Abstract: A shield for a food product in a baking environment is constructed for manual placement into close association with a pan for supporting the food product. The shield has a shape generally corresponding to the pan and includes a first region defining a plurality of first apertures extending through the shield, a sidewall bordering the first region, and a ledge bordering the sidewall and at least partially defining a plurality of second apertures extending through the shield. The plurality of second apertures extends across the border between the ledge and the sidewall such that a portion of each second aperture is defined in the ledge and another portion of each second aperture is defined in the sidewall. The ledge is constructed for support by a rim of the pan, and the plurality of second apertures is constructed to allow airflow away from the food product outwardly through the shield.

Abstract: A pizza sauce dispenser simultaneously dispenses and spreads a precisely controlled amount of sauce onto a pizza dough base without manually handling the sauce or the dough during operation. The dispenser includes a selectively rotatable disc and an arm that selectively extends over the disc. At lease one nozzle is supported by the arm and selectively dispenses the sauce onto the dough. A control mechanism controls: (1) a selected rate and direction of disc rotation; (2) a selected pivot rate and direction of the arm; and/or (3) a selected rate of dispensing sauce through the nozzle. In use, with pizza dough placed on the disc, the disc is rotated and the arm pivoted over the dough so that the nozzle traverses a path from the outside edge of the dough to the center of the dough or vice versa. Sauce thus is deposited in a spiral or other desirable pattern.

Abstract: A pizza sauce dispenser simultaneously dispenses and spreads a precisely controlled amount of sauce onto a pizza dough base without manually handling the sauce or the dough during operation. The dispenser includes a selectively rotatable disc and an arm that selectively extends over the disc. At lease one nozzle is supported by the arm and selectively dispenses the sauce onto the dough. A control mechanism controls: (1) a selected rate and direction of disc rotation; (2) a selected pivot rate and direction of the arm; and/or (3) a selected rate of dispensing sauce through the nozzle. In use, with pizza dough placed on the disc, the disc is rotated and the arm pivoted over the dough so that the nozzle traverses a path from the outside edge of the dough to the center of the dough or vice versa. Sauce thus is deposited in a spiral or other desirable pattern.