Very often starch is found in culinary recipes - a white powder without a pronounced taste and smell. The product removes excess moisture from the dough and is a thickener. Thanks to him, baked goods become tender and airy, acquire a beautiful color and an appetizing crust.

There are many types of starch, but the most common are:

• Potato

• Corn

• Rice

• Soy
• Wheat

On a note! It is cornstarch that is best suited for casseroles and biscuits; products with this powder simply melt in your mouth. But the popular potato starch is better suited for shortcrust pastry and jelly.

How to replace starch in baked goods

You decided to bake a cake, but forgot to purchase starch or, for certain contraindications, it cannot be consumed. There is an exit! The powder can be replaced with other products with similar thickening properties.

For instance:

• Flour (rye, buckwheat, linseed);
• Eggs;
• Coconut flakes;
• Gelatin;
• Agar-agar;

How to replace starch with flour

In baking, starch is used both as an independent ingredient and in equal proportions with flour. If starch is not at hand, then flour will completely replace it. Best of all, buckwheat, flaxseed, wheat and rye are suitable.

Advice! Flaxseed and buckwheat flour are fairly easy to get yourself. To do this, finely grind flaxseed or buckwheat flakes.

The dough, kneaded only with flour, must be sifted well several times and add a little baking powder. Then the finished baked goods will turn out to be light and airy, as if using starch. The amount of starch is replaced with the same amount of flour.

You can also use sifted flour in a custard for a layer of baked goods, wheat flour is best. She, like starch, will give the necessary thickness to the cream. The main thing is to mix the mass itself well during cooking so that there are no lumps.

Many experienced housewives note that when baking a biscuit or cooking pancake and puff pastry, you can do without replacing starch altogether. And in the shortbread dough, simply add more flour than the original proportion of starch was. And combine flour with baking powder.

On a note! Starch is used not only in the preparation of flour products. For example, you can substitute finely grated raw potatoes for starch in a steamed patty recipe.

How to replace starch with eggs

Eggs in baked goods bind all the ingredients, are a baking powder and give the product fluffy and crumbly.

One chicken egg is a great substitute for 2 tablespoons of corn or potato powder.

An egg can replace starch not only in baked goods, but also in making cake cream. To do this, you need to take only egg yolk, a little milk and sugar. Beat well and add to the boiling cream.

A significant advantage of replacing starch with eggs is a decrease in calorie content in baked goods, a decrease in the amount of carbohydrates in favor of increasing protein in the product.

How to replace starch with semolina

Semolina swells when excess moisture is absorbed. It binds the dough and adds fluffiness and density to the product. Semolina retains the sensation of small grains in the mouth, the pastries are grainy and satisfying.

Replacing starch with semolina is ideal in curd products such as casseroles, cheese cakes, curd crumpets and dumplings.

In order for the semolina to swell, before cooking, it must be soaked for at least 1 hour, pouring milk, kefir or fermented baked milk.

Starch is replaced by semolina in equal proportions.

How to replace starch with coconut flakes

Fruit pie filling needs a thickener without fail. Since when baking, berries and fruits emit a lot of juice, and it begins to flow out of the pies. In such a situation, starch is an excellent substitute for coconut.

Coconut flakes give the dough not only viscosity due to its swelling ability, but also additional sweetness. Therefore, the amount of granulated sugar can be reduced.

In addition, some housewives advise paying attention to pumpkin seeds and flax seeds, they give a similar thickener effect.

Both shavings and seeds must be finely ground in a coffee grinder before use.

How to replace starch with gelatin and agar

Many cakes, for example, "Bird's milk" cannot be imagined without their delicate filling. It is a thickener such as starch that creates this light mousse. But if it is not possible to add starch, then gelatin and agar-agar will perfectly replace it. To do this, one of the thickeners must be heated with a small amount of water, without boiling, and added to the rest of the ingredients.

Agar-agar has the best gelling properties, so it requires 4 times less than gelatin. In addition, it will fill the body with vitamins, mineral salts and iodine.

Interesting! Starch is replaced by gelatin and agar-agar not only in baked goods, but also in ice cream.

In conclusion, I would like to note that you can cook starch yourself. To do this, grate raw potatoes and squeeze them through a bandage or cheesecloth. The sediment is also starch.

And if there are contraindications for the use of starch, then you should not worry about products to replace it, more than enough.

