Starches
Pages 65-74
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/1891127012.007
ISBN: 1-891127-01-2
Abstract
Topics Covered
- Bakery Products
- Cakes, Muffins, and Brownies
- Cookies
- Fillings and Glazes, Icings, and Frostings
- Extruded Products
- Batters and Breadings
- Troubleshooting
Introduction to Chapter
The role of starch in baked goods is usually associated with the native starch found in wheat flour. For example, most commercial wheat varieties range from about 8 to 16% protein and about 71 to 79% carbohydrate, which is primarily starch. Whether a hard (high-protein) wheat flour is being used for making bread and pasta or a soft (low-protein) wheat flour for cakes, cookies, and crackers, the key point is that the characteristics of the final product usually depend upon the unique synergy between the starch, protein, and other ingredients present in the dough or bakery mix. Starch behavior in these products is a function of the type of flour used, the product formulation (i.e., the other ingredients such as salts, sugars, emulsifiers, and shortening), processing conditions, and final baking requirements.
Adding modified starches to baked goods provides benefits that might not come from the use of flour alone. Given the limited amount of moisture in baked goods, particularly after baking, the primary benefits of adding modified starches are moisture retention and improvement of the texture. They also improve cell structure, increase volume and machinability, enhance shelf life, and keep particles from settling. For example, a pregelatinized starch with the ability to swell in unheated water is used in products such as thin muffin batters containing particles (e.g., blueberries) that would otherwise settle to the bottom before the thickening effect of the wheat starch is achieved during baking.
Modified starches, particularly lightly crosslinked and substituted pregelatinized starches, are perhaps the most functional in baked goods. A pregelatinized starch helps bind what relatively little moisture is present, thus providing improved tenderness in the final baked product, and contributes to the development of a fine, uniform cell structure.
A problem common to almost all baked goods is staling. In fact, staling begins as soon as baking is complete and cooling begins. Substituted pregelatinized starches help baked goods retain moisture after baking, thus extending shelf life.
