Forced moisture evacuation for rapid baking

Abstract

A baking device is provided. The baking device includes a housing enclosing a baking compartment and an air handling compartment, the air handling compartment and the baking compartment being separated by a pressure panel that defines a rear wall of the baking compartment, the pressure panel including an aperture allowing fluid communication between the baking and air handling compartments. A blower wheel is mounted in conjunction with the aperture, such that rotation of the blower wheel urges air movement from the baking compartment and into the air handling compartment. A secondary blower is arranged in fluid communication with the air handling compartment, wherein operation of the secondary blower urges ambient air into the air handling compartment.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of baking a food product, comprising:
 adjusting a humidity of air within a baking compartment of a baking device to a first humidity greater than a humidity of ambient air;   receiving an unrisen food product within the baking compartment;   allowing the unrisen food product to rest within the baking compartment for a time to allow the unrisen food product to rise in a presence of the first humidity;   operating a secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment to increase a pressure within the baking compartment to urge air having the first humidity to exit the baking compartment to the atmosphere after the time to allow the unrisen food product to rise is complete, wherein operating the secondary blower further comprises cycling the secondary blower to replace 5 volumes of air within the baking compartment to ensure that the humidity of the baking compartment is decreased from the first humidity to a baking humidity; and   heating the baking compartment to bake the food product.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of operating the secondary blower after the heating step is complete. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of operating the secondary blower until a measured temperature is within a range suitable for receiving another unrisen food product within the baking compartment and to allow the another unrisen food product to rest within the baking compartment for a time to allow the another unrisen food product to rise. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the baking device includes a blower wheel that is configured to selectively spray liquid when the blower wheel is rotating, and wherein adjusting the humidity of air within a baking compartment of a baking device to the first humidity greater than a humidity of ambient air comprises spraying liquid onto the blower wheel to increase the humidity of air within the baking compartment. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising a step of operating the blower wheel after the step of heating the baking compartment to bake the food product is complete and after a step of monitoring a removal of the food product from the baking compartment is complete. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising maintaining, by a controller, the first humidity of air within the cooking compartment as the unrisen food product within the baking compartment is allowed to rise. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the baking device further comprises a flapper configured to prevent a flow of air from within an air handling compartment of the baking device into the secondary blower, the method further comprising providing, by the controller, a signal to open the flapper prior to operating the secondary blower. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising monitoring, with a humidity sensor, the humidity within the baking compartment as the secondary blower is operated. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of operating the secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment to increase pressure within the baking compartment and the step of heating the baking compartment to bake the food product are performed sequentially and without any operator action and without any manual reconfiguration of the baking device. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising a step of discontinuing the operation of the secondary blower before the step of heating the baking compartment to bake the food product is performed. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of opening a door positioned in a vent from the baking compartment to expose the baking compartment to the atmosphere in conjunction with the step of operating the secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment and further comprising the step of closing the door positioned in the vent from the baking compartment when the operation of the secondary blower is secured to conceal the baking compartment from the atmosphere. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of operating the secondary blower to replace 5 volumes of air within the baking compartment to ensure that the humidity of the baking compartment is decreased from the first humidity to a baking humidity further comprises operating the secondary blower to replace 10 volumes of air within the baking compartment. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein heating the baking compartment to bake the food product comprises operating a blower wheel mounted adjacent an aperture in a pressure panel separating the baking compartment and an air handling compartment to urge air to move through the aperture in a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the blower wheel from the baking compartment into the air handling compartment, and radially outward from the blower wheel across a first surface of the pressure panel opposite from a second surface of the pressure panel facing the baking compartment before returning to the baking compartment. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein operating a secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment to increase a pressure within the baking compartment to urge air having the first humidity to exit the baking compartment to the atmosphere after the time to allow the unrisen food product to rise is complete comprises operating the secondary blower while a blower wheel is operating. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein operation of the secondary blower further comprises cycling the secondary blower to replace 10 volumes of air within the baking compartment. 
     
     
         35 . A method of baking a food product, comprising:
 adjusting a humidity of air within a baking compartment of a baking device to a first humidity greater than a humidity of ambient air;   receiving an unrisen food product within the baking compartment;   allowing the unrisen food product to rest within the baking compartment for a time to allow the unrisen food product to rise in a presence of the first humidity;   operating a secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment to increase a pressure within the baking compartment to urge air having the first humidity to exit the baking compartment to the atmosphere after the time to allow the unrisen food product to rise is complete, wherein operating the secondary blower further comprises cycling the secondary blower to replace 5 volumes of air within the baking compartment to ensure that the humidity of the baking compartment is decreased from the first humidity to a baking humidity; and   heating the baking compartment to bake the food product;   wherein the step of operating the secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment to increase pressure within the baking compartment and the step of heating the baking compartment to bake the food product are performed sequentially and without any operator action and without any manual reconfiguration of the baking device; and   further comprising the step of opening a door positioned in a vent from the baking compartment to expose the baking compartment to the atmosphere in conjunction with the step of operating the secondary blower to inject ambient air into the baking compartment and further comprising the step of closing the door positioned in the vent from the baking compartment when the operation of the secondary blower is discontinued to conceal the baking compartment from the atmosphere.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of operating the secondary blower after the heating step is complete. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising the step of operating the secondary blower until a measured temperature is within a range suitable for receiving another unrisen food product within the baking compartment and to allow the another unrisen food product to rest within the baking compartment for a time to allow the another unrisen food product to rise. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the baking device includes a blower wheel that is configured to selectively spray liquid when the blower wheel is rotating, and wherein adjusting the humidity of air within a baking compartment of the baking device to the first humidity greater than the humidity of ambient air comprises spraying liquid onto the blower wheel to increase the humidity of air within the baking compartment. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the baking device further comprises a flapper configured to prevent a flow of air from within an air handling compartment of the baking device into the secondary blower, the method further comprising providing, by the controller, a signal to open the flapper prior to operating the secondary blower. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein heating the baking compartment to bake the food product comprises operating a blower wheel mounted adjacent an aperture in a pressure panel separating the baking compartment and an air handling compartment to urge air to move through the aperture in a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the blower wheel from the baking compartment into the air handling compartment, and radially outward from the blower wheel across a first surface of the pressure panel opposite from a second surface of the pressure panel facing the baking compartment before returning to the baking compartment.