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Gelatinization
Appears in
Published 2014
Starches are important to cooks because of their function as thickeners for sauces and other liquids, and they are important to bakers because they supply most of the bulk of breads and other baked goods.
As described in the sidebar, starch molecules consist of long chains. In their raw form, these molecules are packed into tiny bundles called starch granules. These granules change form in the presence of water and heat.
To demonstrate how starches behave when heated, first mix a little cornstarch with cold water and let it stand. You will see that the starch settles to the bottom. It does not dissolve in water as sugar does.