"SHEET FOR OVEN BAKING FOOD PRODUCTS"

[0001] The present invention relates to a superior quality sheet for oven baking food products .

[0002] In the prior art, the so-called baking papers are known, utili zed for baking food products in an oven . For example , baking papers are employed as coating for baking trays or grids . Usually, baking papers are constituted by a sheet of paper covered by a layer of silicone which functions as an nonstick, preventing the food from sticking to the sheet of paper .

[0003] The obj ect of the present invention is to supply a sheet for baking in the oven that allows to enhance the quality of the baked final product .

[0004] A further obj ect is that of providing a sheet that is capable of reducing the baking time of a food product baked in the oven .

[0005] Said obj ects are achieved by means of a sheet for baking food products according to claim 1 .

[0006] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention .

[0007] The features and the advantages of the sheet according to the invention shall be made readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof , provided purely by way of a non-limiting example , with reference to the accompanying figures , in which :

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet for oven baking according to the invention;

[0009] Figure 2 shows , in perspective view, a variant embodiment of the sheet ;

[0010] Figure 3 shows , in perspective view, a further embodiment of the sheet ;

[0011] Figure 4 shows , in perspective view, a further embodiment of the sheet ;

[0012] Figures 5 , 5a and 5b are other examples of a sheet having di f ferent perforations ;

[0013] Figure 6 is a sectional view of the sheet at some holes ; and

[0014] Figure 7 shows an example of a way of sheet delivery, for example in a domestic context .

[0015] With reference to the drawings , the reference number 1 indicates , as a whole , a sheet for oven baking food products .

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the sheet 1 is made of micro-perforated baking paper, that is , bearing a plurality of holes 3 suitable for allowing water vapor to escape during baking .

[0017] The term "baking paper" means any type of paper suitable for the use in an oven for baking food, which paper is for example formed by at least one layer of paper based on cellulose or parchment paper covered by a layer of silicone or another material having nonstick properties , for example of the type commonly utili zed for covering the inside of baking trays for baking foods in an oven .

[0018] In a further variant embodiment , the sheet is made of Teflon .

[0019] In one embodiment , the sheet has a weight between 20 and 120 g/m2 .

[0020] With regard to the holes 3 , in one embodiment , the holes 3 are distributed over all or most of the surface of the sheet 1 .

[0021] In one embodiment , certain areas of the sheet may be without holes because of requirements for greater robustness and/or resistance and/or rigidity of the sheet , or for production requirements . For example , as illustrated in Figure 2 , a peripheral area 2 is without holes .

[0022] In one embodiment , each hole 3 has a diameter between 80 microns and 1 . 5 mm .

[0023] In one embodiment , the density of the holes is between 1089 and 50 , 000 per dm2 .

[0024] In one embodiment , the holes 3 have the same diameter . [0025] In one embodiment , the distance between the holes 3 is substantially equal to their diameter .

[0026] In a preferred embodiment :

[0027] - the holes 3 , which are preferably equal to one another, have a diameter between 0 . 5 mm and 1 . 5 mm;

[0028] - when a sheet of rectangular shape having sides extending along the orthogonal axes X and Y is considered, the holes 3 are aligned and equidistant in rows parallel to these axes X and Y, where adj acent rows are staggered with each other in such a way that each hole is equidistant from all the holes 3 which surround it ;

[0029] - the center to center distance x between adj acent holes 3 along an axis X ; Y is between 6 and 12 mm, and the center to center distance y between adj acent holes 3 along the other axis Y; X is between 3 and 6 mm .

[0030] In the example illustrated in Figure 5 , the diameter of the holes 3 is equal to 0 . 8 mm, the center to center distance x along the X-axis is 8 . 5 mm, and the center to center distance y along the Y-axis is 4 mm .

[0031] In the example illustrated in Figure 5a, the diameter of the holes 3 is equal to 1 mm, the center to center distance x along the X-axis is 7 . 5 mm, and the center to center distance y along the Y-axis is 4 mm .

[0032] In the example illustrated in Figure 5b, the diameter of the holes 3 is equal to 1.2 mm, the center to center distance x along the X-axis is 10.5 mm, and the center to center distance y along the Y-axis is 5 mm.

