Narrator:
FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO GRAB
A QUICK BITE FOR BREAKFAST,
THE INVENTION OF
THE TOASTER PASTRY IN THE
1960s
WAS THE GREATEST THING
SINCE SLICED BREAD.
FINALLY,
THE TOASTER COULD BE USED
FOR MORE THAN TOASTING BREAD,
AND THE TOASTER PASTRY WAS
DEFINITELY A SWEET
ALTERNATIVE.
THE TOASTER PASTRY RETAINS
ITS SWEETNESS DURING TOASTING.
THE SYRUPY FILLING AND
FROSTING
DON'T MELT OUT
AND INTO THE TOASTER.
IT'S ALL BECAUSE
OF THE INGREDIENTS
AND HOW THEY COME TOGETHER.
AT THIS FACTORY,
THEY START BY MAKING
AN ORGANIC PASTRY.
THE BLENDER OPERATOR
LOADS DRY INGREDIENTS,
LIKE RICE BRAN,
INTO THE BLENDER,
FOLLOWED BY A SUGAR SYRUP
AND MOLASSES.
IT'S THE MOLASSES THAT GIVES
THE PASTRY A BROWNISH COLOR.
HE ADDS ORGANIC PALM
SHORTENING
AND ORGANIC GRANULATED SUGAR.
THE FLOUR AND WATER ARE PIPED
INTO THE BLENDER BARREL.
SPIRALING MIXERS BLEND
AND KNEAD THE DOUGH
TO THE DESIRED CONSISTENCY.
NEXT, IT'S INTO A HOPPER
THAT FEEDS THE DOUGH
BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS.
THEY SQUEEZE
AND FLATTEN THE DOUGH
INTO A SHEET THAT'S ABOUT
8/10 OF AN INCH THICK.
A CONVEYOR MOVES
THE TOASTER-PASTRY DOUGH
FORWARD
TO SETS OF LARGER ROLLERS.
THEY APPLY SERIOUS PRESSURE
TO ROLL THE DOUGH MUCH
THINNER.
WHEELS AT THE SIDES
FOLD BACK THE DOUGH
AS THE WIDTH EXPANDS.
A DUSTING OF FLOUR
TO THE ROLLERS
KEEPS THINGS FROM GETTING
TOO STICKY.
COMING OFF THE FINAL ROLLERS,
THE THICKNESS OF THE DOUGH HAS
BEEN REDUCED TO 2/10 OF A
INCH.
AT ANOTHER STATION,
THEY WHIPPED UP A BATCH
OF CHERRY POMEGRANATE JAM.
THE JAM IS HEARTY AND THICK,
SO IT WON'T RUN
AS NOZZLES PUMP THE JAM
ONTO THE ROLLED PASTRY SHEET.
EACH TOASTER PASTRY RECEIVES
THREE STRINGS OF JAM.
THIS DEPOSITOR SYSTEM
FILLS 10 TARTS AT A TIME.
IT WORKS OUT
TO 390 TARTS A MINUTE.
A SECOND SHEET OF DOUGH HEADS
TOWARDS THE JAM-FILLED ONE.
EN ROUTE,
A SPIKED ROLLER PUNCHES HOLES
FOR VENTING STEAM DURING
BAKING.
WITHOUT THESE HOLES,
THE PRESSURE WOULD BUILD
AND THE TOASTER PASTRIES
WOULD EXPLODE.
THE TOP SHEET OF PASTRY
NOW MERGES WITH THE BOTTOM
ONE.
THE CONVEYOR BELTS MOVE IT
EXACTLY THE SAME SPEED,
SO THE TOP PASTRY LANDS
IN PERFECT ALIGNMENT
ON THE JAM-FILLED ONE.
A CYLINDER
WITH A BRASS GRID PATTERN
BEARS DOWN ON THE PASTRY
TO COMPRESS IT
BETWEEN THE JAM FILLINGS.
THIS FORMS POCKETS OF JAM.
A CYLINDRICAL BLADE
SLICES THE PASTRY
INTO INDIVIDUAL TARTS.
A DEVICE PULLS OFF
THE SIDE TRIMMINGS.
THE TOASTER PASTRIES
TRAVEL THROUGH
A 150-FOOT-LONG CONVECTION
OVEN
HEATED TO
300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
THE OPERATOR KEEPS A CLOSE
WATCH
FOR LEAKING JAM.
THAT WOULD BE A SIGN
OF BAD SEALS
IN THE PASTRY POCKETS.
HE REJECTS ANY WITH LEAKS.
HE ALSO KEEPS AN EYE
ON THE COLOR
AS THE PASTRIES BROWN.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE TOO DARK
OR TOO LIGHT.
FRESH OUT OF THE MIXER,
THE PINK FROSTING NOW FLOWS
ONTO A REVOLVING BELT
THAT SPREADS IT
ONTO THE TOASTER PASTRIES
AT JUST THE RIGHT THICKNESS.
THEY'VE ADDED A BIT OF STARCH
TO THE ICING,
AND IT'S THIS STARCH THAT
ALLOWS
THE ICING TO HARDEN AND SET
SO IT WON'T MELT AND DRIP INTO
THE TOASTER DURING TOASTING.
THEY SPRINKLE
GRANULATED COLORED SUGAR
ONTO THE TOASTER PASTRIES.
THEY CALL THIS TOPPING
THE CRUNCHLETS.
THE CRUNCHLETS ADD BOTH FLAVOR
AND TEXTURE TO THE PASTRY.
ONCE COOLED,
THE TOASTER PASTRIES TRANSFER
FROM ONE CONVEYOR TO ANOTHER.
A BREAKER ROLLER SNAPS THEM
AT THE CRIMP LINE
TO SEPARATE THEM
INTO GROUPS OF TWO.
THE COMPLETED TARTS
HEAD TOWARDS THE PACKAGING
LINE.
AN OPERATOR DOES A VISUAL
INSPECTION AS THEY PASS BY.
MECHANICAL ARMS PUSH THE TARTS
INTO ALUMINUM WRAPPING.
HOT ROLLERS SEAL AND CUT
THE WRAP AT THE ENDS.
THIS WRAPPING PRESERVES
THE TARTS FOR EIGHT MONTHS,
NO PRESERVATIVES NEEDED.
SUCTIONING ARMS
GRAB AND OPEN CARTONS
TO ACCEPT THE FOIL-WRAPPED
TOASTER PASTRIES.
IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR
TO MANUFACTURE
A BOX OF TOASTER PASTRIES,
AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR A TOAST.
