How Top bakery commissary words from food industry newbies must know

August 8, 2022 Team DigitalGumma

A Glossary of baking terms

bakehouse	pâtisserie
bake shop	pastry shop
confectionery	patisserie
cakery	cake shop

ALPHABETICAL GLOSSARY OF BAKING TERMS.

AERATE, AERATION

To whip, sift or beat air between particles, as with flour, confectioners sugar, or sugar and butter.

BAIN-MARIE

This is the French term for a water bath. A water bath protects delicate desserts, such as a set custard or a cheesecake, from curdling, cracking or over-cooking as they bake. The baking tin containing the mixture is set inside a larger pan that holds a shallow amount of hot water – this provides insulation against high heat.

BAKER’S DOZEN

Refers to the number 13. Believed to have originated as a way for bakers to avoid being blamed for shortchanging their customers.

BAKING POWDER

A raising agent that reacts in the presence of moisture and heat to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) which allows cakes and other baked goods to rise.

BICARBONATE OF SODA

Also referred to as baking soda, it reacts in baking as a raising agent. Bicarb is alkaline and needs the acidity from other ingredients to react and release CO2.

BLIND BAKE

A technique used for baking an unfilled pastry shell. Before baking with the filling, the shell is lined with parchment paper and filled with ceramic beads, dry rice, or dry beans, and then baked briefly until the pastry is set.

BLOOM (GELATINE)

Blooming gelatine is a step integral to ensuring the smooth texture of a finished product. It involves sprinkling the powdered gelatine into a liquid and letting it sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Leaf gelatine must be softened in cold water for a few minutes before being used. To bloom agar agar it must be soaked in cold water but, unlike gelatine, it must be boiled for 5 minutes to activate.

CARAMELISE

To heat food until the sugars on the surface break down and form a brown coating, which may be sweet or savoury.

COATING CONSISTENCY

When a liquid, usually a custard, is thick and viscous enough to coat a spoon and doesn’t drain off.

CONFECTIONERS SUGAR

Another name for icing or powdered sugar. The finest version of sugar which is a powder form. A small amount of corn flour is added to prevent clumping.

CREAM

To beat ingredients to incorporate air and make the mixture creamy in consistency.

CREAM OF TARTAR (TARTRIC ACID)

Used to stabilise beaten egg whites and used as a raising agent in some baked goods.

CURDLING

Curdling is when a mixture separates into its component parts. This can happen with eggs if they are added to a mixture too quickly or if the mixture is too hot.

DUST

To sprinkle lightly with a powder such as icing sugar or cocoa.

DREDGE

To coat an ingredient with a dry ingredient, such as flour or powdered sugar, either before or after cooking.

FOLD IN

To mix two things together using a gentle lifting and turning motion rather than stirring so as not to lose any trapped air bubbles. Used for cake mixtures and when adding flavourings to meringues.

GLAZE

A coating that is applied to a pre-cooked or cooked surface to make it shine or to help it colour when cooked, such as an egg wash for uncooked pastry and an apricot glaze for fruit tarts.

GREASE

To coat a dish, tin or mould with cooking fat in order to stop the item being cooked from sticking.

HARD BALL

Hard ball stage occurs at 121-131 ºC . This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. This stage is required for nougat.

HARD CRACK

At this stage syrup dropped into ice water separates into hard, brittle threads that break when bent. The temperature will be 148-154 ºC and this stage is used for most candies such as lollipops and brittles.

KNEAD

To mix a stiff dough by manipulating it by hand or with a mechanical dough hook in order to make it smooth. In bread –making, this also helps develop the gluten.

PROVE

To allow a yeasted dough to rise. When you’re done going through this Glossary of Baking Terms, check out our article on yeasts.

RIBBON STAGE

The mixture is thick enough to leave a letter ‘O’ drawn on the surface for 10 secs when the whisk is lifted.

RUB IN

To integrate hard fat into flour by rubbing the two together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

SCALD

To pour over or immerse in boiling water for a short time in order to cook only the outer layer. Also, to bring milk almost to the boil, or to sterilise kitchen equipment with boiling water.

SIFT

To move a dry ingredient such as flour, sugar or cocoa through a sieve (sifter) to incorporate air and remove lumps or unevenly sized particles.

SLAKE

To mix a powder, such as cornflour, with a little liquid to form a paste in order for it then to be mixed into a larger amount of liquid without forming lumps.

SLURRY

A term referring to a mixture of flour and water, which is stirred into soups and sauces as a thickener.

STEEP

To infuse or impart with flavour eg: steep Earl Grey tea bags in milk to impart the flavour.

SOFT BALL

A term in sugarcraft and confectionary. A small amount of syrup is dropped into cold water and forms a soft, flexible ball, but flattens like a pancake after a few moments in your hand. The temperature on a thermometer would be 118-120 ºC. This stage is used for fudge mostly.

SOFT PEAK

When egg whites or cream are beaten until thick and hold some shape but the peaks flop over softly when the whisk is removed.

SOFT CRACK

When the sugar temperature reaches 132-144 ºC, the syrup will form hard threads that are still pliable and will bend before they break. Mostly used for butterscotches and taffy.

STIFF PEAK

When egg whites or cream are beaten until they form physical stiff peaks that hold their point after the whisk is removed.

TEMPER

The process that takes chocolate through a temperature curve, which aligns the chocolate’s crystals to make it smooth, silky and creates a satisfying snap when you bite into it.

Temper can also refer to the process where a small quantity of a hot liquid is incorporated into cold liquid to warm the cold liquid slightly.

WHISK

A whisk is a bulbous shaped beater that allows you to whisk an ingredient, this form of mixing incorporates a lot of air into a mixture or batter. A whisk or whisking action would be used in a recipe such as meringue where you would change raw liquid egg whites into a light, foamy and stable mixture.

ZEST

The outer layer of citrus fruit, which is coloured and contains the essential oils. In baking zest is used to add flavour without necessarily adding liquid to a recipe; the essential oils hold powerful aroma and flavour properties.

Now that you have a glossary of baking terms to refer to, check out our recipe section and get baking!

