Sugar sources and functions

28 February 2023
Sugar sources and functions | Bakery Academy

Sugars sources and funtions

If we take sugar in the broader sense of meaning sugar can come from different plant based materials and some animal based products:


  •           Honey
  •           Maple
  •           Cane
  •           Grapes/ Raisins
  •           Beet
  •           Palm
  •           Date
  •           Acacia
  •           Wheat
  •           Potato
  •           Corn/ Mais


What they all have in common is that they fulfill different function in our day to day bakery products:


  •           Sweetening
  •           Tenderizing
  •           Moisture retention
  •           Improving Shelf life
  •           Leavening
  •           Energy
  •           Stabilising Egg Foams
  •           Structure builder (or ‘Bulk’)
  •           Flavour and release or lingering effect of flavour and sweetness perception
  •           Lowering the pH
  •           Spread in Cookies
  •           Crispiness
  •           Colouration by Caramelisation and Maillard Reactions
  •           Food for yeast based fermentations


From a chemical perspective we are looking at carbohydrates:  literally a family of molecules having Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms. In the molecular combinations we see that with sugar we normally imply mono- and disaccharides, 1 or 2 molecules combined:


  •           Fructose (1)
  •           Glucose (1)
  •           Galactose (1)
  •           Sucrose (2; Fructose with Glucose)
  •           Maltose (2; Glucose with Glucose)
  •           Lactose (2; Glucose with Galactose)


When there are 3 or more units we would consider them to be higher sugars, so called degree of polymerisation (DP) of 3 and more. In the same it can occur that we would classify longer chains  as starch or fibers; this has dominantly to do with the functional changes that happen when the comination of molecules become longer.

Need to know more? Feel free to contact us!

Bakery Articles

Our scientific bakery articles offer in-depth insights, detailed analyses, and expert perspectives, providing a wealth of information beyond standard blogs. 

Sourdough: What Really Lives in Your Starter

Sourdough: What Really Lives in Your Sta...

An explanation of the microbial composition of sourdough, lactic acid bacteria vs. wild yeasts and how this varies depending on flour type and ferment...

Optimize Yeast and Sourdough Processes

Optimize Yeast and Sourdough Processes

The transition from artisanal to industrial production requires a refined fermentation processes. Especially with sourdough, precise tuning of paramet...

Sourdough: Bacteria, Temperature, and Hydration

Sourdough: Bacteria, Temperature, and Hy...

Sourdough is more than just a mixture of flour and water. It is a living ecosystem in which lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria. These microbes...