Abstract: A method for making a snack product includes the step of mixing ingredients for the dough with water in a low shear environment using a low shear mixing apparatus to form a dough agglomerate. The ingredients can include a major ingredient, such as potato flakes, corn or grain, and minor ingredients including emulsifier, sugar, salt, leavening and a modified starch having a high affinity for water. During the mixing step the dough agglomerate forms with wetted areas of the major ingredient which are surrounded by wetted high water affinity starch and minor ingredients. The method also includes the step of chopping the dough agglomerate into clumps of a desired size, sheeting the dough agglomerate into a dough sheet, forming the dough sheet into snack pieces, and then cooking the snack pieces.

Abstract: A method for making a snack product includes the step of mixing ingredients for the dough with water in a low shear environment using a low shear mixing apparatus to form a dough agglomerate. The ingredients can include a major ingredient, such as potato flakes, corn or grain, and minor ingredients including emulsifier, sugar, salt, leavening and a modified starch having a high affinity for water. During the mixing step the starch combines with water, and attaches to the major ingredient, while other areas of the dough include starch and other minor ingredients. This forms a dough agglomerate having wetted areas of the major ingredient which are surrounded by wetted high water affinity starch and minor ingredients. The method also includes the step of chopping the dough agglomerate clumps of a desired size, sheeting the dough agglomerate into a dough sheet, forming the dough sheet into snack pieces, and then cooking the snack pieces.

Abstract: A process for forming a snack product and a snack formed therefrom with discontinuous characteristics. The process includes forming a first highly cohesive dough and a second less cohesive dough matrix, combining the first and second discrete dough components into a composite dough sheet, cutting the dough sheet into a multiplicity of dough preforms, and frying the preforms to produce a snack with discontinuous characteristics.