Why do they use commissaries?

It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. The reasons are as variable as the shapes of pasta. Yet, like pasta, the reasons often come down to similar ingredients.

Food truck owners might use commissaries to prepare food if their state doesn’t allow them to cook in their trucks. Restaurants can use them to produce a delivery-only menu or to supplement a commercial kitchen space that’s too small for their needs. Entrepreneurs can use them to test new recipes and to launch delivery-only food brands.

Follow along to learn more about those reasons and the purposes of commissary kitchens.

What does commissary kitchen mean?

Although the term is commonly used amongst many in the realm of food delivery, it might be your first time encountering it as you search for the most appealing option to launch your novelty pizza brand.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “commissary” means “a store for equipment and provisions.” Let’s add some context to this definition. While a commissary kitchen is not a store, it is a place to keep equipment and provisions for anyone who wants to produce a food product.

To fully understand what a commissary kitchen could mean for your business and how to go about starting a commissary kitchen, take a look at the different kinds of commissary kitchens available to you.

Solo or sharing

Many commissary kitchens are in warehouse-like buildings on the outskirts of urban centers where food delivery services are in high demand. These buildings may house multiple commissary kitchens. One commissary kitchen can also accommodate multiple tenants. A shared kitchen space, where more than one food business uses the shared space, or a solo kitchen for one tenant are two ways to operate. It’s important to consider the differences between sharing a commissary kitchen with other chefs and renting one all for yourself.

Solo – There are so many benefits of having a commissary kitchen all to yourself. The kitchen will only be stocked with the provisions and equipment that you need. You won’t have to worry about juggling time slots with others. For chefs who are making food with long cooking processes, it would be helpful to have constant access to their kitchen. Popular brands may also need full access to the kitchen during regular business hours.
While the benefits are huge, the cost can be, too. Given that you have to uphold the lease on your own, there is more financial responsibility in renting solo.

Shared – Shared commissary kitchens are more economical for each tenant. You will likely need to pick from a more restricted selection of time slots. If you are a food entrepreneur adjusting your vegan energy bar recipe, you might share the kitchen with food truck vendors, restaurants, or other individual entrepreneurs. In the scenario where you share a kitchen, you may need to be more flexible. For the popular virtual restaurant, it may be essential to have a commissary kitchen through normal business hours, but for the individual food entrepreneur, it might not be a problem to use the kitchen at varying or quiet hours. The question of going solo versus sharing a commissary is all about your palate.

Choco-Rolls-and-bakery-industry.

Guide to Understanding Commissary Terms and Baking Methods

When respondents were asked what are the top bakery items they produce, cookies rank first at 89 percent, followed by cakes at 79 percent, cupcakes 73 percent, muffins/scones 68 percent, cinnamon rolls 65 percent, and bread 57 percent.

Cakes represent the largest portion of total bakery sales at 24 percent, followed by cookies 12 percent, breads/rolls 11 percent, cupcakes 8 percent, sandwiches/wraps 6 percent, and yeast-raised donuts and beverages tied at 5 percen

