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Absorption A characteristic of flour to take up and retain (hold) water or liquids. It is determined by measuring the amount of liquid needed to make dough of the desired consistency. It is expressed in a percentage—lbs. /liters of water needed per pound/kilo of flour. |
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Acid pH of less than 7. Acid ingredients react with bases to form salts and water. They have a sour taste. A chemical compound that yields hydrogen ions when in solution. |
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Alkaline pH greater than 7. Alkalis such as baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Neutralizes acids and reacts with acidic ingredients as a leavener. Alkalis have an excess of hydroxyl ions when in solution. |
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All-purpose Flour Wheat flour milled from hard wheat or a blend of soft and hard wheat. Used in homes for some yeast breads, quick breads, cakes, cookies, pastries and noodles. All-purpose flour may be bleached or unbleached. Both may be enriched with four vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, and thiamin) and iron. All-purpose flour may be used in a wide variety of home baked goods, such as cookies, quick breads, and some yeast breads. |
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Altitude At altitude (above 3,000 ft.), adjustments may be needed in baking and cooking time, temperature and recipes. For example:
More @ High Altitude Baking Series. Colorado State U. Extension www.cerc.colostate.edu |
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Amaranth Flour Milled from amaranth seeds, it combines well with other flours for smooth-textured quick breads. It has an assertive flavor and especially complements savory breads or pastries. Its lack of gluten means it must be combined with wheat flour in yeast breads. |
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Baker’s Percent In baking formulas primarily based on flour, each ingredient’s weight is a measured as a percentage of the total flour weight. (100 percent) |
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Baking Cooking food in dry heat, especially in an oven |
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Baking Pan Available in a variety of shapes and sizes for baking specific cakes, cookies, biscuits, breads, pies, and specialty goods. Most pans sold today are made from light- to heavy-gauge steel, except for two-layer, insulated baking pans, which are heavy-gauge aluminum. Most test kitchens use mid-gauge aluminum pans to formulate standards for baking time, temperature, and even baking/browning. Also, see Cookie pans, Jelly roll, Baking sheet, Nonstick, and Insulated glossary listings. |
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Baking Soda sodiumsodium bicarbonate (2 NAHCO3) Reacts in baking, but is alkaline and needs the acidity from other ingredients (such as honey, molasses, cocoa, sour or butter milk) to react and release CO2. |
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Baking Stone Quarry tile (unglazed clay) or rectangular stoneware placed in the oven—allow 2-3 inches space between stone and oven walls on all sides for air flow; preheat stones, bake directly on the stone. |
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Batard Long loaf (thicker and stubbier than a baguette) |
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Batch One recipe of a dough or batter, such as bread or cookies. |
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Batter Thin mixture of flour and water that can be poured or spooned into pan or on a griddle. |
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Beat To agitate one or more ingredients rapidly using a brisk up-and-over motion to add air into a mixture using a spoon, whisk, rotary beaters or electric mixer. |
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Bench Proofing Period of time dough rests after dividing and Rounding the dough, allowing the dough to recover and relax for molding. Average length of bench proof=10 to 20 minutes. Dough should be protected from drafts and to prevent crusting. |
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Biga Italian pre-ferment, see Pre-ferment. |
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Bind To thicken or smooth out the consistency of a liquid. |
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Blend To combine two or more ingredients thoroughly until they seem to be one. |
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Boil To cook in liquid that is heated until bubbles rise to the surface and break. Bubbles form throughout the mixture. Temperature: 212˚ F. or 100˚C. (Also see Altitude) |
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Boule (miche) Round loaf; taut skin stretched perfectly over a dome of bread dough, sealed on the bottom. |
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Bread Baked foods produced from dough made of flour, water, salt and other optional ingredients, and leavened by yeast or other leavening agents. |
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Bread Flour Flour milled from hard wheat, in excess of 11% protein. Most often used for yeast leavened products. |
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Bread Scoring Evaluation of finished baked product to determine quality. 2. Slashing the surface (top) of loaves to allow for expansion as the loaf is baked. |
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Break The rough portion of the bread crust formed during oven spring between the pan’s edge and the curve of the loaf’s top. Break may occur on both sides or one side only. |
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Brown To give a cooked surface to a food (such as meat or flour) by applying high heat. Also occurs during baking and roasting. |
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Capping When yeast loaves are under proofed and the interior pushes up the top crust leaving a rough, sharp edge along the side of the loaf having the appearance of a “cap.” |
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Caramelization To heat sugar until brown and a characteristic flavor develops; occurs at 300˚F. |
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Cereal Grain Cereal refers to grain and foods derived from them; cereal is from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Also see Grain. |
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Chemical Leavening Used in baking in batters or dough to produce carbon dioxide. Common chemical leaveners are baking soda, baking powders, cream of tartar.
