Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying a uniform strip of bread dough is provided in which a dough mass flows downward from a dough hopper, a dough portion of the flowing dough mass is laterally spread on an outlet conveyor having a weighing table, dough portions are cut and divided from the dough mass into dough pieces when a predetermined degree of the spread of the dough mass is detected by a dough-detecting device, simultaneously the weight of the dough piece is measured, the dough piece is then transferred from the outlet conveyor to a supply conveyor, the divided dough pieces are arranged on the supply conveyor at intervals proportionate to the weights of the dough pieces, and they are stretched to make a strip of bread dough. It has a uniform width and thickness, and is uniform in weight throughout the entire part of the strip of bread dough. Therefore, dough products cut and formed from this strip of bread dough are of a high quality.

Abstract: Dough (20) is delivered in a stream through inlet conduit (29) to dough distribution chamber (60) of manifold (10). A spike (52) pierces the oncoming dough stream, and the dough flares radially into an annulus, past adjustable deflectors (42a-42f), and the dough is sliced by dough divider sharps (62) to separate the dough into individual streams of dough that move through delivery conduits (30a-30f). The velocity of dough moving through each delivery conduit (30a-30f) is controlled by the adjustable deflectors (42a-42f) which are positioned at the perimeter of the dough distribution chamber (60).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating a sheet of pastry dough to cause it to have a woven, lattice-work appearance by cutting a plurality of polygonal openings through the sheet in a predetermined pattern with sides of each opening being aligned with sides of adjacent openings to produce aligned rows of openings and deforming the sheet in the portions remaining between the openings by depressing grooves aligned with sides of the openings into the sheet to make it appear that the sheet is comprised of overlapping dough strips.

Abstract: Dough processing method and apparatus in which a head machine has a dough divider for producing successive dough pieces, one after the other, and a conveyor for conveying the dough pieces from the dough divider to a subsequent treatment device A first drive motor drives the dough divider and the conveyor. The subsequent treatment device has a transport conveyor with dough cups for receiving the dough pieces from the conveyor of the head machine at a transfer station and for transporting the dough pieces in the subsequent treatment device A second drive motor drives the transport conveyor. A frequency convertor is connected to the first drive motor to control the speed of operation thereof based on a selected frequency from the frequency convertor.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of fabricating half products in the field of puffed snack piece fabrication are disclosed including a rotary cutter (16) having an opposed pair of rollers (18). At least one of the rollers (18) of the rotary cutter (16) has cavities (112) arranged in a first, central portion (110) which stamp out first pieces and cavities (118) arranged in second and third, boundary portions (114, 116) for stamping out second pieces from the remaining portions of a continuous dough sheet (14). The first pieces are of the desired shape and size for the half products, and the second pieces are of a size and shape mechanically separable from the first pieces. After stamping, the first and second pieces are dried in an oven (134) and then separated by a separator (136). The dried first pieces form the half product. The dried second pieces can be ground in a grinder (138) and added to the ingredients (120) forming the dough prior to or during mixing in mixer (122).

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of pita bread having a roller with a regularly wavy profile to make the pita bread thicker at the edges defining the bottom of a pita loaf, and thinner in the middle defining the open end of the pita loaf after it is divided in half. The method of making pita bread and the pita bread so made are also described.

Abstract: Cookies having an extended shelf-stable soft or chewy texture throughout the cookie are prepared by coextruding an inner adherent cookie dough bakeable to a soft or chewy texture and an outer non-adherent cookie dough bakeable to a soft or chewy texture. The inner dough comprises a liquid humectant in an amount sufficient to impart a shelf-stable soft or chewy texture to the baked outer cookie dough in excess of that attainable by baking the outer dough alone to a shelf-stable soft or chewy texture of the same moisture content. The coextrudate is severed into pieces to enrobe the inner cookie dough and the pieces are baked to a moisture content of at least about 6% by weight of the cookie. The outer non-adherent cookie dough, while being bakeable to a soft chewy texture, possesses sufficient cohesiveness and firmness so as to render the coextrudate formable into cookie dough pieces on a mass scale.

