Cereal Chem 52:702 - 713.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Visual Observation of Wheat-Starch Gelatinization in Limited Water Systems.

R. I. Derby, B. S. Miller, B. F. Miller, and H. B. Trimbo. Copyright 1975 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Direct microscopic observation of starch in limited water systems was employed in the development of a visual reference series of gelatinized starch granule structures; this series can be used as an aid in relating these structures to the quality of the final baked or cooked food products. In these products the swelling of starch is controlled not only by temperature but also by the amount of moisture available to the starch granules. The availability of water is determined by the formula or recipe used and by the presence of ingredients or components such as proteins, pentosans, and sugars which compete with starch for water. The amount of moisture which is available for starch gelatinization is also determined by the degree of protection against water absorption which fat provides to the starch particles. Data obtained in this study suggest that the recognized value of pin-milling cake flour may be owing to the release of starch granules from the protection of the protein matrix and, consequently, to greater contact and reaction between starch and water.