Check out leavening lessons @ Clabber Girl Learning Center: www.clabbergirl.com
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Chill Make mixture or cooking bowl cold by placing in refrigerator or in ice. |
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Chop To cut into small pieces with a bench cutter, knife or scissors. |
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Clarify To make a substance clear or pure |
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Coarse Refers to the crumb structure of some baked goods |
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Coat To thoroughly cover a food with a liquid or dry mixture |
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Combine To mix or blend two or more ingredients together |
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Cool To let food stand until it no longer feels warm to the touch. Baked goods are cooled on wire racks to avoid soggy bottom crusts; cool baked goods before wrapping and storing. TIP: Remove baked bread from pans and cool on wire racks to 90 to 100˚ F. internally. Wrap and store. |
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Core To remove the seeded, inner portion of a fruit. |
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Cream To work (with spoon or mixer) one or more foods until soft and creamy. |
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Cream Of Tartar An acidic salt—potassium hydrogen tartrate— (also referred to as tartaric acid); stabilizes beaten egg whites and leavens some baked goods. |
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Crumb The interior of baked goods—not the crust; interior texture formed by air cell pockets trapped inside a webbing of starch and protein gelatinized by baking. |
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Crush To pulverize, as with herbs and spices used in baking. |
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Cut - Or Cut In To combine fat into dry ingredients with a pastry blender, two knives, or fingers with the least possible amount of blending. |
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Docking Slashing or making incisions in the surface of bred or rolls for proper expansion while baking. Done just before baking. |
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Dot To place small dabs or pieces of butter or batter over the surface of a food, such as with a pie, just before the top crust is added and baking begins. |
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Double In Bulk Refers to expansion of gluten cells in yeast bread that has risen and is ready to be punched down. Recipe will give a range of time. Varies with dough and environment’s temperature. May be difficult to tell visually: Finger test used by bakers: gently press two fingers into dough, if marks remain unchanged, dough is ready to punch |
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Dough A mixture of flour, liquids and may have other ingredients that is thick enough to be handled, kneaded or shaped. |
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Dough Scraper Or Knife A flat, heavy metal blade (about 3 X 5-inches) with straight sides, sharp corners and a handle on top edge for moving, kneading, clean-cutting dough, incising, or even cleaning work surfaces. |
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Drain To remove liquid from a food product |
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Drizzle To pour a light amount, from a spoon, over food. |
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Drop To deposit even portions of dough on a baking sheet using spoon or batter dispenser |
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Dust To lightly sprinkle the surface of a food or dough with sugar, flour or crumbs. Also to sprinkle the surface used for rolling out or shaping dough. |
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Egg Wash Or Glaze Whole egg or egg white mixed with small amount of milk or water and brushed over dough prior to baking; creates glossy baked surface. |
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Elasticity Capable of recovering shape after stretching; developed gluten in dough is elastic |
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Enrich To improve the nutritional value of an ingredient or food. Baked goods may be enriched by using milk, enriched flour, whole grain flours, eggs, soy protein or flour |
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Fermentation The stage or time given yeast batter, sponge or dough before dough is divided, shaped, proofed and baked. The process whereby yeast enzymes break down sugars to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide, producing air bubbles that expand the dough; also called “rising time” in home baking. One or two fermentations (rising times) are common before the make-up process begins. |
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Flakey Distinct layers of pastry or biscuit formed by using low protein flour, fat and not too much mixing |
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Flour The finely ground and sifted meal of any of various edible grains. v. To lightly dust a surface or dough with flour. See Section 1 for full definitions of wheat flours and chart OR www.homebaking.org |
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Fold To gently combine two or more ingredients or a delicate mixture into a heavier, thicker one by cutting vertically through the mixture and turning it over by sliding the mixing tool across the bottom of the bowl or pan with each turn. To combine without stirring or deflating a mixture. |
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Formula The recipe or guide a baker uses for a product; read all formulas carefully, beginning at the top or end and reading each ingredient and recipe, step, by, step. |