Abstract: A method of controlling the weight of cut pieces of dough is disclosed. The method includes determining a target mass loading of a strip of dough, measuring the actual mass loading, comparing the actual and target mass loading values, calculating a calendar roller gap distance which compensates for the rheological properties of the dough and adjusting the gap distance of the last calendar roller pair to equalize the actual and target mass loading values.

Abstract: Cookies having an extended shelf-stable soft or chewy texture throughout the cookie are prepared by coextruding an inner adherent cookie dough bakeable to a soft or chewy texture and an outer non-adherent cookie dough bakeable to a soft or chewy texture. The inner dough comprises a liquid humectant in an amount sufficient to impart a shelf-stable soft or chewy texture to the baked outer cookie dough in excess of that attainable by baking the outer dough alone to a shelf-stable soft or chewy texture of the same moisture content. The coextrudate is severed into pieces to enrobe the inner cookie dough and the pieces are baked to a moisture content of at least about 6% by weight of the cookie. The outer non-adherent cookie dough, while being bakeable to a soft chewy texture, possesses sufficient cohesiveness and firmness so as to render the coexrudate formable into cookie dough pieces on a mass scale.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for quantitatively dividing bread dough. The apparatus includes a hopper having vertical side walls. The internal space surrounded by the walls has the same horizontal sectional area at any position along the vertical walls. The apparatus also includes a pair of vertical conveyors extending along the side walls. A dough outlet is formed in the bottom wall of the hopper. A dividing device is located in close proximity to the dough outlet. When the dough is continuously and quantitatively divided by the dividing device into small pieces, the vertical conveyors are driven at a speed of X m/min. in line with the speed of the dough flowing downward on its same level. Each of the dough pieces is then conveyed toward the shaping station. Thus the dough can be quantitatively divided so that a high quality dough is obtained without the gel structure of the gluten being destroyed.

Abstract: Extrusion cooked coextruded food products having a cereal-based outer envelope in a thermoplastic state are cut by passing the product between two parallel counter-rotating cylinder surfaces which define male and female impression elements configured and positioned so that upon rotation, the impression elements of one surface converge with the elements of the other surface in a male to female relation for cutting the product into discrete pieces.

Abstract: The method of producing pie dough by stretching a pie dough sheet, laminating the dough sheet by alternately folding it in two opposite directions normal to its traveling direction, stretching the laminated dough sheet, and, if necessary, repeating the laminating and stretching processes. The degree of stretching in the lateral direction of the dough sheet is adjusted to be higher than that in the lengthwise direction and the staggered slits are formed in the dough sheet in the traveling direction of the sheet so that when the pie dough is thereafter baked, fillings therein can be seen through the openings of the slits.

Abstract: A method of making a substantially elongated soft pretzel product from pretzel dough with the end product having an edible filling comprising the steps of mixing the ingredients to form the soft pretzel dough, forming the pretzel dough in a generally continuous sheet having a thickness of about 1/8" to 3/8", cutting the sheet of dough into a piece which is substantially rectangular in shape and has substantially parallel top and bottom ends and two substantially parallel sides, placing the edible filling material substantially in the center of the piece of dough, wherein the filling comprises meat and/or cheese and/or other foodstuffs, folding the bottom end of the piece over the edible filling material so that the top end of the piece forms a flap and the edible filling material is substantially enclosed therein, pressing the bottom end of the piece of dough to secure the bottom end to the piece, trimming away any excess of the flap which extends beyond the point where the bottom end is secured to the piece,

Abstract: An apparatus for spacing and orienting croissant dough pieces has a dough-spacing device located at the position where the dough pieces are transferred from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, which dough-spacing device places the dough pieces apart from one another in the feeding direction on the downstream conveyor in a staggered manner, and a reorienting device for turning the dough pieces, with one side of each dough piece at right angles to the feeding direction of the downstream conveyor. The dough pieces are thus spaced apart from one another without increasing the conveyor width. The dough pieces are also fed to a downstream rolling-up apparatus after ensuring that the relevant side of each of the dough pieces is perpendicular to the feeding direction.

Abstract: A dough strip extruder, such as a lasagna noodle extruder, for extruding one or more riple edge strips is oriented to extrude the strips horizontally. The extruded strips are supported as they leave the extruder to maintain the strips in the horizontal plane of the extrusion passageway for a distance sufficient to allow complete formation of the undulations on the edges. The support may be by a roller, cylindrical rod, or horizontal plate.

