Baking Dictionary
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.
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.
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.
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.
Altitude
At altitude (above 3,000 ft.), adjustments may be needed in baking and cooking time, temperature and recipes.
For example:
* Water boils at 212?F. below 2,000 ft. and more quickly from 3,000 to 10,000 ft. (208? to194?F).
* Food requiring boiling (pasta, eggs, pudding/pie filling) will take longer to cook.
* Yeast breads rise faster?use slightly cooler liquids to slow fermentation; punch down twice.
* Flour will be dryer and more absorbent?use slightly less.
* Cakes may need slightly less baking powder (? to ? tsp), less sugar (1 to 3 tbsp per cup) and a little more liquid (1 to 4 tbsp. per cup).
* Egg whites: beat only to soft peaks, not stiff.
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.
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)
Baking
Cooking food in dry heat, especially in an oven
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.
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.
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.
Batard
Long loaf (thicker and stubbier than a baguette)
Batch
One recipe of a dough or batter, such as bread or cookies.
Batter
Thin mixture of flour and water that can be poured or spooned into pan or on a griddle.
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.
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.
Biga
Italian pre-ferment, see Pre-ferment.
Bind
To thicken or smooth out the consistency of a liquid.
Blend
To combine two or more ingredients thoroughly until they seem to be one.
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)
Boule (miche)
Round loaf; taut skin stretched perfectly over a dome of bread dough, sealed on the bottom.
Bread
Baked foods produced from dough made of flour, water, salt and other optional ingredients, and leavened by yeast or other leavening agents.
Bread Flour
Flour milled from hard wheat, in excess of 11% protein. Most often used for yeast leavened products.
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.
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.
Brown
To give a cooked surface to a food (such as meat or flour) by applying high heat. Also occurs during baking and roasting.
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.?
Caramelization
To heat sugar until brown and a characteristic flavor develops; occurs at 300?F.
Cereal Grain
Cereal refers to grain and foods derived from them; cereal is from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Also see Grain.
Chemical Leavening
Used in baking in batters or dough to produce carbon dioxide. Common chemical leaveners are baking soda, baking powders, cream of tartar.
Chill
Make mixture or cooking bowl cold by placing in refrigerator or in ice.
Chop
To cut into small pieces with a bench cutter, knife or scissors.
Clarify
To make a substance clear or pure
Coarse
Refers to the crumb structure of some baked goods
Coat
To thoroughly cover a food with a liquid or dry mixture
Combine
To mix or blend two or more ingredients together
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.
Core
To remove the seeded, inner portion of a fruit.
Cream
To work (with spoon or mixer) one or more foods until soft and creamy.
Cream Of Tartar
An acidic salt?potassium hydrogen tartrate? (also referred to as tartaric acid); stabilizes beaten egg whites and leavens some baked goods.
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.
Crush
To pulverize, as with herbs and spices used in baking.
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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