Reduced calorie, high fiber content breads and methods of making same

Claim 1

A dough for making a bread product having substantially more fiber and fewer calories than conventional bread of the same type and of equal weight and volume made from conventional dough comprising conventional flour and water and a texture and eating quality substantially identical to said conventional bread, said high fiber, low calorie dough comprising: an amount of conventional flour less than that in said conventional dough; an amount of powdered alpha-cellulose sufficient to provide said bread product with at least 25% fewer calories than said conventional bread, wherein said powdered alpha-cellulose has a particle size such that at least 70% of the alpha-cellulose particles pass through a 200 mesh screen and said amount of said alpha-cellulose weighs about 22-25% of the weight of said amount of flour and comprises a substitute for a significant portion of the flour in said conventional dough; an amount of gluten weighing at least 5% of the weight of said amount of flour and sufficient to substantially replace protein lost in the product by substituting said powdered alpha-cellulose for a portion of the flour in said conventional dough; and an amount of water greater than that in said conventional dough, wherein said amount of water weighs between 110% and 125% of the weight of said amount of flour and provides said high fiber, low calorie dough with handling characteristics similar to those of said conventional dough.