In addition to the properties of the muffin batter, the structural changes that occur during baking are also determining factors in bubble formation and evolution and in the final baked product structure and texture (Shelke, Faubion, & Hoseney, 1990).
In particular, the role of sucrose is crucial during heating as it increases the starch gelatinisation and protein denaturation temperatures, allowing appropriate air cell expansion by CO2 and water vapour before the batter sets.
PD, like sucrose, has also been found to increase the starch gelatinisation temperature but not
affect the protein denaturation temperature (Rosenthal, 1995).