Aerate	To incorporate air into something, usually a batter.
Bain-marie	Also known as a hot water bath, it is usually used to melt chocolate and butter gently and gradually over a pot of simmering water.
Bake blind	Baking the crust of a pie/tart without the filling. It can be done with a variety of methods. One would be to prick the bottom of the crust before filling it with pie weights, rice, pulses, or beans prior to baking.
Batch	Amount of bread, cookies, etc made from one bake.
Batter	A mixture of dry and liquid ingredients such as eggs, flour, and milk or water. Similar to dough but it has a much thinner consistency and cannot be kneaded.
Beat	Mixing a mixture rapidly and intensely to combine ingredients and incorporate air into the mixture. Typically done with a whisk or mixer.
Blend	Mixing two substances together so that they become incorporated together.
Bloom	For gelatin: softening gelatin using a liquid before use. Typically done by sprinkling the gelatin onto the surface of a liquid and letting it sit for about 5 minutes. For cocoa powder: Mixing cocoa powder with hot water and stirring to remove any lumps before letting it sit for a minute or two. This will release the flavour in the cocoa particles, increasing the intensity of the chocolate flavour.
Boil	For liquids: to heat the liquid until it reaches its boiling point. For a subject: to place the thing into boiling liquid.
Butter (verb)	To spread/add butter onto something.
Buttercream	A type of icing used to fill, top, coat, and decorate cakes or cupcakes. Typically made by creaming butter with powdered sugar and adding any extra colourings and flavourings.
Caramelize	Process of cooking sugar until it turns brown. When sugar is heated to high temperatures, it undergoes chemical changes and breaks down. Cooking can also caramelise the natural sugars found in various fruits and vegetables such as onions.
Chop	Using a knife or sharp object to repeatedly cut something into small pieces.
Coat	To cover something with a wet or dry substance. For example, after baking, bread loaves are usually coated with a layer of butter.
Combine	To mix two ingredients together.
Consistency	The texture and thickness of a substance.
Cool	Allowing something to reduce in temperature.
Cream	Softening butter or other solid fats such as lard and mixing them with other ingredients. This technique is commonly used for butter and sugar.
Crimp	Technique of pinching the sides and tops of pie or tart crusts.
Crumb	Used to describe the small particles of cakes or bread. Usually described as tight, loose, moist, dense, etc.
Crust	The outer skin of a bread or pie. Typically hard in texture.
Curdle	Happens when a liquid separates and forms curds and lumps. Typically used to describe things like eggs, batter, and milk.
Cut In (verb)	Mixing butter or shortening into the flour using a knife or a pastry blender (cutter) until they are well mixed. This process creates a flaky texture in pies, pastries, and cookies. See Rubbing In.
Defrost	To remove the ice or frost from something frozen by increasing its temperature.
Dilute	Thinning a liquid by adding in water or another solvent.
Dip	(verb) to immerse something into a dry or liquid mixture.
Dissolve	To incorporate a solid ingredient/food to a liquid to form a solution or mixture.
Double Boil	See bain-marie.
Dough	A thick mixture made by combining flour/meal with a liquid. Usually refers to bread or pastry dough and it is stiff enough to be kneaded and rolled.
Drizzle	The process of pouring a thin stream of liquid such as glaze or butter over food.
Dry Ingredients	Ingredients that are dry and don’t contain any water, usually in solid form. Some recipes require mixing dry ingredients before adding them to another mixture. Dry ingredients include flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
Dust	The process of sprinkling a thin layer of powdered ingredient such as cocoa powder, flour and confectioners’ sugar over food.
Egg Wash	(noun) Beaten eggs. Sometimes additional liquid such as milk and water are added. (verb) To brush a layer of beaten egg mixture over the surface of food, typically to add colour after it is baked.
Emulsion	A mixture containing liquids that are immiscible such as oil and water.
Essence	For baking flavourings: an artificial substance. For example, vanilla essence is made synthetically unlike vanilla extract. Hence, it is cheaper and less fragrant.
Extract	Refers to the natural substance that has been extracted straight from its source. For example, vanilla extract is the substance that has been retrieved straight from vanilla pods.
Fermentation	A process that converts the sugars and starches in bread dough into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, which causes dough to rise, producing the holey texture you see in bread. Most bread recipes require two periods of rising. First rise: Waiting for the yeast to work after adding it to the dough. This step is required in the making of any yeast bread. Second rise: Also known as the final rise, final fermentation, or blooming. The resting period after shaping the dough and before baking.
Fold	A technique used to describe the gentle incorporation of dry to liquid ingredients. It is typically done using a whisk or rubber spatula.
Firm peaks	Refers to a stage in whipping. When you lift up your beaters/whisk, the peaks should hold their shape better than soft peaks. Firm peaks have more distinct ridges, but with tips that are slightly bent.
Glaze	To make the surface of a food shiny by coating with a layer of sugar, butter, or any other glossy liquid.
Gluten	Name for the proteins found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. It gives food their structure and helps to maintain their shape.
Grain	The seed(s) from a food plant such as grass and cereal crops.
Grainy	Refers to the texture of a substance – not smooth/fine, has granular bits.
Grease (verb)	To lubricate or oil something (usually a pan) with a fat, usually butter.
Icing/Frosting	A sweet glaze used to cover or decorate food such as cakes, pastries, and cookies.
Incorporate	To add one substance to another and mix them together such that they are evenly distributed.
Infuse	To immerse/steep/soak something into a liquid to extract its flavours.
Knead	To work dough (usually for bread) by massaging, stretching, pulling and folding it.
Laminate	The process of alternating layers of dough with butter. The butter between the thin layers of dough let out steam during baking, helping the pastry puff up and rise, giving pastries such as croissants their delicate, airy and layered texture.
