Starch gelatinisation Starch gelatinisation is the fundamental physical change that thickens sauces, binds batters and gives cooked grains their mouthfeel. When starch granules are heated in water, they absorb liquid, swell and—once a critical temperature range is reached—lose crystalline order. Amylose leaches out and amylopectin swells, increasing viscosity and forming a semirigid gel upon cooling. Key variables are starch type, concentration, heating profile and shear. Pot