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Fry To cook in heated fat; for doughnuts, fry bread, or Funnel cakes, heat oil (2-3” deep) to 375˚F, turn products only once; drain well. To reduce fat absorption, substitute 5% of the flour weight with defatted soy flour (1 oz. soy flour + 15 oz. wheat flour = 1 lb. flour OR 1 tablespoon per cup) |
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Garnish To decorate foods by adding other attractive and complementary foodstuffs to the food or serving dish. |
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Gelatinization (starch) The setting of the structure of a dough or batter during baking. Starches gelatinize at a temperature of 180˚ F. but do not carmelize until baking surface temperature reaches 300˚F. |
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Gluten The wheat flour proteins glutenin and gliadin, when mixed with water and handled (stirred, mixed, kneaded) connect into long elastic structures. This structure traps air bubbles, expands and later, when baked becomes rigid to hold the structure of the dough. |
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Grain 1. As in cereal grain; edible seeds or grain produced by plants in the grass family. The most popular cereal grains are barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, triticale, wheat and wild rice. 2. The appearance of the crumb of baked products as determined by the number and size of air pockets, the cell structure, and the thickness of cell walls. |
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Grate To reduce a food into small bits by rubbing it against the sharp teeth of a grating utensil |
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Grease Rub oil, shortening, butter or fat over surface of cooking utensil or on a food. May also use a lecithin based, non-fat cooking spray, unless bake ware does not recommend it. |
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High Altitude baking At altitude, leavening gases in breads and cakes expand more.
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Holding To keep products in the best environment for quality serving or long-term storage |
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Intermediate Proof The short time (10 to 30 minutes) between punching, dividing, rounding and molding the dough--also called “resting or bench time.” Important for dough to be kept from drafts (80 to 90 degrees F at 75-80% humidity)--dough “relaxes,” becomes more manageable. |
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Knead To mix dough using a pressing and folding motion, turning and folding the dough onto itself until gluten strands form and the dough is smooth and elastic. |
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Lean Dough A dough prepared with little or no fat, sugar, or milk. |
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Leavening Ingredient used in baked goods to lighten the texture, develop flavor, produce distinctive cell structure and increase volume. Leavening agents include heat and moisture (steam); beaten eggs or egg whites; baking soda; baking powder; cream of tartar; yeast. istorical terms for leavening: Latin = levre = to raise; also called “lifter” |
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Level Straight edged knife or spatula used to scrape across a dry measuring cup in which flour or other dry ingredient is heaped. |
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Liquid Measure Cup or beaker with gradations for metric and English (fractions and whole cup, pint, quart) measurements of liquids (water, milk, vegetable oils, honey, molasses, syrups, juices). |
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Make Up After fermentation(s), shaping the dough into loaves or other shapes. Includes scaling (dividing), rounding, intermediate proof, molding and panning the dough pieces. |
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Mash To break up into finer, smoother pieces by pressing with back of a spoon, a masher or ricer. |
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Mince To cut or chop into very small pieces. |
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Mise En Place (pronounced Mee Zon Plahs) Mise en place (pronounced mee zon plahs)—have all ingredients and equipment in place before preparing a recipe. |
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Mix To combine two ingredients by stirring or in way that makes two or more foods appear as one. |
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Mixing with yeast dough, refers to four stages—pick-up period, preliminary development, elasticity development, and final gluten development. |
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Molding Follows intermediate proof—dough must be relaxed—final shaping step where dough is flattened (sheeted) or shaped for loaves, braids, rolls, twists. |
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Old Dough Yeast dough that is overproofed; dough may have tripled in volume and fallen. |
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Oven-spring When yeast breads first begin to bake, they will have a "growth spurt" until the yeast dies (140 degrees F) and the starch gelatinizes (180˚F) to hold the final size and shape. |
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Overproofing Allowing dough to proof beyond a full doubling of size; if dough actually proofs and falls again, the product will not recover. Product will be very open grained, have a crumbly texture, undesirable flavor, pale crust, strong aroma and poor keeping quality. |
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Packed refers to measuring brown sugars. Spoon brown sugar into dry measuring cup and press down until firmly packed, overfilling slightly, then leveling. When dumped out, should hold its shape (as when making sand castles). |