Abstract: In a dough of pie having a roll-like configuration and containing an ingredient in a crust of pie, a dough of pie having a slit roll configuration is provided with a plurality of slit-like cuttings formed on the entire surface of the crust of pie.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for continuously dividing bread dough. The apparatus consists of a dough hopper, vertical conveyors mounted on the side walls of the hopper, a dough outlet provided at the bottom of the hopper located under the vertical conveyors, a divider having cutting knives for dividing the dough, a weighing conveyor provided under the divider for weighing the dough discharged through the weighing conveyor, and a control means for controlling the timing in the discharging operation of the weighing conveyor according to the weight of the dough. The weight of the divided dough is instantly and successively weighed, while the period to keep the outlet open is controlled so that a belt-like sheet of dough, with sections of a uniform weight, is continuously produced.

Abstract: A method for cutting a sheet of dough and delivering a cut dough portion to a surface of a pan. A cutting ring having a cutting edge is positioned on an upper surface of a pan. A sheet of dough above at least a surface of the pan is pressed against the upper cutting edge to fall onto the dough receiving surface.

Abstract: A dough piece rounder and method where the belt used for conveying the dough pieces past the rounder bar is supported by a thin film of air between the underside of the conveyor belt and a perforated plate which forms the upper flat side of a plenum chamber. The principal part of the apparatus is supported on a horizontal cantilever cylinder so that the belt can be readily replaced from one side and the apparatus can be tilted so that the inlet and exit of the dough pieces can be at different levels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of cookie products by adding cookie ingredients to a cooker extruder to form a heat treated mass, which is admixed with additional cookie ingredients to form a dough-like cookie mixture. The cookie mixture is subsequently wire cut into individual pieces. The individual dough pieces can then be further subjected to post extrusion heating to leaven them.

Abstract: Laminated bread wafers are produced by fusing at least part of the opposing outer friable crust of two (or more) sheets of bread. Each sheet is composed of outer friable crusts surrounding a center which is soft and porous relative to the crusts. Specifically, one outer crust or a first sheet and one outer crust of a second sheet are moistened by applying droplets of water (e.g. from sprayed water or steam) sufficient to render them fusable. Thereafter, the moistened outer crusts are pressed together to fuse them. Alternatively, an aqueous paste is applied between at least part of an outer crust of the first sheet and at least part of an outer crust of the second sheet, and the sheets are pressed together to fuse them. The resulting laminated bread product comprises multiple layers with a sealed edge, the layers being arranged in the following order: a top friable crust, a porous softer upper core layer, a central fusion layer, a porous softer lower core layer, and a bottom friable crust.

Abstract: A gluten-based food product derived from wheat, fortified with L-lysine and flavored to provide a food that is not only a complete protein source high in fiber and low in fat and cholesterol, but one which is exceptionally palatable. To make this product, a protein-rich mass of gluten is extracted from wheat flour. Kneaded, cut, punched or otherwise introduced into the mass is L-lysine powder in an amount sufficient to form in combination with the gluten a complete protein. The l-lysine is intermixed with a seasoning powder which acts as a carrier to distribute the L-lysine throughout the mass and thereby provide a fortified and flavored mass which is then divided into food units.

Abstract: After pita dough has been rolled and prior to baking of the dough to form pita bread, the flat pancake-like dough form is weakened along a perforation or score line on at least one side of the dough form. In the baking process the dough form seals and inflates to form the central void characteristic of pita bread. The perforation or score line forms a weakened section in the inflated skin of the baking dough so that the rupture of the pita skin during the baking process occurs preferentially at the perforation or score line. The pita bread which results from this baking process is easily torn at the perforation or score line. Since the perforations cause the baking-caused rupture to be located at the tear line, the pocket formed by the pita bread when it is torn and opened by the user will not include a baking-caused rupture.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dividing a mass of dough into a plurality of individual streams by means of a manifold and fine tuning the flow rate of the individual streams by weir type diaphragm valves so the streams have identical flow rates. Each of the individual streams of dough are simultaneously cut into identical dough pieces by a rotating driver by a four-bar link mechanism.

