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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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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| 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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| Ascorbic acid: The scientific name for vitamin C; it is used in bread flour for its gluten development properties. It conditions the dough to obtain a better loaf volume.
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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 powder A leavening agent containing both baking soda and one or two acids - citric or tartaric. It reacts without acid from the other ingredients when wet and when it becomes hot. The baking powder used at home is "double-acting" because it has two types of acid - one reacts when liquids are added in the bowl and the other reacts when it becomes hot during baking. Carbon dioxide is the gas produced that "lifts" the batter and makes a light product in the end. Test for strength by mixing one teaspoon baking powder with 1/4 cup very hot water. Mixture should bubble furiously. |
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| Baking sheet: A sheet of metal that is rigid and is used for baking cookies, breads, biscuits, etc. It usually has one or more edges that is turned up for ease in removing from the oven. Types include shiny, heavy-gauge aluminum, the standard used in most test kitchens for even baking and browning. Darkened, heavy-gauge pans will produce especially crisp exterior crusts desired for specialty baked goods. Insulated baking sheets are two sheets of aluminum with air space between, and are especially good for soft cookies or tender-crust breads or rolls. Also, see Cookie sheet, Insulated bakeware, and Jelly roll pan glossary listings. |
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| Baking soda Bicarbonate of soda (made from the mineral trona, mined in Green River, Wyoming). When wet, it reacts immediately with an acid, producing carbon dioxide. Baking soda creates carbon dioxide when it mixes with liquid and acidic ingredients (such as sour milk or buttermilk, lemon or orange juice, vinegar, honey or chocolate) in a batter. The reaction begins as soon as the liquids are added to the dry ingredients in the bowl. |
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| Baking stone: A round or rectangular plate of stone or unglazed, tile-like material used to provide the baking qualities of a brick oven floor. The stone is placed on the lowest oven rack. Follow the manufacturer's directions regarding whether preheating the stone with the oven is recommended. The product to be baked or the product in its pan are placed on the stone to bake. |
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| Barley flour: A low-gluten flour made from hulled barley. It imparts a sweet taste, moisture, and relative lightness to cakes, cookies, and quick breads. |
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| Beating Making a smooth mixture by whipping or stirring with a wire whisk, spoon, beater or electric mixer. |
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| Blend To mix two or more ingredients together with a spoon, whisk, electric mixer, blender, or processor. |
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| Bloom:
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| Bran: The outer layers of a kernel of grain that lie just below the hull. "Miller's bran" is produced during milling when the bran layers are removed from the grain kernel. About 14.5 percent of whole-wheat flour is bran. Bran is used in baked goods and cereals to add dietary fiber and nutrients. |
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| Bread flour Unbleached, wheat flour that is higher in protein for better yeast bread dough development and preferred for use in bread machines. Look for bread flour that is enriched - as indicated on the ingredient label. |
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| Brownie A dense, chewy, cake-like cookie that is generally chocolate-flavored and colored (hence the name) and cut in bar shapes to serve. |
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| Buckwheat flour: A gluten-free flour made by grinding hulled buckwheat seeds. It is not a relative of wheat. Originating in Russia, buckwheat has a distinctive flavor and is used in pancakes and some baked goods, such as multi-grain breads. Russian blini are made with buckwheat flour. Groats and kasha also are produced from buckwheat. |
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| Bulgur: Whole-wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried, and cracked. Bulgur may be soaked or cooked and added to baked goods. Bulgur also may be ground into flour. |
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| Butter: Butter is produced by churning cream into a semi-solid form. By U.S. standard definition, it is 80 percent milk fat, with the remaining 20 percent consisting of water and milk solids. Butter for baking may be salted or unsalted and is valued by most bakers for its irreplaceable flavor and ability to create flaky layers, crispness, tenderness, carry flavors, and provide golden-brown color. Visit: www.landolakes.com.