Leavening (adj.)	Usually used in conjunction with “agents”, or “ingredients”. Leavening agents are used in doughs and batters to help them rise. The most commonly used leavening agents are either chemical (baking soda and baking powder) or biological (yeast).
Light and Fluffy	Typically used to describe the final/optimal state of creaming butter and sugar.
Lumpy	Used to describe the texture of a substance – not smooth, has lumps.
Lukewarm	Mildly warm liquid (milk or water), very slightly warmer than the body temperature. Usually required to activate yeast before baking.
Macerate	The process of softening a food by soaking it in liquid.
Mature	For food: taste has developed fully to produce a strong and rich flavour.
Melt	Heating a solid product to form a liquid.
Mince	Using a knife or sharp object to chop something very finely/into very small pieces.
Mix	To combine two or more substances together.
Mold	To pinch or give shape to something, such as bread or pie dough.
Muffin pan	A pan with multiple cylindrical indents (usually 4, 6, or 12) used to create the characteristic shape of muffins and cupcakes. It comes in various materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, and silicone.
Nonstick	For pan/surface: covered with a substance that prevents food from sticking.
Oil (verb)	See grease.
Over-proofing	Commonly refers to bread dough which has been left to ferment/rest for too long. [see fermentation] When this happens, the air bubbles that have been formed in the dough have grown too large and have popped. Indicated by the inability of the dough to spring back when you poke on it. The baked bread is likely to be dense. To rescue it, press down the dough, reshape, and reproof the bread.
Parchment	Used to line baking pans to prevent food from sticking to them.
Peel	(noun) the outer skin or covering of a food such as orange or lemon. (verb) Removing the outer layer or skin of something.
Pinch	Using your fingers to press something (usually a pie dough) together.
Pipe	To squeeze a liquid substance (usually a frosting) through a piping bag for decorating purposes.
Preheat	Turning the oven/pan beforehand to let it come to the desired temperature.
Proof	Letting the shaped bread dough have its final rise before baking.
Pulse (verb)	On pulse mode, a blender will start working when the button is pressed, and will immediately stop when the button’s released. Using the pulse mode will give you more control to the fineness of the blended ingredients (e.g., when you want to make chunks of vegetables instead of blending them into a smooth liquid).
Punch down	Deflating bread dough, eliminating air bubbles so that it can be easily kneaded and shaped after its first rise. Contrary to its name, this process should be carried out gently.
Reduce	The process of thickening and reducing the amount of liquid in a liquid substance through simmering or boiling in order to intensify its flavour. Opposite of dilute.
Rolling boil	Happens when a liquid or mixture has reached its boiling temperature and produces a lot of bubbles. Required in some baking processes, such as making choux pastry for cream puffs. Bringing a mixture to a rolling boil will emulsify the butter into the other liquid ingredients, which will give you a smooth product.
Rubbing in	Typically used to refer to the process of crumbling and breaking butter into small pieces rubbing them into flour. Usually used to make food like crumble topping and shortcrust pastry.
Scald	Heating liquid until it reaches the temperature just before its boiling point. Indicated by the formation of small bubbles around the edges of your pan.
Score	Slashing the surface of food such as bread/pie dough, cakes and meat using a sharp knife.
Scraggly (adj)	Typically used to describe dough which is too dry, hasn’t been fully kneaded, rough, and irregular in texture.
Scrape	Using a sharp edged instrument to remove something from a surface. For example, scraping bread dough from a work table.
Shelf Life	The length of time that a product is usable, fit for consumption, and can be kept.
Sieve	Putting a food through a sieve to separate solids from liquids, or lumps from powdered material.
Silpat (noun)	Stick proof baking sheet made from food-grade silicone and fiberglass. Commonly used by bakers to make baked goods such as cookies and macarons. It is very non-stick, incredibly durable, and withstands a wide range of temperature.
Simmer	The process of bringing a liquid to a temperature that is slightly below its boiling point, and letting it bubble gently.
Skin	(noun) the outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, or meat. (verb) to remove the outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, or meat.
Softened butter	Butter that has been left at room temperature for a while until it is no longer hard and cold. It should still be cold to the touch and form an indentation when pressed.
Soft peaks	A stage in whipping where the peaks are able to hold their shape when your whisk/beaters are lifted. They are soft and melt back into the mixture after some time.
Sponge	Refers to the sponge and dough method for making bread, consisting of two steps. The first step is the making of a yeast starter or yeast pre-ferment (aka sponge). After the sponge is left to ferment, it will be added to the final dough.
Sprinkle	To lightly scatter something (sugar, toppings etc) over a food.
Stiff peaks	Refers to a stage in whipping. This refers to peaks that do not collapse at all when the beaters/whisk is lifted. At this point, the mixture should be very thick. Don’t continue whipping when you’ve reached this stage since it’ll result in overbeating.
Stir	Mixing a substance by moving a kitchen utensil/tool in circular motions.
Temper	A technique used to raise the temperature of a substance gradually. Typically used for eggs and chocolate. When tempering eggs, a hot liquid is slowly added to the mixture in small amounts to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Turntable	A cake stand with a rotating base that is used for decorating cakes.
Under-proofing	Usually in reference to bread dough. This occurs when the fermentation time isn’t long enough, so the air bubbles produced are not enough for the desired bread texture. If your proofed bread dough bounces back immediately when poked, it is under-proofed and needs more time to rise.
Whip (verb)	Beating liquid ingredients such as heavy cream and egg whites using a whisk or mixer to produce volume. Air is incorporated into the liquid in this process, making it light, voluminous, and frothy.
Whisk	A kitchen tool used to blend, beat, and incorporate air into a mixture.
Yield	The amount of baked goods one can get from one recipe. Similar to batch.
Zest	Made by scraping the outer layer of the skin of citrus fruits using a grater. Used to add flavour to food.

