Baking Dictionary
A – C |??? D – K |???? L – P |???? R – Z
Docking
Slashing or making incisions in the surface of bred or rolls for proper expansion while baking. Done just before baking.
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.
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
Dough
A mixture of flour, liquids and may have other ingredients that is thick enough to be handled, kneaded or shaped.
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.
Drain
To remove liquid from a food product
Drizzle
To pour a light amount, from a spoon, over food.
Drop
To deposit even portions of dough on a baking sheet using spoon or batter dispenser
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.
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.
Elasticity
Capable of recovering shape after stretching; developed gluten in dough is elastic
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
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.
Flakey
Distinct layers of pastry or biscuit formed by using low protein flour, fat and not too much mixing
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
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.
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.
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)
Garnish
To decorate foods by adding other attractive and complementary foodstuffs to the food or serving dish.
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.
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.
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.
Grate
To reduce a food into small bits by rubbing it against the sharp teeth of a grating utensil
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.
High Altitude
baking At altitude, leavening gases in breads and cakes expand more.
- 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.
Holding
To keep products in the best environment for quality serving or long-term storage
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.
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.