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Cake Flour Fine-textured, silky flour milled from soft wheat, with a low protein content for making cakes, cookies, pastries and some breads. |
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| Canning & pickling salt: A pure granulated salt, with no additives or free-flowing agents. It may be used the same as table salt in baking recipes. It may cake when exposed to greater than 75 percent relative humidity. Also, see Salt glossary listing. |
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| Chocolate: From the Aztec word xocolatl, meaning "bitter water." The many forms we bake with - unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and milk - all have a base of "cocoa liquor" made from roasted, blended, and ground cacao bean nibs (small pieces). See other glossary listings for types of chocolate. Also, visit: www.hersheys.com. |
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| Chop Cutting food into small bits. |
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| Cocoa butter: The portion of fat in the cacao bean. |
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| Cocoa powder: Unsweetened powder made from cacao beans that are fermented, dried, roasted, and cracked. The nibs (small pieces) are ground to extract about 75 percent of the cocoa butter - a thick paste which is called chocolate liquor. This is dried and ground to powder. Dutch cocoa has been further treated with an alkali to neutralize cocoa's natural acidity. |
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| Combine Mixing together. |
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| Confectioners' or powdered sugar A granulated sugar that has been crushed into a fine powder. A small amount (about 3 percent) of cornstarch is added to prevent clumping. |
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| Consumer A person who buys goods or services for his or her own needs and not for resale. |
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| Convection cooking: A method of cooking in which a fan continuously circulates heated air in the oven cavity while foods are cooking. Advantages are that some foods cook faster and larger quantities of food can be cooked at one time. The user has the flexibility of using multiple racks at the same time. Frequently, it is recommended to reduce the recipe temperature when using convection. |
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| Convection oven: A gas or electric oven equipped with a fan that continually circulates the hot oven air around the product. Circulating hot air allows products to bake on several racks at one time. Oven temperature can usually be reduced by 25°F and preheating may be unnecessary. |
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| Cookie A flour-based, sweet, hand-held small cake (from the Dutch word "koekje," meaning "little cake"). |
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| Cookie pan: A flat, rectangular baking pan made of steel or aluminum that is rigid. All four sides feature a 5/8- to ¾-inch side to prevent cookies from sliding off the edge, as well as to make removal of the pan from the oven easier. In home baking, jelly roll pans also are sometimes called, or used as, cookie pans. |
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| Cookie sheet: A flat, rectangular baking pan made of steel or aluminum that is rigid. Sizes range from 10 x 8 inches to 20 x 15 inches. A cookie sheet is designed with two, non-edged sides so cookies can slide off either side for easier removal. |
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| Cool When hot foods reduce in temperature until neither very hot or cold. |
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| Cooling rack: A rectangular grid of thick wire with "feet" that raise it above the countertop. They are used to cool cakes, cookies, and other baked goods when they come out of the oven. Products are cooled while in their pan for a short time and after the product is removed from the pan prior to storing or freezing. Yeast breads are removed from the pans and onto the rack as soon as they come out of the oven to prevent a soggy crust. |
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| Corn bread Quick bread in which half or more of the flour used is cornmeal. It may be thin and crisp or thick and light. Popular types are hushpuppies, Johnnycakes and spoon bread. |
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| Corn flour: Flour milled from whole corn, it has the flavor of corn and is excellent in cornbread, muffins, waffles, and blended with cornmeal. |
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| Cornmeal Dry degerminated or whole grain corn kernels (yellow, white or blue varieties are grown) that have been ground into fine, medium or coarse meal. |
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| Creaming Using beaters, a mixer or a large spoon to mix fats (butter, margarine or shortening) and sugars together until creamy in appearance. |
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| Cut in: To blend together cold shortening or butter (fat) and flour or sugar without creaming (mixing air into) the two. Two knives or a pastry blender may be used to create a mixture that is crumbly or grainy in appearance.
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Degerminated: A term for grain foods, such as some brands of cornmeal, that have had the germ removed in the milling process. |
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| Dissolve Stirring a dry substance into a liquid until solids are no longer remaining. (For example: stirring sugar into water, yeast into water, etc.). |
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| Dry ingredients: Refers to the ingredients in a recipe, such as flours, sugar, leavening, salt, baking cocoa, spices, or herbs, that may be blended before adding to another mixture in the recipe. |
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| Dry measuring cups: Straight-sided, graduated sizes of cups with a handle attached at the top lip. A home baking measuring tool used in the U.S. The common cup sizes are ¼, 1/3, ½, 1, and 2 cup, and are often nested for ease in storage. They are used to measure a standard amount of dry ingredients, such as flour, sugar, cornmeal, or brown sugar, for home baking recipes. The dry ingredients are spooned into the cup and leveled off with a straight-edged utensil. |
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| Dust: To lightly sprinkle a baked product or surface with powdered sugar, flour, or meal.