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Pan utensil used to hold dough or batter—may be rectangular, flat or round; best surface for baking is heavy shiny or darkened aluminum for best crust color; glass baking pans require adjusted oven temperatures—reduce about 25 degrees F. |
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Panning Placing dough in or on prepared pans. Pans may be lined with parchment, oiled, sprayed with pan-release, sprinkled with meal, making sure the pan is the correct size for the amount of batter or dough. NOTE: Some baking pans should not be sprayed with lecithin cooking sprays—check manufacturer’s care guidelines. |
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Parboil To boil until partially cooked. |
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Parchment Paper Sheets of grease and moisture resistant paper used in baking to line pans; replaces greasing or spraying pans. Products are shaped or distributed directly on the paper and are easily removed after baking. Great for making disposable pastry bags too. |
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Pare To remove the outer covering or skin of fruit or vegetables with a small knife or peeler. |
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Peel rimless, lightweight board, may have a long handle; used to transfer proofed bread to hot baking stone in oven. |
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Poolish Polish origins, Viennese bakers promoted this pre-ferment starter in the nineteenth century. See pre-ferment. |
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Porous May refer to the honey-comb-like structure of white pan bread |
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Pre-ferment Partial (yeast) dough made of flour, water, yeast and sometimes salt given a quick mixing and allowed to ferment prior to mixing the full dough. Five traditional pre-ferments are: poolish (equal weights flour and water); scrap dough (old dough--pate fermentee); biga (flour+50-60% water+1/2% instant yeast); sponge (flour, yeast, water); mixed starter (flour+water+small piece old dough; mimics sourdough) |
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Preheat Very important in baking. To heat the oven, griddle, skillet or broiler to a desired temperature before inserting the food. TIP: Always check the oven to be sure nothing is in it—and place the oven racks in the correct position before preheating. |
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Proof The final rising (fermentation) of the shaped yeast dough prior to baking. Proof cabinets or “boxes” help maintain the best temperature and humidity –Ranges from 85 (at home) to 110-115 Degrees F. (commercial proof cabinents) at 80 to 85% relative humidity. (Decrease each amount by 10 for frozen dough) |
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Punch (dough) The dough needs to rise until doubled in size, but never let yeast dough ferment (rise) until it falls. Follow recipe/formula for how long to ferment or allow the dough to rise—30 minutes to 2 hours or until "doubled in bulk or size." Check if ready by gently pressing two fingers about an inch into the dough—the dents should not spring back, but remain if the dough is ready to punch. Punch dough by pushing a clean fist firmly into the top of the yeast dough to push the air out; re-form dough into a round, smooth ball (skin smoothly stretched around it), cover and go to a second fermentation or the make-up process. |
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Puree To mash, process or sieve cooked fruit or vegetables to form a thick smooth liquid. Purees may be used to substitute for 1/4 to 1/3 of the oil or fat in some baked products. |
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Reconstitute To restore a former condition by adding water; dried, minced vegetables such as onions or leeks should be reconstituted before adding to baked goods. |
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Rest Time After kneading, punching or rounding, dough benefits from a brief (10 to 30 minutes) intermission in handling. The dough will be more easily rolled or shaped. Keep dough covered with bowl or plastic food wrap sprayed with pan spray while it rests so "skin" doesn’t form. Yeast dough: called an intermediate proof. |
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Roll 1. Small dough piece (2 oz. to 3.5 -4.5 oz), smooth and rounded with dough skin side up, pinched seam at bottom 2. To use a rolling pin to roll out a dough piece from center out forming a flat dough piece of even thickness for cookie cutting, pie crust or other products. |
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Rounding Shaping dough so that a smooth surface encases the dough, sealing it as it rests. |
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Sauté To cook in a small amount of fat, as you would fresh garlic, onion, leeks, etc. for enhanced flavor prior to adding to a savory dough. |
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Scald To bring liquids to a temperature just below boiling so that tiny bubbles form at the edge of the pan or cup to stop enzymatic activity that retards gluten development. NOTE: Yeast breads: Fluid milk should still be scalded, the "skin" skimmed off and then cooled OR use a "high heat" dry milk for baking yeast breads. |
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Scale Ingredients To weigh ingredients rather than measure in cups or spoons for better accuracy and consistent results. |
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Scaling Dividing batter or dough by weight for the most accurate portioning into pans or pieces. Equal division of dough or batter between pans is very important for even baking and browning. Note: Scaling should be done quickly to avoid loss of leavening or over-aging of dough. |
