Wheat starch effects on the textural characteristics of puffed brown rice cakes

A process was described for creating puffed wheat starch based or hybrid st arch and rice snack foods processed in a rice cake puffing machine. Puffed cakes consisting of wheat starch and whole grain brown rice, created by mix ing wheat starch beads with brown rice before processing and puffing for 10 sec (cooking time) at 210 degrees C, exhibited greater flexibility and fra cture strength than traditional rice cakes. The density of puffed wheat sta rch cakes decreased with increasing moisture content independent of particl e size for particles 0.8-5 mm in diameter. The addition of sucrose and shor tening promoted the formation of lower density puffed cakes at lower moistu res, while salt had little effect.