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Eggs: In home baking, neither the shell color nor the grade of egg matter. The size standard recipes call for is large unless stated otherwise. Eggs perform many functions - leavening, binding, thickening, coating or glazing, emulsifying, moisturizing or drying, and adding color, flavor, and nutrients to the finished product. Eggs also may be used to retard crystallization in some frostings. Visit the American Egg Board at www.aeb.org. |
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| Egg wash: A thoroughly combined mixture of 1 whole egg, egg yolk, or egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water or milk. This mixture is brushed on the unbaked surface of breads, pastries, or other baked goods just before baking to provide a rich color or gloss to the crust.
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Fermentation: A process by which a food goes through a chemical change precipitated by enzymes produced from yeast, bacteria, or microorganisms. In baking, it refers to the first stages (rising times) after a bread dough is developed and before it is shaped. This stage helps leaven the dough and develop the bread's flavor. |
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| Flour: Flour is a major ingredient in most baked goods. Although wheat flours are the most common and often essential flour to a product's quality, flour may be produced from many kinds of grains, potatoes, legumes, beans, and seeds. Example: Flour from soybeans, corn, oats, spelt, teff, quinoa, amaranth, rye, buckwheat, and more. |
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| Focaccia Italian bakers' snack, from Latin term "focus" or hearth. The focaccia was originally baked on a stone hearth.
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Gluten: A protein found in wheat and other cereal flours that forms the structure of the bread dough. It holds the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the yeast and expands during fermentation. Gluten is developed when flour is combined with water and liquids, mixed, and kneaded. It provides the elasticity and extensibility (stretch) in bread dough. Glutenin and gliadin are the two proteins that form gluten |
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| Gluten-free: Home baking allows gluten allergy sufferers to experiment with baking with gluten-free flours, such as amaranth, rice, corn, milo, soy, and potato. |
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| Graham, stone-ground or whole-wheat flour Made from either hard, soft or a blend of both wheat classes. All are produced by either grinding the whole-wheat kernel or recombining the white flour, germ and bran to make a whole-wheat flour. Coarseness may vary, but nutritional value differs very little.
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High-altitude baking: Adjustments to liquids, leavening agents, sugar, and oven temperature are needed at altitudes over 3,000 feet. |
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| For more information contact: Colorado Cooperative Extension Resrouce Center for High Altitude Baking guides: Toll Free: (877) 692-9358 E-mail: CERC@vines.colostate.edu Web-site: www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt |
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| Honey: An all-natural sweetener produced by bees from flower nectar. Color and flavor vary due to the nectar the bees find available. Honey develops golden crust color and holds moisture in baked goods.
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Ice cream salt: A coarse rock or solar salt added to ice for cooling when making ice cream. It is not food grade and should not be used in baking. Also, see Salt glossary listing. |
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| Instant-read thermometer: A stainless-steel probe thermometer indicating the temperature of a liquid, mixture, dough, or meat almost instantly. It is an excellent baker's tool for yeast bread baking. |
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| Insulated bakeware: Metal bakeware constructed of two layers which are separated by an insulating cushion of air. Benefits of baking with insulated bakeware include even baking and consistent results with less bottom crust browning. With insulated baking pans, the oven temperature for cake and brownie mixes should be set 25°F higher. For all other baked goods, use the recommended temperatures, but longer bake times may be needed. |
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| Invert sugar: Sugar syrup exposed to a small amount of acid and heating to break sucrose into glucose and fructose to reduce the size of the crystals. Invert sugar is used for fondant icings for cakes.
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Jelly-roll pan: A rectangular baking pan that features a 1-inch edge and is usually 18 x 13 inches in size - commercially known as a "half-sheet pan." In home baking, sizes vary; a common size listed in recipes is 15½ x 10½ x 1 inch. It is preferred for baking sheet cakes, sponge cakes, or bars. (It gets its name because the sponge cake for a jelly roll cake is baked in this pan.) |
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Kitchen: The place in a home where lives converge, are sustained, and flourish. |
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| Kneading Working with dough with the heels of your hands by pressing and folding it and turning the dough a quarter turn after each press and fold. |
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| Kosher salt: A coarse-flake salt used for koshering meats, for topping baked goods, or where a coarse salt is preferred. It is not iodized, but may contain an anti-caking agent.
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Leavening Process of producing gas in a dough or batter. Agents such as baking soda, baking powder and yeast that are used to lighten the texture and increase the volume of baked goods with the production of carbon dioxide. Eggs also are leavening agents. In earlier days, leavening agents were called "lifters." |
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| Liquid measure: A clear, hard, plastic or glass cup with a lip for pouring. The cup is usually a pint or quart measuring tool marked with lines to measure liquid ingredients in home baking. It will have lines to mark ounces, milliliters, and 1/8, ¼, 1/3, ½, 2/3, ¾ and 1 cup or more. Liquid ingredients should be measured in this cup, with the cup placed on a flat surface for accuracy in home baking.
