The Roles of Sugar in Bread Baking

Although sugar has been an important commodity worldwide for centuries, its chemical and biochemical properties have only been explored over the past 150 years. Up to this point, cooks could only guess why sweetened, preserved fruits, jams, and jellies did not spoil or why cakes were moist and light of crumb when sugar and fat were creamed together. Guessing, however, does not work in a bakery, be it home or professional. Since sugar is an integral part of some bread recipes, it is extremely important to know the role it plays.