In addition to starch, hemicelluloses and pentosans are among the sugars that make up 2% of wheat. All of these sugars are insoluble and for this reason, by retaining water, help form the structure of bread.
Sugars are needed to nourish the yeast, though because of their low content, it is necessary to add malt. Obtained by germinating grains, malt possesses enzymes such as amylase, able to convert starch into sugar – wheat, too, contains some traces of amylase. It also contains protease and lipase, enzymes capable of “digesting” fats and proteins that don’t, however, have any influence on bread making.