Abstract: A croissant intermediate having a stress-relieving feature such that the croissant intermediate does not become unpinched during baking. The stress-relieving feature can take the form of a cut, either completely through or partially through a thickness of the croissant intermediate, within a triangular croissant intermediate that is substantially perpendicular to a leading edge and does not intersect either the leading edge or a pair of side edges. The cut can be made, either manually or automatically, and is generally made at the same time as the triangular croissant intermediate is cut from a sheet of croissant dough. The stress-relieving feature may comprise one or more cuts within the croissant intermediate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dough composition comprising propylene glycol alginate in an amount of 0.005 to 0.2% by weight of the total dough composition. Baked dough products according to present invention are springy in texture. Methods of preparing a baked dough product using the dough composition as described, and products made by this method are also provided.

Abstract: Described are dough compositions and methods of preparing them, including preferred compositions that can be unproofed and frozen, that can be baked from frozen, and that include yeast and chemical leavening agents. Preferred dough compositions can be prepared by methods that involve a resting step after mixing, freezing without proofing, and baking from frozen without proofing or thawing.

Abstract: Described are dough compositions and related methods that involve proofing the dough at retarder conditions, including normally-yeast-leavened dough compositions that can be proofed at retarder conditions and then cooked without a separate proofing step between the retarder conditions and cooking.