Cornstarch is often used to prepare various dishes, but many do not know what it is and why it is needed. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

What is cornstarch?

Cornstarch is a food additive that is used to thicken the mass. As a result, the dishes come out softer and more tender.

This additive is obtained under the influence of light during photosynthesis. Corn grains are placed in a solution of sulfurous acid, after which they are crushed, the kernel is removed and crushed. At the last stage, starch is released, which is separated from the protein and dried.

It tastes like corn, and has a yellow color and a matching smell.

Chemical composition and calorie content

It is generally accepted that starch is an extremely harmful additive, but this is not at all the case, unless, of course, it is overused. The composition of corn starch contains vitamin PP, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and some other trace elements.

As for the calorie content, the product is quite nutritious - 343 calories per 100 grams. In this case, the energy value is made up mainly of carbohydrates, which account for 83 grams of the total weight. There are only one gram of proteins in starch, and there are practically no fats - 0.6 grams per hundred grams of product.

Starch contains almost no dietary fiber, which is so necessary for our body, but a lot of calories. Therefore, its irrepressible use can lead to excess weight, which means that it must be used with caution and in small quantities.

There are several varieties of corn starch: superior, first and amylo-pectin. Determining the affiliation is very simple - just look at the color and clarity.

How to replace cornstarch in baked goods

You can often find recipes in which housewives offer to cook something using this type of starch. Do not rush headlong to the store for the missing ingredient, because you might think about how to replace it. Perhaps a product with similar properties will be in your home.

In many baking recipes, especially pies with juicy fruit or berry filling, jelly, cookie dough or pancakes, we find starch, a white thickening powder. It is needed quite often, but what if the starch runs out at the most inopportune moment? Or do you want to treat a guest with pastries who, due to medical contraindications, should not eat starch? In this case, you can replace it without losing the taste of your products.

What is starch

In German, starch is "strong flour", and if ordinary flour crumbles, then starch sticks it together. Starch is a substance that belongs to complex carbohydrates, a polysaccharide. It looks like a white powder, sometimes with a slight yellowish tinge, if you wrinkle it in your hand, you will feel a creak. Starch does not have any special taste and smell, does not dissolve in cool water, but when interacting with warm or hot water, it becomes thick and viscous, and it is these properties that are used in baking. Starch has a high calorie content, so dishes in which it is present give a feeling of satiety for a long time.

Natural starch is found in those vegetables, fruits and legumes that we constantly consume: peas and beans, bananas and mangoes, rice and potatoes, millet and corn.

Natural cornstarch makes baked goods lush

What are its benefits for the body

Like any polysaccharide, in the acidic environment of the stomach, starch is able to convert into glucose, which enters the brain with blood flow and feeds it. Glucose provides energy, so a small amount of starch should be consumed by both adults and children.

What starch is: potato, corn and other types

On store shelves, we can find different types of starch, which differ slightly from each other in their properties:

• Potato starch is the most common of all starches, it is added to jelly, sausages, gravies and soups, pastry cream and store mayonnaise. It is also used for breading juicy products - fish, pork, hard cheeses;
• Corn starch is suitable for thickening jelly, especially milk jelly, it is lighter than potato and wheat;
• Tapioca starch has the lowest moisture content and is recognized as the most environmentally friendly; it is used in soups, sauces and gravy, as well as in the manufacture of instant noodles;
• Wheat starch absorbs excess liquid when kneading the dough, keeps the shape of finished baked goods, but tends to give it staleness when stored for a long time;
• Rice starch is more commonly used in the production of syrups and sauces;
• Soybean starch is suitable for the confectionery industry.

Soybean starch has a pleasant yellowish color

In baking, corn starch is more appropriate, it has the most delicate texture and gives the products a golden brown crust. Muffins, muffins, tortillas and casseroles are prepared with it.

Cornstarch cakes have a golden brown crust

In dietary food starch is also used - more often corn or rice, as the lightest.

Why is it added to baked goods

In some recipes, starch is prescribed to be added to the dough, in others - directly to the filling itself.

