US 6,616,957 B1 · Method of stabilizing graham flour, and cracker produced from said flour

Abstract

A process is provided for making reduced fat, low fat or no-fat graham-based crackers and flour for the production thereof. The process for making the flour includes providing whole wheat berries having a moisture content of from about 15% by weight to about 20% by weight, radiating the berries with infrared (IR) energy, optionally maintaining the berries at an elevated temperature of from about 80° C. to about 110° C. for a period of time up to about one hour, and cooling, drying and comminuting the treated berries. The moisture content of the berries can be adjusted by moistening or tempering the berries prior to treatment with IR energy. The moisture content, optional tempering conditions, amount of irradiated IR energy, the elevated temperature, and the various treatment periods are sufficient to inactivate lipase and lipoxygenase in the berries yet insufficient to gelatinize more than about 20% of the starch in the berries. The graham flour has excellent shelf-life stability, and can be used to obtain machinable doughs on a mass production, continuous basis. Baked goods made from the flour have a surprisingly crunchy texture.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A process for making reduced fat, low fat or no-fat graham crackers comprising:

(A) subjecting whole wheat berries to a heat treatment comprising exposure to infrared (IR) energy under conditions sufficient to at least substantially inactivate lipase and lipoxygenase while controlling the extent of gelatinization of starch in the whole berries,
(B) cooling the heated whole berries after said heat treatment to prevent further gelatinization of the starch;
(C) if the moisture content of the cooled berries is not within the range of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight, treating the cooled whole berries to obtain a moisture content of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight;
(D) comminuting the cooled whole berries having a moisture content of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight to obtain a graham flour;
(E) admixing the graham flour with ingredients comprising water to form a machinable dough;
(F) forming the dough into pieces;
and
(G) baking the pieces to obtain a cracker having a crunchy texture,
wherein the whole wheat berries have a moisture content of from about 15% by weight to about 20% by weight immediately prior to said exposure to IR energy, and
wherein said extent of gelatinization of starch in said whole wheat berries remains less than 20%, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

7 more elements

A process for making reduced fat, low fat or no-fat graham crackers comprising:

(A) subjecting whole wheat berries to a heat treatment, said heat treatment comprising exposure to infrared (IR) energy to heat said berries to a first temperature of from about 90° C. to about 120° C. for a first period of time, said heat treatment being sufficient to at least substantially inactivate lipase and lipoxygenase while controlling the extent of gelatinization of starch in the whole berries;
(B) cooling the heated whole berries promptly after said heat treatment to a temperature of about 73° C. or lower to prevent further gelatinization of the starch;
(C) if the moisture content of the cooled berries is not within the range of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight, adjusting the moisture content of the cooled whole berries to be from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight;
(D) comminuting the cooled whole berries having a moisture content of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight to obtain a graham flour;
(E) admixing the graham flour with ingredients comprising water to form a machinable dough;
(F) forming the dough into pieces;
and
(G) baking the pieces to obtain a cracker having a crunchy texture, wherein said berries have a moisture content of from about 15% by weight to about 20% by weight immediately prior to said heat treatment,
and wherein said extent of gelatinization of starch in said whole wheat berries remains less than about 20%, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

6 more elements

A process for making shelf-stable graham flour which provides a crunchy texture in baked goods comprising:

(A) subjecting whole wheat berries to a heat treatment, said heat treatment comprising exposure to infrared (IR) energy to heat said berries to a first temperature of from about 90° C. to about 120° C. for a first period of time, said heat treatment being sufficient to at least substantially inactivate lipase and lipoxygenase while controlling the extent of gelatinization of starch in the whole berries;
(B) cooling the heated whole berries promptly after said heat treatment to a temperature of about 73° C. or lower to prevent further gelatinization of the starch;
(C) if the moisture content of the cooled berries is not within the range of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight, adjusting the moisture content of the cooled whole berries to be from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight;
and
(D) comminuting the cooled whole berries having a moisture content of from about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight to obtain a graham flour;
wherein said berries have a moisture content of from about 15% by weight to about 20% by weight immediately prior to said heat treatment,
and wherein said extent of gelatinization of starch remains less than about 20% of the total starch in the berries, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of stabilizing graham flour, and cracker produced from said flour

Life of this patent

Method of stabilizing graham flour, and cracker produced from said flour

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims60