Soy base and related method of manufacture

A method for producing a soybean base comprising:

• providing whole soybeans that include proteins, carbohydrates, and endogenous enzymes;
• steeping the soybeans in water to activate the endogenous enzymes;
• draining the water from the soybeans;
• incubating the soybeans to hydrolyze the proteins at a first temperature sufficient to prevent cross-linking of the proteins with the carbohydrates and to prevent formation of visible colloidal conjugates;
• and
• reincubating the soybeans at a second temperature greater than the first temperature to hydrolyze the carbohydrates of the slurry with the endogenous enzymes to form a soybean food base, wherein the reincubating carbohydrate hydrolyzing step is carried out after the incubating, protein hydrolyzing step.

A process for manufacturing a soybean product comprising:

• providing whole soybeans;
• hydrolyzing proteins present in the whole soybeans at a first temperature and for a first duration insufficient to substantially hydrolyze carbohydrates present in the whole soybeans;
• and
• hydrolyzing carbohydrates present in the whole soybeans at a second temperature and for a second duration sufficient to substantially hydrolyze the carbohydrates present in the whole soybeans whereby the hydrolyzed proteins and hydrolyzed carbohydrates are incapable of cross-linking to form colloidal conjugates.