Abstract: A wrapping leaf for use in the automated assembly of egg rolls, or for wrapping other comestible formed into an elongate cylindrical mass, is elliptical in planform and its minor axis is of a length not more than twice the axial length of the cylindrical mass plus twice the diameter thereof, the major axis of the ellipse being appreciatably longer than said minor axis.

Abstract: An endless conveyor transporting a plurality of juxtaposed shaping plates containing apertures therethrough is positioned such that a lower horizontal run of the shaping plates is positioned above and in alignment with a portion of an upper horizontal run of a belt conveyor and such that a lower surface of the plates abut the upper run of the belt conveyor for forming, by reason of the plate apertures and belt conveyor surface, article shaping cells. Means are provided for filling the cells with material to be formed into individual articles. The plates containing material in the cells are transported to a movable ejector unit having pistons which correspond in number, arrangement and shape with the number, arrangement and shape of the apertures of the plates.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing dough for bread or pastry in which no excessive pressure is imparted to the dough. In this method kneaded dough is divided into dough portions, each portion is weighed, and the dough portions are placed to occupy a space proportional to the weight of each portion. By regulating the width and thickness of each portion, a dough strip having uniform dimensions is provided. Then shaped dough pieces are processed through cutting and shaping steps. The possibility of the gluten network being damaged by an excessive pressure is eliminated. Thus puffy and tasty bread or pastry made of such dough, and having an excellent quality, can be provided when the dough is baked.

Abstract: A method for continuously producing a dough strip of substantially uniform dimensions is disclosed. The method is carried out in an apparatus (2) comprising a hopper (4) having a divider (8) at its bottom, a conveyor (10) with a weighing device (12), a transfer conveyor (13), a thickness defining device (24) mounted on the transfer conveyor (13) and width defining members (26) between the transfer conveyor (13) and the thickness defining device (24). Dough portions supplied from the hopper (4) are weighed and supplied onto the transfer conveyor (13) one after another. By regulating the width and thickness of each dough portion, the length of the dough portion is made proportional to its weight. A new dough portion is supplied onto the transfer conveyor when the conveyor has conveyed the preceding dough portion a distance proportional to the weight thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing a dough strip of substantially uniform dimensions is provided. The apparatus (2) comprises a hopper (4) having a divider (8) at its bottom, a conveyor (10) with a weighing device (12), a transfer conveyor (13), a thickness defining device (24) mounted on the transfer conveyor (13) and the width defining members (26) between the transfer conveyor (13) and the thickness defining device (24). In this apparatus, the dough portions supplied from the hopper (4) are weighed and supplied onto the transfer conveyor (13) one after another. By regulating the width and thickness of the dough, the length of the dough is made to be proportional to its weight. Thus the dough portion is supplied onto the transfer conveyor when it has conveyed the preceding dough portion a distance proportional to the weight thereof. The dough portions are connected to each other to make a dough strip when they pass through the thickness defining device (24) and the width defining members (26).

Abstract: A method for shaping a spherical body consiting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide one each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body.The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.

Abstract: A process for preparing a yeast raised doughnut comprising fermenting a dough, degassing the same, cutting and forming the dough and then frying the same in oil.

Abstract: A deep-fat fried expanded snack product is made from a moist dough according to a technique which prevents undue distortion of the snack during frying. The dough can include cooked potato solids, masa, and/or one or more cereal flours, with a moisture content of about 35% to 60% at the time of frying. An amount of ungelatinized starch can be present in the dough when fried. In one embodiment, the dough is extruded as a pair of separate long, thin strands which are formed into a composite dough piece by adhering the strands by surface contact along the long dimension of the strands. The two adherent strands can be straight solid dough pieces in side-by-side contact, or the strands can be twisted together to form a braid. In another embodiment, a sheeted dough piece can be slit lengthwise along its center and partially through the depth of the dough piece to form the equivalent of a pair of adhering strands.

Abstract: Assortments of thin uniformly bakeable, and baked, goods such as biscuits, crackers or cookies are efficiently provided. For example, a uniformly baked sample of chemically leavened laminated buttery-flavored thin crackers can be prepared having about 33 percent by number nickel size items, about 33 percent by number dime size items and the remainder quarter size items on a continuous basis on one production line employing a regularly interposited array formed with an appropriately analogous cutting die.

Abstract: A mass of flowable food material is extruded to form a moving, continuous, flexible extrudate ribbon that is cured to form a continuous, semi-rigid ribbon. During curing, the ribbon is fed between a pair of pull rollers that pull the ribbon at a rate of speed that is faster than the extrusion rate of the ribbon, to thereby stretch the ribbon while being cured into semi-rigidity. The semi-rigid ribbon then is fed between a cutter roller and an opposing backup roller, the cutter roller including outwardly projecting, transversely mounted blades with edges that bias against an outer support surface of the backup roller during cutting. The opposing cutter and backup rollers rotate at substantially the same speed as the pull rollers to cut the semi-rigid ribbon with cuts that are substantially perpendicular to the direction of ribbon travel, thereby forming individual food pieces having substantially planar cut faces.

Abstract: An improved machine for manufacturing short cut varieties of Italian pasta ("orecchiette", etc.) comprises three cascaded units: a first unit, with screw feeders, by which pasta mix is fed in and extruded into sticks; a second unit by which the pasta sticks are cut into cylindrical pellets; and a third unit by which the pasta pellets are gathered up and shaped, comprising a first knurled roller and a forming plate with a bead, which operate in conjunction to the end of flattening and curling the pellet, and a second roller in soft material that rotates in the opposite direction to the first roller and interacts with a third roller, carrying a projection, to form the pasta into the typical cup shape of the varieties in question.

Abstract: A dough cutter which has a complete set of cursive alphabetic letters (22) raised on the top of individual cutter bodies (20) that attach together forming a continuous combination of letters. On the side of each body opposite the letters is an extended cutting blade (26) outwardly deployed from the body in the form of a border of the raised letter the same as on the top, except in mirror image. A method of attachment is employed, in three embodiments, each holding a number of bodies together forming a continuous combination of letters. When the cutter is pressed into baking dough, a continuous combination of letters is formed in infinite variations heretofore unachievable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatically powered automatic apparatus and method for subdividing one or more loaves of dough supported in a partitioned single use, nonmetallic tray at a processing station intermediate the opposite ends of a conveyor. A tray of dough is introduced into the apparatus as a tray of subdivided dough exits onto the conveyor. The dough subdivider functions to draw the skin of the roll of dough from the upper and lower sides thereof permanently into closely spaced relation between adjacent subdivisions of dough thereby leaving the subdivisions connected solely by a web which is readily frangible when the dough is baked. The dough subdivider operates dry and free of lubricant. Trays of dough exiting from the apparatus are maintained frozen and wrapped until ready for the oven at either a local or a distant comsumption site.

Abstract: An illustrative embodiment of the invention comprises an annular device for preparing pie crusts in which the inner margin of the device defines the central, circular opening. The margin, perpendicular to the base of the device, also forms a cutting edge that slopes away from the opening and toward the base until it intersects a flat working surface for the device. An arcuate surface, curving from the working surface to the base enables the device to be positioned on a breadboard with the cutting edge oriented in the proper direction. By rolling dough deposited in the opening, the opening fills up to the margin and surplus dough flows over the cutting edge and onto the working surface, the cutting edge severing the surplus dough from the shaped mass in the opening. The device, with surplus dough, is lifted smartly away from the breadboard, leaving a circular pie crust of uniform thickness defined by the marginal distance between the base and the crest of the cutting edge.

Abstract: On an extruder for extruding foodstuffs a cutting means consisting of rotatable blades (36, 38, 40, 41) is provided. With the aid of these blades an extruded strand emerging from the nozzle (12) can be cut off or structured at the surface. The cutting blades are driven synchronously.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preparing a patterned baked good by cutting a dough piece and impressing a pattern on the dough piece.

Abstract: Dough pieces are produced in high volume by a plurality of dual extruders spaced across a conveyor and each having a pair of extrusion nozzles aligned in the direction of conveyor travel. A cut-off mechanism severs the dough extrusions to deposit dough pieces on the conveyor. The speed of the conveyor is related to the speed of the cut-off mechanism so that the dough pieces produced by each extruder form a single uniformly spaced line. The extruders are fed from a common supply through individual inlets and means are provided to balance the flow through the nozzles.