So, starch:

1. Gives the dough tenderness and friability, here we are talking about sand;
2. Helps not to soak the yeast dough in the places of contact with the filling (if you sprinkle a layer of dough with starch, it will serve as a kind of gelling layer, will not allow berries or pieces of fruit to "settle" to the bottom of your baking);
3. Makes the dough more plastic;
4. Keeps the shape of baked products;
5. Thickenes the liquid filling, this is especially true for fruit and berry pies and pies;
6. Increases the shelf life of finished baked goods up to 4 days;
7. In biscuit dough, starch is designed to absorb excess moisture, "dry" biscuits so that they turn out more luxurious and taller.

With starch, the biscuit turns out to be very lush

Starch loves milk and dairy products, then it is not felt in baked goods, does not give it a bland taste. It can be diluted in yogurt, kefir, sour and baked milk, sour cream.

What can be replaced with starch

In addition to the properties already listed, starch can act as a substitute, for example, in baked goods for strict vegetarians or religious people who observe the fast, it can replace eggs. To make baked goods less nutritious and softer, starch can be substituted for some of the flour, usually 30%.

Sometimes starch can give an unpleasant bland aftertaste to baked goods, so that this does not happen, add flavorings - vanillin or cinnamon works well.

Starch can replace an egg

What can be used to replace starch in baked goods

Starch is a thickener, so you can replace it with products that have similar bonding properties. So the substitutes are:

1. Rye, buckwheat, pumpkin or wheat flour

Buckwheat, pumpkin and rye flours are used in pie dough (yeast and yeast-free), cookies and muffins; wheat flour goes well into biscuit dough.

You can use pumpkin flour in muffins instead of starch

2. Flaxseed or chia seeds, ground into flour

This additive will be good for muffins, cookies or cakes, they will turn out to be crumbly, tender and soft. Also, a gel made from ground flax seeds is used to make jelly. In order for flax seeds to acquire the properties of starch:

1. Take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of seeds ground into flour (you can do this in a coffee grinder);
2. Soak in 2 tbsp. spoons of boiling water for 10 minutes.

Flaxseed can also be used to replace starch

3. Agar-agar or gelatin

These are unique substitutes and can be added to yoghurt cakes or Bird's milk, other substitutes simply won't work. In order for gelatin to replace starch, you need:

1. Take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of gelatin;
2. Soak in 1.5 tbsp. spoons of warm water;
3. Leave to swell for 30 minutes.

If we use agar-agar, we must take into account that its gelling properties are much stronger, so we take less substance (1/2 teaspoon) and less water (1 tablespoon).

Agar agar has strong gelling properties

4. Semolina

This substitute is suitable for shortcrust pastry and curd products. The semolina increases in size when it absorbs moisture; when pouring the batter with semolina into the mold, you need to take this into account. The baked goods are fluffy, but denser and more satisfying than using starch, and acquire a grainy texture.

5. Coconut flakes, crushed into powder

This replacement is ideal for adding to fruit and berry pie fillings. In addition to the required viscosity, coconut flakes add sweetness and pleasant taste to products. You can reduce the amount of sugar in the filling or dough if you are using coconut.

Coconut flakes add extra sweetness to the products

6. Eggs

We are considering such a replacement: 2 tbsp. tablespoons of corn or potato starch is 1 fresh chicken egg, which will replace starch in pancakes and pancakes, as well as in shortcrust pastry and juicy pies. In addition, eggs instead of starch can be used not only as an additive to the dough, but also as a thickener for pastry cream. To get the adhesive mass for the cream, we need:

1. Separate the yolk from the protein;
2. Place the yolk in a tall glass for beating;
3. Add 2 tbsp to the yolk. tablespoons of milk (it should not be cold) and a heaped teaspoon of sugar;
4. Beat everything and add to the boiling pastry cream (suitable for custard).

A fresh chicken egg replaces 2 tbsp. spoons of starch

To replace starch in milk jelly and fruit or berry fillings, you need:

1. Grind dry flakes in a coffee grinder;
2. Sift through a fine strainer several times.

Oatmeal replaces starch in fruit and berry fillings

They are added to the dough for fruit and berry pies in the same amount in which starch is usually taken.

Breadcrumbs replace starch in succulent cakes

9. Homemade starch

Suitable for replacing store-bought starch in all recipes. We get it like this:

Each type of dough has its own starch substitute. In some cases, starch can be completely dispensed with by simply excluding it from the recipe (for example, in making biscuits, dough for pancakes or pancakes, and in puff pastry).

