Starch

Starch is a form of carbohydrate made up of millions of simple sugars or monosaccharides linked together in long chains. Starchy foods include flour, potatoes and rice and are often referred to as staple foods as they are energy-rich, usually inexpensive, and provide most people with the bulk of their diet.

Flour is mostly starch, which indirectly provides yeast with a source of food and allows fermentation to take place in bread dough.

Want to find out more? Look at the chapter on ingredients in the book flour and water.

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