Pasting properties of hydrothermally treated maize starch with added stearic acid

•Maize starch with added stearic acid was modified using hydrothermal treatment.•Stearic acid plus hydrothermal treatment reduced the degree of acid hydrolysis.•Combining stearic acid addition with annealing produced a non-gelling starch.•Increase in amylose-lipid complexes partially explained the functional properties. The effects of stearic acid addition followed by hydrothermal treatment on the functional properties of maize starch were studied. Addition of stearic acid followed by hydrothermal treatment resulted in non-gelling starch. Starch with stearic acid had significantly (P