Most Popular Bakery Items In India

Cakes

Brownie

Cupcakes And Desserts

Croissants

Cookies And Crackers

Bread

Terminology	Definition	Baking Science	Tips & Tricks	Baked Goods
Bain-marie	A water bath prevents delicate desserts from curdling, cracking or overcooking as they bake.	Water creates a barrier between the dessert and the direct heat of the oven so that it bakes slowly and evenly.	Line a baking dish with a clean kitchen towel to prevent pans from slipping. Nestle ramekins or baking pan inside the baking dish. Slowly pour boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins or baking dish.	Cheesecake, flan, custards
Batter	Generally, a mixture of flour, eggs and dairy that is thin enough to pour or thick enough to scoop. But cannot be rolled out like a dough.	When overmixed, too much gluten can develop, resulting in a tough baked good.	Minimize the amount of time spent mixing your batter. Follow the amount of time specified in the recipe, or when no streaks of flour remain, stop mixing.	Muffins, quick breads, cakes, cupcakes, brownies
Blind Baking (pre-baking)	Process of partially or fully baking a pie crust or other pastry before adding the filling.	Raw pie dough is made up of cold, solid fat distributed within layers of moist flour. In its raw state, fillings can potentially seep through these layers during the baking process, resulting in a soggy crust.	Prick dough all over with a fork to prevent crust from puffing up and shrinking. Line pie crust with parchment paper then fill with pie weights or uncooked rice, dried lentils or dried beans.	Pies and tarts
Bloom/blooming (of gelatin)	A process where gelatin powder or sheets are soaked in cold water for a few minutes before using. This makes the gelatin easier to dissolve and disperse more effectively in the liquid that is to be gelled.	Gelatin is made of long protein strings that connect to each other. These strings hold water to create a gel effect.	Avoid the use of fresh tropical juices such as papaya, kiwi, mango and pineapple as they contain certain enzymes that break down proteins and prevent the gelatin from setting.	Mousse, crémeux Can be used to thicken puddings, sauces, yogurt, ice cream, gummy candies, marshmallows, stabilizing whipped cream
Caramelize	Process of modifying sugar into a liquid with heat. Final product will be a shade of amber or golden brown.	When heated, water within sugar evaporates and the sugar starts to break down into glucose and fructose. At higher heat, these components further break down into smaller molecules that will react with each other to create hundreds of flavour compounds, producing the unique flavour and aroma of caramelized sugar.	Keep a close eye on the colour of the caramel as it can quickly go from the colour you want to too dark. Depending on the application, caramel can range from a pale golden colour to a deep amber colour. The darker the amber colour, the deeper and nuttier the flavour. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the hot sugar is the right temperature.	Sugar decoration, dessert sauces and candies
Cream	Process of beating butter together with sugar.	Beating butter and sugar together creates air pockets that lighten and leaven baked goods.	Too hot or too cold butter will not aerate properly. Butter needs to be at room temperature to be properly creamed with sugar.	Buttercream frosting, butter-based cakes, cookies
Crumb Coat	A very thin layer of frosting applied to the top and sides of a cake, providing a crumb-free coating; a base for the final, thicker, decorative layer of frosting.	A thin layer of frosting traps cake crumbs and prevents them from appearing in the finished cake. This fills in any gaps between your cake layers to a smooth and solid surface before adding the final coat.	Transfer a small quantity of buttercream into a separate bowl. This prevents crumbs from contaminating all of your buttercream. If cake is warm, chill until firm so that the layers don’t shift while you’re working.	Layered cakes
Cutting In	Process of incorporating small pieces of fat (usually butter) into flour.	Coating flour in fat protects the proteins in flour from forming too much gluten. Small pieces of fat dispersed throughout the dough will melt in the oven, creating pockets of steam that give pastry its flakiness.	Use a pastry cutter or pulse with a food processor to cut cold butter into flour until a crumb-like mixture forms. Chill dough to ensure the butter remains cold.	Biscuits, pies and scones
Docking	Process of perforating the surface of a dough with a fork or a docker (a special roller with “spikes”). This allows steam to escape and prevents the dough from puffing up when baked.	When blind baking, poking holes lets the steam escape so that the pie crust does not puff up. When making pizza or crackers, docking the dough keeps the dough flat.	Roll out your dough onto the pan. Press it and shape the edge. Prick it all over with a fork. Don’t forget the sides. For pizza dough, if a docker is not readily available, you can dock the dough all over with fingertips.	Pie dough, pizza dough, crackers
Emulsion	Process of combining two ingredients that are normally unmixable.	Oil and water do not mix naturally. Rigorous beating is enough to combine these ingredients. Common emulsifiers such as egg yolks, butter, mustard are added to stabilize the suspension.	Take your time when incorporating two competing ingredients. For example: Add one egg at a time to creamed butter. Wait until fully incorporated before adding another egg. Slowly incorporate warm cream into chocolate. Slowly pour oil into egg yolks, while whisking.	Ganache, hollandaise sauce, salad dressing
Fermentation (in baking)	Process of feeding yeast with starch and sugar, as found in yeast dough. Also the name for the first rise of yeast dough.	After kneading, dough needs time to rest and rise. The first rise is called fermentation. During this step, the yeast produces ethanol and carbon dioxide in the dough which gives a unique flavour and causes bread to rise.	The ideal temperature for fermentation is just above 27C. Ideally, place dough in a warm environment such as an oven with the light on.	Yeast bread
Fold	Technique of gently incorporating two mixtures together.	Unlike whisking, a rubber spatula is required to fold an aerated mixture into a batter without deflating the trapped air bubbles. Folding reduces gluten formation.	Gently incorporate whipped egg whites or whipped cream into batter with a scooping-and-folding motion. Do not stir!	Meringues, souffle, mousse
Knead	Process of working wheat-based dough by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook attachment into a smooth and elastic ball.	When water is added to flour, gluten strands form. Kneading increases the strength and elasticity of gluten strands, allowing the dough to stretch and expand as it rises.	Over-kneading will result in a dry and dense bread. Knead until dough looks smooth and feels smooth to the touch.	Yeast bread
Macerate	A technique used to soften fresh fruit and draw out its natural juice.	Sugar attracts moisture. It pulls the water through the cell walls of the fruit by osmosis. By extracting the moisture, the fruit softens.	Soak fruits in flavourful liquids such as juice, wine, liqueur, or vinegars. Sprinkle sugar on fruits for quick maceration.	Fruit salad, sauces, or spreads. Can also be used in the process of making jams or compotes.
Proof	Final rise of a yeast dough after it is shaped and before it is baked.	This step allows the gluten in the dough to relax and to regain the airiness that was lost during shaping. The dough should double in size.	Gently press the dough with your finger. If the indent slowly fills in then it is proofed properly. The dough is underproofed if the indent springs back immediately.	Yeast bread
Punch down (dough)	The process of gently deflating the air pockets formed during the first rise in a yeasted dough. Usually done before shaping and final rise of a dough.	During rising, air pockets are formed inside. Releasing air makes yeast form a closer bond with the sugar and moisture, aiding fermentation, and improving the second rise. Also, removing more air pockets result in a finer crumb.	After the first rise, make a fist with your hand, and gently push the center of the puffy dough. Fold the edges of the deflated dough into the center to form a ball.	Yeasted doughs
Puree	Process used to blend, mash, or grind food (e.g. bananas) into a smooth, lump-free or paste-like consistency.	The process of pureeing releases both starch and fibers, which thicken soup. In most cases, cooking fruit and vegetables evaporates their water content, providing a concentrated flavour.	Certain purees such as applesauce can be used in place of sugar, eggs, or fat in baking (results will vary). Other purees, like berries or beets, can be used as a natural food colouring to colour cakes and or frostings.	Coulis, sauces
Ribbon stage	A stage that is reached after beating or whisking whole eggs or yolks with sugar until very thick and pale in colour. The stage is reached when the mixture falls slowly back into the bowl creating “ribbons” that hold their shape for a few seconds on the surface of the batter.	Whipping eggs or yolks with sugar incorporates air into the mixture and also dissolves the sugar into the eggs, allowing the egg mixture to be tempered which prevents it from coagulating when heated.	Flavourings such as vanilla, lemon zest or juice. Mixture should be pale yellow	Sabayons/Zabaglione Sponge cakes or baked goods that do not rely on leaveners (baking soda or baking powder) for lift.
Sift	Process of passing dry ingredients through a mesh (for example a sieve) to break up lumps and aerate ingredients.	Sifting aerates dry ingredients and creates a more uniform consistency, making them easier to incorporate into wet ingredients. It also helps in giving a lighter texture to baked goods.	To combine dry ingredients more easily, first filter them through a sifter or a fine mesh sieve.	Cakes, cupcakes, delicate pastries
Score (in bread)	Process of cutting slashes on the surface of bread before baking.	The intense heat in an oven causes bread dough to rise quickly. The rapid production of gas forces the dough to expand and release the gas through the weakest points on the dough’s surface. Scoring the dough creates weak points and directs the rapid expansion.	Whether it is a single, long slash or lots of small slashes, the goal is to guide the dough to rise in a predictable manner. Make sure the slashes are deep enough to create the weak point.	Bread
Simple syrup	A solution of sugar in water. Usually made with equal parts sugar and water.	A liquid form of sugar that is easier to blend into cold beverages, Italian meringues, and glazes.	Use simple syrup to moisten dry cakes. Add herbs, spices and citrus rinds to flavour your simple syrup. Store for up to 2 to 3 weeks	Cocktails, sorbets, granita, glaze
Spice Sachet	A small pouch containing herbs and spices to add flavour to liquids.	Small-sized herbs and spices are enclosed in a cheesecloth or muslin packet while the aromatics are infused into the liquid. Once done cooking, you can easily remove it from the liquid.	Gather together all the ingredients, and place them in the middle of the cheesecloth. Tie the bag closed with a piece of cooking twine. Make it long enough to suspend the bag in the liquid attached to the handle so it is easy to retrieve it when done.	Milk, cream, cider, wine, poaching liquid, simple syrup
Stiff peaks	The final stage of whipped egg whites or whipped cream	When whipping egg whites or heavy cream, air gets trapped inside and causes the ingredient to foam, grow in volume, and become stiff. In the oven (in the case of egg whites), the trapped air expands making cakes and souffles fluffy.	Use cream of tartar or a small amount of lemon juice to stabilize egg whites. Sugar may be used to stabilize egg whites when making meringues. Egg whites should be at room temperature and free of any fat (e.g. yolks) for easy whipping and best volume. To whip easily, heavy cream should be cold and the bowl and whisk attachment should be chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes.	Cakes, cupcakes, delicate pastries
Torte/Torting (a cake)	Horizontally slicing a cake into layers. May also refer to levelling the cake by slicing off the domed part of a baked cake.	Torting a cake provides layers between which you can add frosting and filling, thereby increasing the moisture and flavour of your cake.	Chill cake first so that it is easier to cut. Use a serrated knife that is as long as your cake. Place cake on a flat surface. Move the knife back and forth in a gentle sawing motion to remove the crown of the cake. Once cake is levelled, evenly split cake into 2 or 3 layers, depending on the height of the baked cake.	Layered

