Glossary

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.

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.

Baking

:

Cooking food in dry heat, especially in an oven .

Baking Pan

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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.

Baking Soda

:

sodium 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.

Batch

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One recipe of a dough or batter, such as bread or cookies.

Batter

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Thin mixture of flour and water that can be poured or spooned into pan or on a griddle.

Beat

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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.

Bind

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To thicken or smooth out the consistency of a liquid.

Blend

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To combine two or more ingredients thoroughly until they seem to be one.

Boil

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To cook in liquid that is heated until bubbles rise to the surface and break. Bubbles form throughout the mixture.

Bread Scoring

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Evaluation of finished baked product to determine quality. 2. Slashing the surface (top) of loaves to allow for expansion as the loaf is baked.

Caramelization

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To heat sugar until brown and a characteristic flavor develops; occurs at 300˚F.

Chill

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Make mixture or cooking bowl cold by placing in refrigerator or in ice.

Chop

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To cut into small pieces with a bench cutter, knife or scissors.

Coarse

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Refers to the crumb structure of some baked goods.

Coat

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To thoroughly cover a food with a liquid or dry mixture.

Combine

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To mix or blend two or more ingredients together.

Cool

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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.

Core

:

To remove the seeded, inner portion of a fruit.

Cream

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To work (with spoon or mixer) one or more foods until soft and creamy.

Dough

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A mixture of flour, liquids and may have other ingredients that is thick enough to be handled, kneaded or shaped.

Drain

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To remove liquid from a food product.

Drizzle

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To pour a light amount, from a spoon, over food.

Dust

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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.

Egg Wash Or Glaze

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Whole egg or egg white mixed with small amount of milk or water and brushed over dough prior to baking; creates glossy baked surface.

Flakey

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Distinct layers of pastry or biscuit formed by using low protein flour, fat and not too much mixing.

Flour

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The finely ground and sifted meal of any of various edible grains. v. To lightly dust a surface or dough with flour.

Fold

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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.

Fry

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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)

Garnish

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To decorate foods by adding other attractive and complementary foodstuffs to the food or serving dish.

Gelatinization

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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.

Grease

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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.

Knead

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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.

Mix

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To combine two ingredients by stirring or in way that makes two or more foods appear as one.

Molding

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Follows intermediate proof—dough must be relaxed—final shaping step where dough is flattened (sheeted) or shaped for loaves, braids, rolls, twists.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Puree

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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.

Scale Ingredients

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To weigh ingredients rather than measure in cups or spoons for better accuracy and consistent results.

Sift

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To move flour or sugar through a sieve (sifter) to incorporate air and insure accurate measurement.

Skim

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To remove a substance from the surface of a liquid. Ex: "Skim" the milk after scalding.

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.

Steam

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To cook in steam, with or without pressure, as with steam bread or Chinese dumplings.

Stir

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To mix with a circular motion.

Thicken

:

Make a liquid dense by adding an ingredient like cornstarch, egg yolk, tapioca, flour, rice or potato starch or flour; also to bind.

Whip

:

To beat rapidly to add air.

Whisk

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To beat ingredients together, using a wire whip or whisk, until well blended.

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.

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.

The Home Baking Association