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Margarine: Developed as a butter substitute in the late 1800s, margarine is 80 percent vegetable oil that is partially hydrogenated to hold a solid form. The remaining 20 percent is liquids, flavoring, coloring, and other additives. Margarine may be salted or unsalted. For best results in home baking, recipes that call for margarine should use margarine and not a spread, whipped, or reduced-fat form. |
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| Meal Grain or seeds milled or ground more coarsely than flour. |
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| Measuring cups and spoons: Containers or spoons that come in graduated sizes and are used to accurately measure dry or liquid ingredients when cooking or baking. |
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| Melt Heating a solid food such as butter or sugar until it is liquid. |
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| Milk chocolate: Sweetened dark chocolate (at least 10 percent chocolate liquor) with additional milk solids (at least 12 percent). |
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| Millet flour: Finely ground flour from whole millet; a starchy, low-gluten flour with a texture similar to rice flour. |
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| Mixing Stirring, usually with a spoon, until the ingredients are well-combined (no individual ingredients can be seen or identified). |
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| Muffin pans: Muffin pans come in many sizes and shapes, even "muffin tops." The standard muffin pan called for in many recipes has 6 or 12 cups that measure 2½ inches across the top. For best results, always line with paper liners or grease just the bottoms and lower thirds of the muffin cups. Mini-muffin tins, also called "tea muffins," are popular in 12-cup and 24-cup pan sizes. Also, see Insulated, Nonstick, and Baking pans glossary listings.
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No-knead: This home baking method refers to yeast breads that require no kneading. They also are called "batter breads." |
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| Nonstick: A coating which is either applied through a high temperature process called coil-coating on metal before the pan is formed, or spray coated on after the pan is formed. It may be silicone-based or a PTFE-based (polytetrafluorethylene or teflon) formulation. Benefits of nonstick: These vary depending on the coating, but relate to the ease of removal and cleanup of baking pans. Most nonstick coatings darken pans. Look for packaging instructions regarding the lowering of baking time or temperature for best results. |
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| Nut flour: Nut meats, toasted or untoasted, that are finely ground for pastry crusts, breads, cakes, and cookies. |
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| Nuts: The dry fruit of trees, legumes, or seeds; an edible kernel encased in a hard, dry shell. Rich in nutrients, flavor, and texture, nuts provide sensory appeal to baked goods and other menu items. Nuts may be as high as 90 percent fat, but the fat is primarily the healthful, monounsaturated type.
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Oats: A grain that is toasted, hulled, cleaned, and cooked whole (groats), or the groats are steamed, steel-cut, or flattened (rolled). Rolled oats, or old-fashioned oats, may be cut further making them quick-cooking. They may be used interchangeably in baking and are whole grain. Instant oats may not be used interchangeably in baking due to finer cutting and further cooking of the starch. |
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| Oat flour: Groats or rolled oats ground into flour. |
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| Oat bran: The outer layers of the oat kernel that are particularly high in soluble fiber; good added to baked goods. |
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| Oils: The liquid fat pressed from plants and their nuts or seeds. The oil is extracted either by solvent-extraction or cold-pressed. Common types used in home baking are soybean, safflower, corn, sunflower, canola, and olive oils. No oil derived from a plant contains cholesterol, but they will vary in amounts of poly- and mono-unsaturates and saturated fat. |
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| Oven: An oven may be defined as an enclosed area with parts which supply heat and air flow in order to cook food. Conventional/thermal ovens use electric elements or gas burners to bake, roast, or broil; convention ovens use electric elements or gas burners plus the addition of a fan to circulate heated air over, under, and around the food. Most electric ovens have controls which cycle the lower and upper elements for consistent temperatures. Recently, ovens have been introduced which also use halogen lights and/or microwave energy to increase the cooking speed. Ovens may vary in width from 20 inches to 36 inches and may be in a free-standing, slide-in, drop-in, or wall oven configuration. Ovens can have cleaning options of standard clean (clean by hand), self-clean, or continuous clean.
