Starch
A carbohydrate stored by plants, found in flour, cornstarch, tapioca and potatoes, that absorbs water and thickens or sets when heated.
- Food science and baking chemistry
Also called: amylose, amylopectin
Starch is made of two kinds of molecules, amylose and amylopectin. When heated with liquid, starch granules swell and burst in a process called gelatinization, which thickens pie fillings, pastry cream and puddings and helps set the crumb of breads and cakes. Cornstarch needs to come to a full boil to thicken completely.
As baked goods cool and sit, starch slowly recrystallizes, called retrogradation. This is a main cause of bread staling and of some puddings weeping.
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Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Starch (Q41534), Wikidata