Does starch in cookie dough gelatinize in baking as it does in cake batter?
Starch does not gelatinize during the cookie baking process. Gelatinization of starch granules occurs when starch is heated in the presence of water; high sugar and low water (20% f.b.) content in cookie dough keeps this from occurring, consequently the starch present in the cookie flour has little effect on cookie spread. Some cookie manufacturers use chlorinated flour and/or modified starch in their formulations. In this case, starch granules are damaged and will gelatinize even in the dough stage.