Abstract: In a method of operating a co-extruder, a co-extrusion die used during a co-extrusion mode of operation is replaced by a simple extrusion die which is used during a simple extrusion mode of operation. The co-extruder has a pair of juxtaposed outlets one of which is blocked by the simple extrusion die during utilization thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges in a sheet of fresh pasta comprises a pair of meshing but noncontacting identical gear-like elements mounted on rotatively driven parallel shafts. Each gear-like element is a pair of identical bevel-toothed disks abutted together so that the tips of the bevel teeth of one disk are opposite the grooves between the teeth of the other disk, the width of the bevel teeth being appreciably less than the width of the grooves. The novel pasta product of the apparatus features an alignment of longitudinally spaced short slits with undulated edges.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a cylindrical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling into a spherical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling, comprising at least three slidable members adapted to slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. Each of the members has tapered portions (2 and 2'), with slopes (7) comprising a steep gradient portion (4) and a gentle gradient portion (6), to minimize the area of contact between the cylindrical body and the members to bring the dough to the portion at which the body is to be cut and to minimize the likelihood of the dough adhering to the members.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for making individual dough pieces that are of substantially constant size and shape. The method includes the steps of forming a continuous dough rope and laying it on a horizontally-moving conveyor belt. The rope then passes between a pair of horizontally-reciprocating cutting elements which, when closed, cut a dough piece form the rope's end portion. The closed pair of cutting elements also forms a mold having an open top. While the dough piece is momentarily within the mold, a tamping plate is brought vertically downward into contact with the piece, thereby giving it a preselected size and shape. In another particularly preferred embodiment, a channel is formed in the continuous rope's top surface that is subsequently filled with discrete morsels. When the tamping plate is brought into contact with the dough piece, the plate presses the morsels firmly into the dough piece's outer surface.

Abstract: Apparatus for preparing extruded dough pieces. A dough is extruded to form a ribbon of extruded dough. The ribbon of extruded dough is cut into the extruded dough pieces by means of a high velocity liquid jet. The high velocity liquid jet is comprised of (i) water or (ii) water and an edible, long-chain polymer or (iii) an edible, long-chain polymer and an edible oil.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling is provided. A continuously fed cylindrical body, consisting of dough crust and a filling, is constricted by at least three slidable members which form an opening or closes it. The members slide on each other so as to constrict the cylindrical body. The contact area of the members with the surface of the cylindrical body gradually decreases as the opening is closed, thereby constricting the cylindrical body and shaping the spherical body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of dough moulding and a machine for carrying out the method, and in particular, is concerned with cross-panning of the dough piece. One or more incisions are made in the dough piece so that it can be folded, and according to the method of the invention, after the incisions have been formed, the dough piece travels to the dough folding station between a moving element and a stationary control member (which may be a spring loaded control plate) so that the dough piece is forced to turn about its longitudinal axis. The length of this control movement is so arranged that the angular displacement of the dough piece causes the dough hinge or hinges to be in a desired orientation when the dough piece arrives at the folding station. In W-folding the center dough hinge is displaced from the side dough hinges by 180.degree.

Abstract: A dough delivery or divider assembly having a plurality of ports integrally formed in a cylindrical dispensing structure and incorporating an external pressurizing structure wherein a negative pressure or vacuum is applied to the interior of each of the ports from an exterior location relative to the cylindrical surface in which the ports are formed. The vacuum is maintained within the ports until they are exposed to the supply dough within a supply hopper wherein the negative pressure aids forcing of the dough into the ports for transportation to a delivery site at which location the dough portions are removed from the ports.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously cutting a filled cylindrical dough body is provided. The apparatus comprises a conveyor belt and at least one cutter arranged above and perpendicularly to the conveyance path of the conveyor belt. The cutter has a wedge-form blade which penetrates the cylindrical dough body from above, while the dough body is being conveyed, by the combination of a downward movement and repeated lateral movements, whereby the dough is cut into separate filled dough pieces without exposing the filler.