Abstract: The present invention describes ready-to-eat cereal flakes desirably exhibiting higher numbers of discernible grain fragments of at least 1 mm2 as well as processes for preparing said cereal flakes. By having high numbers of discernible grain fragments the flakes exhibit greater consumer appeal as being less highly processed. More specifically, the present invention provides ready-to-eat cereal flakes fabricated from cooked cereal dough having at least 20 discernible grain fragments per gram of flakes. Methods for preparing such flakes including a steeping step of cut grain particles having a particle size of 0.5 to 2.5 mm with warm water to have a moisture content of about 20%, short residence time cooking to form a cooked cereal dough such as in a twin screw extruder, long residence time cooking, forming into pellets, drying the pellets, tempering, flaking the pellets and toasting to form the improved speckled R-T-E flake cereal.

Abstract: A ready-to-eat cereal based food product such as flakes desirably exhibiting higher numbers of discernible grain fragments of at least 1 mm2 is provided, as well as processes for preparing said cereal flakes. By having high numbers of discernible grain fragments the flakes exhibit greater consumer appeal as being less highly processed. More specifically, the ready-to-eat cereal flakes are fabricated from cooked cereal dough having at least 20 discernible grain fragments per gram of flakes. Methods for preparing such flakes including a steeping step of cut grain particles having a particle size of 0.5 to 2.5 mm with warm water to have a moisture content of about 20%, short residence time cooking to form a cooked cereal dough such as in a twin screw extruder, long residence time cooking, forming into pellets, drying the pellets, tempering, flaking the pellets and toasting to form the improved speckled R-T-E flake cereal.