The results of investigating starch benzoate (SB) synthesis in aqueous media are presented in this study. Starch esterification with benzoyl chloride was performed in two steps, the, first step being the alkalization of starch and the second step esterification. The influence of the concentration of reactants, reaction medium composition,, temperature and time of synthesis on the degree of substitution (DS), degree of swelling in water and thermal stability of the synthesized starch benzoate was investigated. The optimal conditions for the synthesis of starch benzoate with degree, of substitution from 0.23 to 1.76 were determined. It was shown that starch benzoate with a DS of 1.76 practically did not swell in water. However, starch benzoate is less thermally stable than native starch probably due to a change in the supermolecular order induced by the esterification reaction.