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Score To make small shallow cuts on the surface of a food |
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Season To add herbs, spices, citrus zest, extracts or other ingredients to food for flavoring |
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Separate remove the yolk from the white of the egg |
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Shaping Or Molding Follow recipe directions for how to divide and shape dough (sheet dough, sticks, loaves, twist, braid, pretzel, smooth ball etc) |
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Shred To rub large food across medium to large grater holes or slits to make small pieces. |
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Sift To move flour or sugar through a sieve (sifter) to incorporate air and insure accurate measurement. Food history: “Weevily flour” was not thrown out--sifting was done to remove bugs as well as lumps from flour;
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Simmer To cook in liquid that is barely at the boiling point and small bubbles rise below the surface. |
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Skim To remove a substance from the surface of a liquid. Ex: "Skim" the milk after scalding. |
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Slack Dough Dough that is too fluid due to under development or too much water/too little flour. |
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Slashing Also called "docking;" making incisions in the surface of bread or rolls for proper expansion while baking. Done just before baking. |
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Sour Dough Bread with a slightly sour tangy flavor created by using sour dough starter (levain)—a batter or dough that has colonies of sour dough yeasts and bacteria (microflora). Learn more about sourdough @ Red Star Yeast ; Fleischmann's Yeast ; and King Arthur Flour |
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Sponge And Dough Method Two stage yeast bread mixing process. Step 1 (Sponge/Pre-ferment): Mix 60 to 100% of flour and all of liquid and yeast for 4-6 minutes; let ferment at 75 degrees for 3-6 hours. (Sponge temperature=72-78˚ F—after fermentation, rises 10˚ F.)
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Starch 70 to 75% of flour is starch. During milling a small portion are damaged. Quality wheat and short extraction flour contain fine quality starch granules and protein important in mixing, dough conditioning water absorption, fermentation and quality crumb formation. |
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Steam To cook in steam, with or without pressure, as with steam bread or Chinese dumplings |
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Stir To mix with a circular motion |
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Straight Dough All (yeast dough) ingredients are mixed together in the order the formula or recipe directs until a smooth, stretchy dough is formed. Dough should be about 80 to 82 degrees F. when mixed. It is then fermented for 1 to 2 hours at 80 to 85 degrees F., punched and so on. No time Straight Dough: Same method, but oxidizing and reducing agents are added so very little fermentation is needed. In home baking, higher water temperatures (up to 130 degrees F) are used with fast rising yeast to make “no-time” yeast dough (10 minute rising time). |
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Strain To separate solid from liquid (as in clarifying butter) |
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Thicken Make a liquid dense by adding an ingredient like cornstarch, egg yolk, tapioca, flour, rice or potato starch or flour; also to bind. |
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Toss To mix ingredients lightly by lifting and dropping with a spoon, or spoon and fork. |
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Underproofed Dough Young dough; dough not allowed to raise enough before baking |
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Vent To leave an opening through which steam can escape in the covering of a food |
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Water Very hard water and soft water create problems for baked goods. Tap water of medium hardness and without noticeable chlorination or other off odors is suitable. Bottled water may be used in very hard water regions. (Soft water=15-50 ppm; Medium hard=50-100 ppm; Hard=100-200 ppm: Very hard=over 200 ppm) |
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Whip To beat rapidly to add air. |
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Whisk To beat ingredients together, using a wire whip or whisk, until well blended. |
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Yeast A living, simple plant organism in the fungus family. It exists naturally in air and soil and requires air, moisture and sugar or starch to grow and reproduce. For baking, certain strains are carefully selected, reproduced, processed and sold in dry (8% moisture) granules (active dry, fast rising or instant) or fresh form (cake or compressed). Yeast will grow slowly under refrigeration, does not die if frozen in a dough, but will die in temperatures above 140 degrees F.
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Zest The fragrant, intensely flavorful thin colorful outer layer of citrus fruit (not the white pith), It is finely peeled with a paring knife, grater or removed with a citrus zester and used as a flavoring in sweet or savory baked goods or as a garnish. It is also excellent mixed with granulated sugar and sprinkled as a topping on baked goods or desserts. |
| References: Artisan Baking Across America. Maggie Glezer. 2000. Artisan,division of Workman Publishing. NY www.workman.com |