[0033] In fact, it has been experimented that in these ranges of diameters and center to center distances between the holes, the best trade-off between water vapor extraction capacity during baking, reduction of the penetration of the raw food product into the holes, resistance of the sheet to tearing is obtained, for all types and sizes of the food product to be baked.

[0034] In particular, holes having diameters closer to the lower end of the range are suitable for baking short dough products (for example shortbread biscuits and tarts) , cookies (for example ladyfingers) , meringues (for example pavlova) and cream puffs, in particular miniature cream puffs, and/or products of smaller sizes.

[0035] Holes having larger diameters, that is, closer to the upper end of the range, are particularly suitable for baking products of larger sizes and/or made of leavened doughs (for example brioches, breads, pizzas) , leavened puff pastries (for example croissants and Danish pastries) , in puff pastry. All of these products, in fact, are provided with butter, which constitutes a vapor barrier. Holes 3 of diameters within the indicated range, and in particular of larger diameters, allow to compensate for such a vapor barrier .

[0036] The substantially uni form distribution of the holes 3 , obtained by staggering the adj acent rows , al lows to make the baking perfectly uni form .

[0037] In one embodiment , illustrated in Figure 6 , the holes 3 are made mechanically, that is , by means of perforating tools , for example needles , in such a way that the side of the sheet opposite that of the insertion of the perforation tool has a raised edge 3 ' around each hole . I f the food products to be baked are placed on the side of the sheet bearing the raised edges 3 ' , such raised edges form protrusions that function as elements for adhering the product to the sheet . In other words , the product to be baked, which would have the tendency to slide on the sheet , remains stationary and, during baking, develops more vertically that a product placed on a baking tray covered by a smooth sheet .

[0038] Advantageously, the micro-perforated sheet according to the invention does not involve any limitation on the shapes and dimensions allowed for the sheet .

[0039] For example , in the case of use in the professional field, the sheet may also be supplied in formats having large dimensions , possibly with lines of pre-cutting or weakening to allow for division into more sheets having smaller dimensions . [0040] For domestic use , the sheet may also be supplied wrapped, in the form of a continuous or pre-cut strip, around a cylindrical or tubular core and inserted, for example with shape coupling, into a container 10 , the container possibly being provided with cutting means 12 of the sheet 1 ( as illustrated in Figure 5 ) . It should be noted that the presence of the micro-perforation, possibly combined with a weakening or pre-cutting lines , may also facilitate the cutting of the sheet by the end user .

[0041] In some embodiments , the sheet is suitable for baking short pastries , cookies , macarons , puf f pastries , leavened pastries , shortcrust pastries , bread, pi z za, flat bread, and leavened puf f pastries .

[0042] The plurality of holes 3 allows the heated air by the oven to access a larger area of the food product .

[0043] Advantageously, the escape of the water vapor during baking benefits the resulting cooking . This reduces the time necessary for baking a product in the oven and therefore also the energy used .

[0044] In one embodiment , the holes 3 are distributed over the whole sheet , in particular over an area of the sheet in contact with the food product , allowing for a better flow of air over all parts of the product .

[0045] In one variant embodiment , the holes 3 are distributed over the sheet in a non-uni form manner according to necessity .

[0046] The possibility of perforating only some areas of the sheet allows for greater control of the air flow, for example depending on the product to be baked .

[0047] In other words , the sheet may of fer a greater flow of air without sacri ficing its structural shape .

[0048] In one variant embodiment , the holes may be arranged on the sheet in such a way as to allow the cooking of a particular or speci fic, for example the baking of a cake/circular cookie or any shape . One example is illustrated in Figure 3 .

[0049] In one variant embodiment , the holes may be arranged on the sheet in such a way as to allow the baking of separate products , for example smaller cakes , bread, etc . , to be baked on the same sheet . One example is illustrated in Figure 4 .

[0050] It should be noted that the presence of holes allows not j ust to improve the baking and save time and energy, but also to cool the baked products more rapidly .

[0051] In order to meet contingent needs , a person skilled in the art may make changes and adaptations to the embodiments of the sheet for baking food products according to the invention, and may replace elements with other functionally equivalent ones , without departing from the scope of the following claims . Each of the features described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be obtained independently of the other described embodiments .