When choosing any starch ingredient for bakery, the main two priorities are functionality and labeling. These two factors will narrow the field considerably. Starches provide a wealth of functionality to baked goods, but it depends on the product variety and process.

“Starch functionality can depend on the application but typically provides viscosity control, retains volume and structure, achieves homogenous inclusions throughout crumb, controls stickiness, provides binding and moisture retention, and extends the shelf life by controlling staling,” said Ricardo Rodriguez, marketing manager, bakery/snacks and confectionary categories, Ingredion Inc.

It’s important for bakers to understand exactly what functionality their starch ingredients are contributing to the formulation so that they can correctly choose a starch that can deliver the desired end-product properties.

Ms. Jeradechachai recommended bakers consider which botanical source of starch they prefer and then whether modification is acceptable for their label. Starch can come from a variety of plant sources: wheat, corn, rice, potato and tapioca. Starch from each of these sources and modifications have different functionalities that will inform whether it’s a fit for a particular application.

According to baking ingredient exhibition, two components make up starch: the essentially linear amylose fraction and highly branched amylopectin. Different botanical sources will have different composition and structural features such as starch granule size, shape, amylose and amylopectin ratio. Among many functionalities, amylose contributes to starch gelling tendency, and amylopectin is primarily responsible for its thickening ability. To alter its gelling, thickening, binding and nutritional properties, starch undergoes chemical and/or process modifications.

Wheat starch has a plethora of functionality including improving texture, viscosity, gel formation, adhesion, binding and moisture retention and works well in bakery products because of its natural compatibility with wheat flour and proteins. Corn, tapioca, rice and potato starches also have the added bonus of being gluten-free.

All these starch sources are available in their native or modified versions for improved functionality and ease-of-use. It all depends on the formulation’s needs. Native starches (cook-up starch) require an additional cooking step to kick start the gelatinization process. The pregelatinization process is used to make pre-gel or instant starch, which does not require the additional cooking step, and can swell in cold water. Pre-gel starch is often used for batter viscosity control. Modified starch can be either cook-up or pregelatinized, and various types are available. Oxidized starch aids in adhesion and crispiness of products; cross-linked starch is used to enhance dietary fiber and improve tolerance during high shear, low acidity and temperature-intensive processing. Substituted starch provides increased viscosity, freeze-thaw or refrigerated stability, and combinations of starch modifications are also available with improved functionalities. While understanding the process a formulation will go through — mixing times, oven times, etc. — can be helpful in determining the appropriate starch ingredient, Ms. Jeradechachai explained the ingredient supplier needs some basic information to make a good recommendation.

“We need to know their problem, the application, the processing conditions, what they are trying to achieve and what starch they are currently using,” she said. “We can offer a good solution from there.”

When considering functionality, Brook Carson, vice president, R&D, Manildra Group USA, noted that starch lends a hand in one of two places: the mixing bowl and finished product texture. This will help determine what kind of starch a baker requires.

“Understanding what your starch is contributing is a good place to start: Are you using starch to manage dough or batter viscosity or manage texture in the finished product?” she asked. “Do you want that viscosity to happen in the bowl, or do you want that viscosity to happen as it starts to cook or bake?”

This question, for example, might impact whether a baker chooses a pre-gel or cook-up starch. Pre-gel starches do not require heat to reach their full functionality in the way that cook-up starches do, and they are well suited to applications that require quick hydration or room temperature processing. These starches can also contribute moisture retention in addition to other functionalities. Cook-up starches require a minimum cooking temperature and time to reach their full functionality, but they add viscosity; resist acid, heat and shear; increase stability; and provide clarity in both fresh and frozen applications. If bakers need viscosity and texture management at both ends of the process — the mixing bowl and the oven — they might even consider using both types of starches.

“You might use cook-up and pre-gel together, so you get some viscosity in the bowl and then finish it off in the oven,” Ms. Carson explained. “Or maybe you use two different types of starch for the same reason: functionality in the bowl as well as finished product texture.”

When committed to or making the switch to native starches, said Shiva Elayedath, principal technical account manager for starch, Cargill, recommended that combining native starches with other ingredients can address lost functionality while moving away from modified starches. These ingredient blends can also add to the finished product texture. However, ingredient blends require relying on the technical expertise of suppliers.

Bakery China will continue to share more industry professional content with you, so please stay tuned!

Bakery China, organized by China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry (CABCI) and Bakery China Exhibitions Co., Ltd. was launched since 1997. Bakery China is the Asia Pacific's leading event serving the entire value chain for the bakery and confectionery market. The event presents all range of ingredient, equipment, packaging and services, and enables global leading professionals and buyer delegates to meet and share the latest innovations and thinking on manufacturing & distribution, R&D, applications and related services for bakery industry.It is the first choice trade fair to enter China's bakery market.

The 26th Bakery China will be held on May 21-24,2024 at National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Shanghai, covering 320,000 sqm show space. Over 2,200 exhibitors and 400,000 visits are expected.

(source:Baking Business)