Cold rolled silicon steel samples were annealed at 800degreesC for annealing times varying from 10 to 30 minutes in an inert atmosphere, and in the presence of a 17 Tesla magnetic field oriented parallel to the plane of the sheet. In order to evaluate the effect of the magnetic field, cold rolled samples were annealed at the same conditions as for the magnetic annealing but without the application of the magnetic field. The texture development was analyzed by means of Pole Figure and Orientation Distribution Function using X-Ray diffraction. Magnetic annealing was found to be more effective in enhancing the Goss component in the primary recrystallized microstructure. This finding suggests that silicon steel can be affected by an external magnetic field even when the material is found at its paramagnetic state.