Recently, the beneficial properties of starch have often been questioned and more and more questions arise than replacing starch in baked goods. In fairness, it should be noted that starch is not used very often in baking. This complex carbohydrate is obtained from fruits, grains, vegetables, legumes or nuts, and also synthetically. In cooking, starch is used primarily as a thickener for fruit cereals and jelly. When making noodles, it is added to wheat flour in a ratio of 1: 3. In confectionery, starch can be found in cakes, cookies, or Turkish delight. It is sometimes used when baking lean pancakes. Natural starch is obtained from a wide variety of plants, mainly from cereals and potatoes, therefore, in the absence of one of the types, it can be replaced with another. So, wheat starch is most often used in baking. If necessary, it will be replaced by rice, potato, corn, soy and other types of this product. In the industrial production of confectionery products, they often replace natural starch with modified ones. For example, it is listed in some food leavening agents. Such products should be wary of, as long-term use they pose a threat to human health. At home, in jelly, soups and sauces, starch is replaced with flour, preferably buckwheat or rye. If ground flax is available, flaxseed flour can be used. For these purposes, they also use ground pumpkin seeds or coconut flakes. It is also acceptable to substitute these ingredients for starch in baked goods. If starch is used in a recipe together with flour (for example, in cookie dough or in food baking powder), then, instead of the specified proportion of this product, the dose of flour is also increased. You can replace starch when baking pancakes, if you do not need to use exclusively lean ingredients, you can use eggs. One egg in its binding properties will replace 2 tbsp. l. corn or potato starch. In conclusion, we note that you should not strive so zealously to replace starch in baked goods with something if there is no urgent need for it. Of course, as a supplier of carbohydrates, with frequent use, it is not able to change the figure for the better, however, like any baked goods, even without it. As part of other products, especially jelly, it is very useful, because soothes the inflamed stomach lining due to its enveloping effect. For the rest of the dishes, it is usually used in very small quantities. So the moderate use of natural starch is not only not harmful, but even necessary for human health.

The culinary purpose of starch is to change the structure and consistency of dishes. But this transformation can be accomplished through other foods as well. Many starch substitutes suitable for buns, pies, biscuits, and other baked goods are probably among your household supplies.

Multifaceted starch

In baking, starch, like a multifaceted actor, plays several roles at once:

• promotes thickening of the dough;
• absorbs excess liquid, making pastries fluffy, light, airy;
• makes the dough sticky, keeping the shape of the products.

Decent Alternative to Starch

The above functions can be "entrusted" to the following ingredients: chicken eggs,

• wheat, buckwheat or rye flour,
• coconut flakes,
• semolina,
• oatmeal
• gelatin.

For example, in biscuit dough, starch is successfully replaced by wheat flour, which, as you know, also contains starch.

For pancakes and pancakes, use chicken eggs (proportion: 1 egg instead of 1 tablespoon of starch), which hold the dough together and prevent it from creeping

Shortcrust pastry works great with an alternative - grind semolina or dry coconut into powder with a blender. Increase the number of eggs in the dough.

The simplest substitute for starch is modest bread crumbs.

Having learned how you can replace starch in baking, stop at one of the options and test your choice in practice.

Sponge nut cake with coffee and chocolate fondant

Let's give an illustrative example of such interchangeability. Instead of starch, we will take some ground crackers, which, due to their consistency, will absorb excess moisture and give the baked goods crispness.

For the test you will need:

• 12 eggs;
• 250 g sugar;
• 250 g chopped nuts;
• 2 tablespoons of ground crackers;
• a pinch of vanillin.

For the cream:

• 250 g chopped nuts;
• 250 g sugar;
• 1 glass of cream;
• 100 g butter;
• a pinch of vanillin.

For fondant:

• 300 g sugar;
• 0.5 cups of water;
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 50 g of chocolate or cocoa;
• 1 cup of coffee
• 20 g butter;
• vanillin.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the whites into a cool foam, gradually adding sugar. Then toss in the yolks, stir quickly. Combine the mass with nuts and breadcrumbs, mix thoroughly again.

Divide the prepared dough into 2 parts and place in 2 baking tins, greased and sprinkled with croutons. Put them in the oven (+200 ° С) and bake for half an hour.

In the meantime, prepare cream and fondant.

Combine the cream with sugar and cook over low heat, stirring and bringing to the consistency of thick sour cream. Add nuts, vanillin, butter, mix well.