Back to Flour Understanding What Impacts 100% of Baked Product Staling
Staling is one of the most critical challenges in bakery products, directly linked to consumer satisfaction and product freshness. As baked goods stale, they lose moisture, become firm and dry, and their crumb collapses into denser textures. These changes not only affect taste and aroma but also reduce shelf life, increase waste, and drive consumers toward fresher alternatives.
This document explores the flour components that contribute to staling and explains their relative impact. Starch retrogradation is the leading factor, as gelatinized starch recrystallizes during storage, hardening the crumb. Proteins play an important role in maintaining softness and moisture, while damaged starch and enzymatic activity have a dual influence: they can initially improve texture but may also accelerate or slow down staling depending on their levels. Minerals, lipids, and native starch add further nuances, shaping structure, moisture balance, and freshness.
By connecting flour functionality with staling mechanisms, this resource helps bakers understand how to manage freshness and better control product quality.
This document is part of the Back to Flour Series, an educational program that connects flour science to bakery product characteristics.
