instructions for re-heating, when made in an oven comprising:
 a high temperature gas oven having an interior surface at least a portion of which is stone, granite, clay or porcelain;   a baking conveyor for receiving naan bread loaves to be baked at a temperature of at least 700° F., the baking conveyor running each loaf through the gas oven for a period of between approximately 20 seconds and approximately 50 seconds.   
     
     
         15 . The high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 14 , wherein the naan bread loaves contact the portion of the interior surface made of stone, granite or porcelain as they bake. 
     
     
         16 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 14 , wherein said oven comprises top and bottom heating sources for banking the loaves from above and below, and for imparting a scorched appearance to parts of the loaves. 
     
     
         17 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread having a visibly bubbled surface texture and an oiled, slightly scorched top surface, the bread being packaged cooled or frozen, with instructions for re-heating, when made in an oven comprising:
 a high temperature gas oven having an interior surface at least a portion of which is stone, granite, clay or porcelain, the oven having top and bottom heating sources;   a baking conveyor for receiving naan bread loaves to be baked and running them through the oven at a temperature of at least 700° F., wherein the baking conveyor is less than 30 cm from the top heating source.   
     
     
         18 . The high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 17 , wherein the top and bottom heating sources comprises a gas burner, and wherein the burner does not touch the loaves as they are baking. 
     
     
         19 . The high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 18 , wherein the burner is angled to indirectly bake the loaves moving on the baking conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . A high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread having a visibly bubbled surface texture and an oiled, slightly scorched top surface, the bread being packaged cooled or frozen, with instructions for re-heating, when made in an oven comprising:
 a high temperature gas oven having an interior surface at least a portion of which is stone, granite, clay or porcelain;   a baking conveyor for receiving naan bread loaves to be baked at a temperature of at least 700° F., the baking conveyor running each loaf through the gas oven for a period of between approximately 20 seconds and approximately 50 seconds;   wherein the oven further comprises a housing having:   an exterior steel shell;   an interior baking cavity lined at least in part with stone, granite, clay of porcelain; and   an intermediate insulating layer between the shell and the baking cavity, comprising sand-filled panels and loosely packed rock wool.   
     
     
         21 . The high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 20 , wherein the housing is tunnel shaped, having a tunnel through which the conveyor passes. 
     
     
         22 . The high temperature conveyor-oven baked naan bread of  claim 21 , wherein the tunnel is a linear tunnel, having a dough entry portion that is separate from and located away from a baked bread exit portion.