Bakery items list – What to sell at a bakery (Amazing Baked Goods)

Miniature cheesecake

Personal pies

Cookie sandwiches with icing in the middle

Chocolate strawberries

Cannolis (regular size or miniature)

Homemade bread

Baking Terms

All-purpose flour: A wheat flour with a medium gluten content of around 12 percent or so. Can be used for a whole range of baking, from crusty bread to cookies to fine cakes and pastries.

Autolyse: In bread baking, combining the flour and water before adding other ingredients and before kneading.

Bake: Cook with dry, radiant heat in an oven.

Bar: A type of cookie made by pressing dough into a pan, baking, then cutting into squares.

Batter: A mixture of flour, eggs, dairy, or other ingredients that is liquid enough to pour.

Beat: Stir together very rapidly in order to incorporate air. This can be achieved with a fork, whisk, electric mixer, or food processor.

Biscuit method: Technique for blending cold fat into flour so that it achieves a flaky texture, like biscuits and scones.

Blend: Stir ingredients together until well mixed.

Bread flour: Wheat flour with a relatively high gluten content, usually around 13 to 14 percent, and used for making crusty bread and rolls, pizza doughs and similar products.

Buttercream: The most common type of frosting, made by combining a type of fat (usually butter) with sugar.

Cake flour: A wheat flour with a lower gluten content, around 7.5 to 9 percent. Its fine, soft texture makes it preferable for tender cakes and pastries.

Caramelization: The chemical process that causes sugars and starches to turn brown when heated.

Chemical leavener: An ingredient such as baking powder or baking soda that uses a chemical reaction to produce gas that causes baked goods to rise.

Combine: Stir ingredients together just until mixed.

Confectioners’ sugar: White sugar that has been ground to a very fine powder. It dissolves easily, and is used extensively in candy making, for making frostings and icings, and for decorating or dusting the tops of cakes and other desserts.

Cream: Beat together sugar and butter until a light, creamy texture and color have been achieved. This method adds air to the batter, which helps the leavening process. Sometimes eggs are also added during the creaming step.

Crumb: The pattern of air holes in the structure of a baked bread or cake.

Cut In: Incorporating butter (or another solid fat) into flour just until the fat is in small, granular pieces resembling coarse sand. This is achieved by using two knives in a cross-cutting motion, forks, or a special pastry cutter.

Drizzle: Pour a thin stream of a liquid on top of something.

Dust: Coat the surface of something with a light sprinkling of a dry substance (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, etc.).

Fermentation: The process in which yeast consume starches and sugars in bread dough and produce CO2 gas and alcohol.

Fold: Gently combine two substances in an effort to not deflate a delicate, lofty texture. Using a spatula, fold the bottom of the bowl up and over the top, turn the bowl 90 degrees, fold again, and repeat the process until combined.

Flaky pie dough: A pie dough made with bigger globs of shortening, usually around the size of peas or hazelnuts, used for top crusts and prebaked pie shells.

Fondant: A candy paste that can be used to make candies and for covering cakes.

Ganache: A type of frosting made from melted chocolate and heavy cream.

Gelatinization: The chemical process that causes starches to expand and absorb water when heated.

Germ: The embryo of a seed of a cereal grain, containing protein, nutrients and fats.

Glaze: Coat with a thick, sugar-based sauce.

Gluten: Proteins in wheat flour that give baked goods their structure and texture.

Grease: Coat the inside of a baking dish or pan with a fatty substance (oil, butter, lard) to prevent sticking.

Hydration: The ratio of water to flour in bread. Higher or lower hydration results in different dough consistencies.

Knead: Combine dough by hand on a hard surface. This involves folding the dough over, pressing down, turning 90 degrees and then repeating the process. Kneading mixes the dough as well as developing gluten strands that give strength to breads and other baked goods.

Levain: A mixture of flour and water that is allowed to ferment before adding it to the main dough. Also known as sourdough starter.

Leavening: An ingredient such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda that produces gas causing baked goods to rise.

Lukewarm: Slightly warm, or around 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mealy pie dough: A pie dough made using smaller globs of shortening, resembling cornmeal. Mealy crusts are used for the bottoms of fruit or custard pies since they don’t get as soggy as flaky ones.

Milk chocolate: A type of chocolate made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids.

Muffin method: A mixing technique where dry ingredients are combined with liquid ones, including liquid fats.

Natural starter: Sourdough starter or levain.

Oven spring: The quick initial rise of baked goods triggered by the heat of the oven.

Pastry flour: A soft wheat flour with around 9 to 10 percent gluten, used for biscuits, muffins, cookies, pie doughs, and softer yeast doughs.

