Protein-rich baking product and method for its manufacture

Claim 1

A process for making a protein-rich baked product having an extended shelf-life and which can be cleanly sliced. consisting essentially of the steps of: adding approximately 60 to 70 parts by weight vital wheat protein having a moisture content of approximately 8-13% and a quantity of cereal starch having a moisture content of approximately 10 to 15% sufficient to make 100 parts by weight to not more than 70 parts by weight of water whereby there is less water than that which the mixture has the capacity to absorb; then kneading the mixture of vital wheat protein, cereal starch, and water until it reaches a consistency which will register from approximately 600 to 650 units on a Brabender farinograph; allowing the kneaded mixture to stand for approximately 30 to 90 minutes at a temperature of from 30° to 15° C to develop the inner structure of the dough; subsequently cutting the dough into pieces as required by the product to be prepared; and thereafter baking the dough pieces at a temperature which is initially at approximately 210° C and which decreases to 190° C for a period of time sufficient to form a crust; the steam formed during baking effecting expansion of the baked product, free from requiring chemical leavening agents.