Cheese-based dry flake product for bakery purposes

This invention provides a cheese-based dry flake product for incorporation into baked goods and flour confections, and methods of manufacture. The dry flake product comprises from 0 to 2 % moisture, from about 20 % to about 50 % cheese solids, and the balance is a cheese-compatible and bakery-compatible oil that is substantially liquid at about 40 DEG C and as much as 43 % to 66 % of solid fats balance liquid fats, at about 10 DEG C. The cheese solids are naturally occurring cheese solids derived from cheeses from which substantially all water has been removed, and thereby comprise the butterfat, protein and lactose constituents of cheese. The cheese-compatible and bakery-compatible oil is chosen from the group consisting of suitable vegetable oils and butter oils, and mixtures thereof, which exhibit generally similar solid fat index and melting points as those of butterfat. Moreover, the cheese-compatible and bakery-compatible oil is miscible with the butterfat constituent of the cheese solids, in any proportion, at temperatures of about 35 DEG C to about 40 DEG C, so as to make a substantially homogenous mixture therewith, in which the protein and lactose constituents are held in suspension. The method of manufacture provides for mixture of the ingredients so that the solids are suspended in the oils. Oil crystallization is initiated in a tempering unit, and the tempered product is deposited on a moving belt which passes through a cooling tunnel to cool and crystallize the fats to produce a dried flake product. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.