Pre-ferment: A fermented dough or batter, such as a sourdough starter, added to a dough to provide leavening.

Proof: Allowing bread dough to rise or yeast to activate.

Retarding: Chilling dough to slow its fermentation, for the purpose of increasing flavor and color.

Royal icing: A hard, brittle icing used for decorating cakes and cookies.

Scald: To heat a liquid such as milk to near boiling.

Score: Cut lines or slits into something.

Shortening: Any type of fat added to a baking recipe. Fat interferes with the formation of long gluten strands, literally shortening the strands and producing a crumbly texture.

Soft Peaks: Egg whites or cream that has been whipped to the point at which a peak will bend or slump over to one side. To create a peak, pull the whisk or beater straight up and out of the foam.

Stiff Peaks: Egg whites or cream that has been whipped to the point at which a peak will stand completely erect. To create a peak, pull the whisk or beater straight up and out of the foam.

Sourdough: A bread leavened by a natural starter.

Sourdough starter: A natural starter, aka levain or pre-ferment.

Tunneling: A large air gap between the crust and the crumb of a loaf of bread, usually caused by letting the dough rise for too long before baking.

Whisk: A kitchen tool made of wire loops that tends to add air as it mixes substances together.

Whole wheat flour: Wheat flour made from whole wheat grain, providing more fiber and other nutrients than all-purpose flour.

Yeast: A microorganism that consumes sugars and starches and produces CO2 gas which causes bread to rise.

Baking Glossary and Guide

Allumette: Any of various puff pastry items made in thin sticks or strips (French word for “matchstick”).

Almond Paste: A mixture of finely ground almonds and sugar.

Angel Food Cake: A type of cake made of meringue (egg whites and sugar) and flour.

Angel Food Method: A cake mixing method involving folding a mixture of flour and sugar into a meringue.

Baba: A type of yeast bread or cake that is soaked in syrup.

Babka: A type of sweet yeast bread or coffee cake.

Baked Alaska: A dessert consisting of ice cream on a sponge-cake base, covered with meringue and browned in the oven.

Baking Ammonia: A leavening ingredient that releases ammonia gas and carbon dioxide.

Baklava: A Greek or Middle Eastern dessert made of nuts and phyllo pastry and soaked with syrup.

Batter: A semi-liquid mixture containing flour or other starch, used for the production of such products as cakes and breads and for coating products to be deep-fried.

Bavarian Cream: A light, cold dessert made of gelatin, whipped cream, and custard sauce or fruit.

Beignet Souffle (ben yay soo flay): A type of fritter made with eclair paste, which puffs up greatly when fried.

Blanc Mange (bla mahnge): (1) An English pudding made of milk, sugar, and cornstarch. (2) A French dessert made of milk, cream, almonds, and gelatin.

Bloom: A whitish coating on chocolate, caused by separated cocoa butter.

Blown Sugar: Pulled sugar that is made into thin-walled, hollow shapes by being blown up like a balloon.

Bombe: A type of frozen dessert made in a dome-shaped mold.

Boston Cream Pie: A sponge cake or other yellow cake filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate fondant or confectioners’ sugar.

Bran; The hard outer covering of kernels of wheat and other grains.

Bran Flour: Flour to which bran flakes have been added.

Bread Flour: Strong flour, such as patent flour, used for breads.

Brioche: Rich yeast dough containing large amounts of eggs and butter; or a product made from this dough.

Brown Sugar: Regular granulated sucrose containing various impurities that give it a distinctive flavor.

Buttercream: An icing made of butter and/or shortening blended with confectioners’ sugar or sugar syrup and sometimes other ingredients.

Cake Flour: A fine, white flour made from soft wheat.

Caramelization: The browning of sugars caused by heat.

Cast Sugar: Sugar that is boiled to the hard crack stage and then poured into molds to harden.

Challah: A rich egg bread, often made as a braided loaf.

Charlotte: (1) A cold dessert made of Bavarian cream or other cream in a special mold, usually lined with ladyfingers or other sponge products. (2) A hot dessert made of cooked fruit and baked in a special mold lined with strips of bread.

Chemical Leavener: A leavener such as baking soda, baking powder, or baking ammonia, which releases gases produced by chemical reactions

Chiffon Cake: A light cake made by the chiffon method.

Chiffon Method: A cake mixing method involving the folding of whipped egg whites into a batter made of flour, egg yolks, and oil.

Chiffon Pie: A pie with a light, fluffy filling containing egg whites and, usually, gelatin.

Chocolate Liquor: Unsweetened chocolate, consisting of cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Christmas Pudding: A dark, heavy, steamed pudding made of dried and candied fruits, spices, beef suet, and crumbs.

Clear Flour: A tan-colored wheat flour made from the outer portion of the endosperm.

Coagulation: The process by which proteins become firm, usually when heated.

Cobbler: A fruit dessert similar to a pie but without a bottom crust.

Cocoa: The dry powder that remains after cocoa butter is pressed out of chocolate liquor.

Cocoa Butter: A white or yellowish fat found in natural chocolate.

Compote: Fruit cooked in a sugar syrup.

Confectioners’ Sugar: Sucrose that is ground to a fine powder and mixed with a little cornstarch to prevent caking.

Coulis (koo lee): A fruit or vegetable puree, used as a sauce.

Couverture: Natural, sweet chocolate containing no added fats other than natural cocoa butter; used for dipping, molding, coating, and similar purposes.

Creaming: The process of beating fat and sugar together to blend them uniformly and to incorporate air.

Creaming Method: A mixing method that begins with the blending of fat and sugar; used for cakes, cookies, and similar items.

Creme Anglaise (krem awng glezz): A light vanilla-flavored custard sauce made of milk, sugar, and egg yolks.

Creme Brulee: A rich custard with a brittle top crust of caramelized sugar. French name means “burnt cream.”

Creme Caramel: A custard baked in a mold lined with caramelized sugar, then unmolded.

Crepe (krep): A very thin French pancake, often served rolled around a filling.

Crepes Suzette: French pancakes served in a sweet sauce flavored with orange.

