When making a change in starch ingredients in a bakery application, replacing the functionality of the original starch ingredient is first and foremost. This ensures that the dough or batter viscosity is the same and the finished product texture is as expected. However, it can be easy for formulators to assume the job is done once functionality and texture are replaced. A successful replacement requires more thoroughness than that. 

“Sometimes viscosity and analytical measurements don’t translate exactly to the finished baked product, so it’s important to make sure you evaluate the starch thoroughly and not just limit yourself to viscosity,” explained Brook Carson, vice president, R&D, Manildra Group USA. “You want to evaluate the viscosity over a temperature range, not just a single point in time. Gelatinization temperature is a critical parameter to consider as well.” 

While a starch may mimic the viscosity needed in the dough matrix or batter coming out of the mixing bowl, it may not perform the same way in the oven or even over time on the shelf. This is critical because starch gelatinization, the process that contributes so much to a finished baked goods’ texture, has a direct impact on water binding. As the starch retrogrades in a finished product, it lets go of that moisture, which causes the baked good to stale. Understanding this process for each starch is critical to ensuring one starch can effectively replace another. This is especially critical when going from a modified starch, which may be optimized for extended shelf life, to a native starch.

“Modified starches are highly functional in formulas,” said Shiva Elayedath, principal technical account manager for starch, Cargill. “Switching to a native starch might initially produce a similar texture, but you may see a reduction in stability over shelf life as the product is more prone to staling.” 

Starches are complicated ingredients. They provide a lot of incredible functionality across many bakery applications, from bread to cakes to fillings and others. 

“It’s usually not as simple as providing an alternative product in a one-for-one swap,” said Julia DesRochers, PhD, senior principal scientist, Tate & Lyle. “Rather understanding about how various ingredients function and interact in bakery applications to help navigate technical requirements to a quick development turnaround, critical in dealing with supply chain challenges and formulation modifications.” 

From the different botanical sources to modified vs. native starch, it’s imperative that when replacing a starch or choosing one in the first place, bakers work closely with ingredient suppliers to eliminate guesswork.

“We have some customers who say they want a specific type of starch, but then they can’t tell me why, and the communications from bakers help me provide good solutions for them,” said Tanya Jeradechachai, vice president of research and development, MGP Ingredients. “Working with a reliable supplier who understands starch will help them for ease-of-use, and resolve problems faster.” 

Starch ingredients are more readily available today, but bakers will benefit from understanding how their starches function in their formulation and process. That way their starch ingredients are optimized, and they’ll be ready for future challenges.

This article is an excerpt from the November 2023 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Starches, click here.