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Damaged Starch

Starch in flour is damaged during milling (and sometimes inherent in the wheat grain.) Damaged starch in a flour is important because enzymes in the flour, namely alpha- and beta-amylase, work on the damaged starch to produce compounds that are converted to simple sugars for feeding the yeast during fermentation and also to contribute to the residual sugars in the dough at the time of baking to promote better crust browning.