Patent ID: 8034393

Claim:
A method for processing whole grains, the method comprising: fracturing and flattening a hard outer shell of a whole grain kernel to form fractures in the hard outer shell, while at substantially the same time contacting the whole grain kernel with steam to partially gelatinize an interior starch portion of the whole grain kernel by raising a temperature of an area of the interior starch portion to at least about 190° F. wherein the grain kernel is contacted with steam for up to 5 seconds; forming a partially gelatinized steam treated flake from the whole grain kernel wherein an interior starch portion of the steam treated flake has a gelatinization range of about 15% to about 35%; and crushing the steam treated flake to form a partially gelatinized crushed whole grain for use in a baking product, the crushed whole grain having an interior starch portion with a gelatinization range of about 15% to about 35%.