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Pastry flour: A fine-textured, soft wheat flour with low-gluten and high-starch content. It may be bleached, unbleached, or whole wheat. Soft red or white wheat may be used to produce this flour. |
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| Preheat Heating the empty oven to the recommended temperature before placing the product to be baked in it. |
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| Proof: In bread baking, this term indicates the period of time a product is allowed to rise after it is shaped and placed on or in pans. Products are usually proofed until doubled in size, or when a finger, lightly placed on the side of the loaf, leaves an indentation. Products are "proofed" in a humid, draft-free, 95°F to 100°F place. In homes, a barely damp, clean, non-terry cloth towel or plastic wrap sprayed with pan spray may be lightly placed over the product to prevent the crust from drying. Some ovens have a proofing feature. Follow the manufacturer's use guide. |
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| Pumpernickel: A medium- to coarsely ground, rye flour, light brown in color. It may be labeled "medium rye." A mixture of rye and wheat flour used to produce a distinctive bread. Molasses are usually used to add color and flavor. |
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| Punch down In reference to bread dough - when dough has doubled in size or when a dent remains after two fingers are lightly pressed ½ inch into the dough, make a fist and push it into the center of the dough. Pull the edges of the dough to the center and turn the dough over. Cover and let rest or rise again before shaping.
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Quick bread Bread that is quick to make because it doesn't require kneading or rising time. |
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| Quinoa flour: A gluten-free flour made from grinding quinoa grain. It is highly nutritious and yields a tender, moist crumb in cookies, pancakes, waffles, and fruitcakes.
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Red wheat: In the U.S., wheat is classified into six classes - three of the classes have a bran coat that is considered "red" in color. These classes are hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, and soft red winter wheat. Also, see glossary listing for White wheat. |
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| Resources Materials, time, money and abilities available for use that can be drawn upon for aid or to take care of a need. |
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| Rye flour: Milled from rye grain, the flour is darker, heavier, and low in gluten. It is sold as light, dark, or medium for home baking. The light and medium rye flour have most of the bran removed. Dark rye flour is whole grain. Also, see Pumpernickel in the glossary listing.
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Salt: Salt (Sodium Chloride - NaCl) can be produced three ways:
Salt contributes to flavor in baked goods, and controls fermentation of yeast in breads. Coarse grades are available for use as toppings on soft pretzels and other specialty breads. Also, visit the Salt Institute at www.saltinstitute.org. |
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| Salt substitute: Usually potassium chloride in granular form, intended for lowering sodium intake; generally bitter in taste. It is not recommended for baking. |
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| Salt substitute mixtures: Usually a blend of granular potassium chloride and sodium chloride, intended for lowering sodium usage; tastes similar to regular table salt. Morton Lite Salt® Mixture is a leading brand. |
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| Sauté Cooking or browning food in a small amount of hot oil or fat until softened and the flavors are released. |
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| Scratch baking Baking method that begins with measuring basic ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter and leavening. It requires a recipe rather than convenience products, like mixes. |
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| Sea (solar) salt: Generally, salt made by outdoor evaporation of salt brine in shallow ponds; level of refinement may vary, as well as coarseness. It may be used for baking, although very coarse salt would not be suitable. |
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| Self-rising cornmeal: One of the first convenience baking mixes. It is a blend of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Approximate equivalent = 1½ cups cornmeal, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. |
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| Self-rising flour: One of the first "convenience mixes," self-rising flour is a blend of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. When self-rising flour is used in a standard flour recipe, the baking powder and salt are then omitted. Approximate equivalent = 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. |
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| Semi-sweet chocolate: Baking chocolate that contains between 15 percent and 35 percent chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, and vanilla. It may be used interchangeably in some recipes that call for bittersweet or sweet chocolate, but is not interchangeable with milk chocolate. |
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| Semolina flour: Flour produced by further grinding semolina (granules) made from durum wheat. Specialty breads sometimes call for part semolina or semolina flour. Also called pasta flour. |
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| Spread a) Distributing a product/ingredient in a thin layer over the surface of another product. b) A fat sold in stick form or in tubs that is less than 80 percent fat. |
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| Spreads: Products in sticks or tubs that are less than 80 percent fat. They are not recommended for baking due to their water content. |
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| Soy flour: A whole-grain, high-protein flour produced from hulled and roasted soybeans. The flour may be de-fatted, low-fat, or full-fat - check the ingredient labels to determine. |
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| Sprinkle Scattering particles of sugar or toppings over a surface, like frosting, cake or bread. |
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| Standard: In home baking, this refers to recipes, measuring tools, ingredients, methods, and equipment that are used to produce a defined product with consistent results to assist manufacturers or consumers. |
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| Staple The chief item or most important items made, grown or sold in a particular place, region, country, etc. |
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| Starter A mixture of flour, water, yeast and sugar that is allowed to ferment in a warm place until foamy. A portion of the starter is used (about 2 cups) in place of a package of yeast in breads, usually after "feeding" the mixture with additional flour and water. Starters are kept in the refrigerator after initial development and "fed" every two weeks. |
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| Stir Using a spoon to mix ingredients with a circular or figure-eight motion. |
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| Stoneground flour or meal: Grain ground into flour between stones. It may be coarse or fine and is usually whole grain. |
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| Sugar: Sugar or sucrose is a carbohydrate occurring naturally in every fruit and vegetable in the plant kingdom. It is the major product of photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sun's energy into food. Sugar for home baking is produced in greatest quantities from sugar cane and sugar beets.
