Production of thin, irregular chips with scalloped edges and surface bubbles

Abstract

A dough sheet for producing thin, baked chips is obtained continuously by compressing a dough sheet to a thickness of less than or equal to about 0.035 inch between counter-rotating gauge rolls while maintaining the surface of each gauge roll at a temperature of about 85° F. to about 95° F. Maintaining the gauge roll surface temperature at about 85° F. to about 95° F. avoids sticking, tearing, and shredding of the thin dough sheet as it is compressed and transferred by the gauge rolls, even at high production rates or line speeds. A rotary cutter is employed to obtain thin, irregularly shaped, scallop-edged snacks in a variety of shapes from a single dough sheet without producing dough scraps between the pieces.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A baked snack chip, comprising:
 at least one flour;   a pregelatinized waxy maize starch; and   an unmodified, non-crosslinked pregelatinized potato starch in an amount of from about 2 wt. % to about 7 wt. %, based upon the weight of the flour,   said snack having an irregular shape, docker holes, and scalloped edges or sides, at least one of the edges or sides being concave or convex in shape, said snack having surface bubbles and a crispy texture, and being baked from a dough piece that has been compressed to a thickness of less than 0.030 inch.   
     
     
         36 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35 , which has at least five edges or sides. 
     
     
         37 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein a plurality of edges or sides has a convex or concave shape. 
     
     
         38 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein said snack chip is baked from a dough comprising:
 about 30% by weight to about 80% by weight of an uncooked wheat flour, based upon the weight of the dough,   a pregelatinized waxy maize starch in an amount of from about 3% by weight to about 20% by weight, based upon the weight of the wheat flour, and   at least one potato starch.   
     
     
         39 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35 , which is baked from a dough that has been compressed to a thickness of less than 0.025 inch. 
     
     
         40 . An array of dough pieces bakeable into snack chips, comprising:
 a plurality of dough pieces arranged in rows, each dough piece being cut from a single dough sheet that has been compressed to a thickness of less than or about equal to about 0.035 without producing interstitial dough between the pieces,   wherein each of the pieces has an irregular shape, docker holes, and scalloped edges or sides, at least one of the edges or sides being concave or convex in shape, wherein adjacent dough pieces are differently shaped from each other.   
     
     
         41 . An array as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the weight of each dough piece is at least substantially the same. 
     
     
         42 . An array as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein at least eighteen dough pieces have different shapes. 
     
     
         43 . An array as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein a dough piece shape is repeated within a row every 4 to 6 dough pieces. 
     
     
         44 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35  wherein a plurality of edges or sides have a convex or concave shape, and scallops within each convex or concave shaped edge. 
     
     
         45 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 44  having scalloped edges or sides around its entire periphery. 
     
     
         46 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35  wherein a plurality of edges or sides each have both a convex portion and a concave portion, scallops within each convex portion, and scallops within each concave portion. 
     
     
         47 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 35  wherein opposing edges or sides have different lengths and different shapes, and the scallops extend around the entire periphery of the snack chip. 
     
     
         48 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 47  having a plurality of docker holes and a plurality of smaller docker holes that alternate in position on the snack chip. 
     
     
         49 . A baked snack chip as claimed in  claim 47  wherein a plurality of edges or sides each have both a convex portion and a concave portion, scallops within each convex portion, and scallops within each concave portion. 
     
     
         50 . An array of baked snack chips of  claim 35  wherein adjacent snack chips are differently shaped from each other. 
     
     
         51 . An array of baked snack chips baked from the array of dough pieces of  claim 40  wherein opposing edges or sides of each baked snack chip have different lengths and different shapes, and the scallops extend around the entire periphery of each snack chip.