Process for preparing a cooked extruded flour-based product

A continuous process for preparing a cook extruded edible flour-based product comprising:

• (a) feeding flour and a gas forming agent into an extruder said gas forming agent being sufficient to release a gas during a subsequent extrusion step, thereby providing an aerated cell structure in the resultant extruded product;
• (b) feeding water and additional flour into the extruder in amounts effective to prepare a dough having a moisture content of 20 to 40% by weight;
• (c) mixing and kneading the flour, gas forming agent and water to prepare a homogeneous dough;
• and
• (d) extruding the dough while subjecting the dough within the extruder to cooking temperatures within the range of 140.degree. F. to 250.degree. F. under effective pressure and effective shear conditions and for a time effected to set the protein and partially gelatinize the starch in the flour while maintaining the starch granules substantially intact whereby a fully cooked extruded flour-based product is obtained without and additional baking step, the product having the texture, aerated structure, cohesiveness, appearance and rehydration characteristics of a fully baked flour-based product.