Visit The Sugar Association at www.sugar.org.
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Table salt: Also called granulated salt, it is produced by boiling and evaporation of brine. It may be iodized and contains anti-caking agents. |
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| Temperature: The intensity of heat in a mixture, baked product, or oven; measured in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) in home baking in the United States. |
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| Texture: Indicates the appearance of a cut portion of bread or cake.
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Underproofed loaves or rolls: Shaped bread or rolls which have not reached the desired height or volume before they are baked. |
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| Unleavened: A word to describe breads, cakes, or other baked goods that do not use a leavening agent, such as baking powder, baking soda, yeast, or cream of tartar. |
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| Unbleached flour: Flour that is bleached naturally as it ages; no maturing agents are used in the milling process. It may be used interchangeably with bleached flours and has no nutritive differences.
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Vegetable Oil: See oil. |
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| Vegetable shortening: Vegetable oil (soybean or cottonseed) that is hydrogenated so it will be a solid fat. It is 100 percent fat with no water, milk fat, or other solids added. It is nearly flavorless and is used for imparting flakiness and tenderness.
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Wheat flour: Milled from soft (lower protein) red or white wheat for cakes, pastries, waffles, and other products, or hard white or red wheat for pizza crust, yeast breads, bagels, and some rolls or hearth breads. High-protein durum wheat will be used for flour or semolina for some specialty breads, but is primarily a pasta wheat. Home baking (called "family flour" in the milling industry) wheat flour may be: Unbleached or bleached all-purpose, cake, pastry, whole-wheat or graham, and bread flour. |
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| Whip Beating a food lightly and rapidly with a mixer, whisk or beater to incorporate air and increase volume. |
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| White chocolate: A mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin, and vanilla. If cocoa butter is not mentioned, the product is confectionary or summer coating, not white chocolate. It is not a true chocolate due to no chocolate liquor present. Chips or pieces and coating chunks are popular home baking ingredients. |
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| White wheat: In the U.S., wheat is classified into six classes - three classes have a bran coat that is considered "white" or pale to amber in color. These classes are soft white wheat, hard white wheat, and durum wheat. Also, see Red wheat in the glossary listing. |
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| Whole grain Using whole kernel or ground whole kernels of a grain (barley, corn, oats, wheat and rye) in a food. |
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| Whole-wheat flour: Flour produced from the whole kernel of wheat. Also called graham flour. It is usually produced in flour mills but may be ground in a mill using a stone grinding process.
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XXX or XXXX confectioners' sugar: Indicates the fineness of the powdered sugar. Four X is slightly finer, but both may be used interchangeably. It does not affect whether sifting is required - go by the recipe's directions.
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Yeast In baking, yeast refers to a single-celled fungi in the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which ferments sugar. The by-products of this fermentation are principally carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide raises or expands the bread dough. Always use a thermometer to measure liquid temperature before adding it to or with the yeast. Home baking yeast may be active dry or fast-rising. Fresh or compressed yeast also may be available in some supermarkets' refrigerator case. One-quarter ounce dry yeast is about 2¼ teaspoons and equals one 0.6-ounce cake of compressed fresh yeast. |
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| Yield: The amount of product obtained as a result of a given amount of ingredients.
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Zest: The fragrant, flavorful, thin, outer skin of citrus fruit which is removed with a citrus zester, vegetable peeler, or paring knife and used to contribute flavor to baked goods.
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| References: HBA member definitions Lansky, Vicki. Baking Soda. Over 500 Fabulous Fun and Frugal Uses Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion. The Food Lover's Tiptionary Greenspan, Dorie. Baking with Julia Sultan, William J. Practical Baking |