Croissant (krwah sawn): A flaky, buttery yeast roll shaped like a crescent and made from a rolled-in dough.

Custard: A liquid that is thickened or set by the coagulation of egg protein.

Devil’s-Food Cake: A chocolate cake made with a high percentage of baking soda, which gives the cake a reddish color.

Docking: Piercing or perforating pastry dough before baking in order to allow steam to escape and to avoid blistering.

Drained Weight: The weight of solid canned fruit after draining off the juice.

Dredge: To sprinkle thoroughly with sugar or another dry powder.

Drop Batter; A batter that is too thick to pour but will drop from a spoon in lumps.

Dutch Process Cocoa: Cocoa that has been processed with an alkali to reduce its acidity.

Eclair Paste: A paste or dough made of boiling water or milk, butter, flour, and eggs; used to make eclairs, cream puffs, and similar products.

Emulsion: A uniform mixture of two or more unmixable substances.

Endosperm: The starchy inner portion of grain kernels.

Extraction: The portion of the grain kernel that is separated into a particular grade of flour. Usually expressed as a percentage.

Fermentation: The process by which yeast changes carbohydrates into carbon dioxide gas and alcohol.

Foaming: The process of whipping eggs, with or without sugar, to incorporate air.

Fondant: A type of icing made of boiled sugar syrup that is agitated so that it crystallizes into a mass of extremely small white crystals.

Frangipane: A type of almond-flavored cream.

French Pastry: A variety of small fancy cakes and other pastries, usually in single-portion sizes.

Fritter: A deep-fried item made of or coated with a batter or dough.

Ganache (gah nahsh): A rich cream made of sweet chocolate and heavy cream.

Gateau (gah toe): French word for “cake.”

Gaufre (go fr’): French word for “waffle.”

Gelatinization: The process by which starch granules absorb water and swell in size.

Gelato: Italian ice cream

Genoise (zhen wahz): A sponge cake made with a batter containing melted butter.

Germ: The plant embryo portion of a grain kernel.

Glace (glah say): (a) Glazed; coated with icing. (b) Frozen.

Glaze: (a) A shiny coating, such as a syrup, applied to a food. (b) To make a food shiny or glossy by coating it with a glaze or by browning it under a broiler or in a hot oven.

Gliadin: A protein in wheat flour that combines with another protein, glutenin, to form gluten.

Gluten: An elastic substance, formed from proteins present in wheat flours, that gives structure and strength to baked goods.

Gram: The basic unit of weight in the metric system; equal to about one-thirtieth of an ounce.

Granite (grab nee tay): A coarse, crystalline frozen dessert made of water, sugar, and fruit juice or another flavoring.

Gum Paste: A type of sugar paste made with vegetable gum.

Hard Sauce: A flavored mixture of confectioners’ sugar and butter; often served with steamed puddings.

Hard Wheat: Wheat high in protein.

Hearth Bread: A bread that is baked directly on the bottom of the oven, not in a pan.

Heavy Pack: A type of canned fruit or vegetable with very little added water or juice.

High-Ratio: (a) Term referring to cakes and cake formulas mixed by a special method and containing more sugar than flour. (b) The mixing method used for these cakes. (c) Term referring to certain specially formulated ingredients used in these cakes, such as shortening.

High-Ratio Method: Please refer to, Two-Stage Method.

Hydrogenation: A process that converts liquid oils to solid fats (shortenings) by chemically bonding hydrogen to the fat molecules.

Icing Comb: A plastic triangle with toothed or serrated edges; used for texturing icings.

Inversion: A chemical process in which a double sugar splits into two simple sugars.

Invert Sugar: A mixture of two simple sugars, dextrose and laevulose, resulting from the breakdown of sucrose.

Italian Meringue; A meringue made by whipping a boiling syrup into egg whites.

Japonaise (zhah po net): A baked meringue flavored with nuts.

Kernel Paste: A nut paste, similar to almond paste, made of apricot kernels and sugar.

Kirsch: A clear alcoholic beverage distilled from cherries.

Kugelhopf: A type of rich, sweet bread or coffee cake usually made in a tube-type pan.

Ladyfinger: A small, dry, finger-shaped sponge cake or cookie.

Lean Dough: A dough that is low in fat and sugar.

Leavening: The production or incorporation of gases in a baked product to increase volume and to produce shape and texture.

Linzertorte: A tart made of raspberry jam and a short dough containing nuts and spices.

Macaroon; A cookie made of eggs (usually whites) and almond paste or coconut.

Malt Syrup: A type of syrup containing maltose sugar, extracted from sprouted barley.

Marble: To partly mix two colors of cake batter or icing so that the colors are in decorative swirls.

Marzipan: A paste or confection made of almonds and sugar and often used for decorative work.

Meal: Coarsely ground grain.

Melba Sauce: A sweet sauce made of pureed raspberries and sometimes red currants.

Meringue: A thick, white foam made of whipped egg whites and sugar.

Meringue Chantilly (shown tee yee): Baked meringue filled with whipped cream.

Meringue Glace: Baked meringue filled with ice cream.

Meter: The basic unit of length in the metric system; slightly longer than one yard.

Milli-: Prefix in the metric system meaning “one-thousandth.”

Modeling Chocolate: A thick paste made of chocolate and glucose, which can be molded by hand into decorative shapes.

Molasses: A heavy brown syrup made from sugar cane.

Monosaccharide: A simple or single sugar such as glucose and fructose.

Mousse: A soft or creamy dessert that is made light by the addition of whipped cream, egg whites, or both.

Napoleon: A dessert made of layers of puff pastry filled with pastry cream.

Net Weight: The weight of the total contents of a can or package.

No-Time Dough: A bread dough made with a large quantity of yeast and given no fermentation time except for a short rest after mixing.

Nougat: A mixture of caramelized sugar and almonds or other nuts, used in decorative work and as a confection and flavoring.

One-Stage Method: A cookie mixing method in which all ingredients are added to the bowl at once.

Othello: A small (single-portion size), spherical sponge cake filled with cream and iced with fondant.

Oven Spring: The rapid rise of yeast goods in the oven due to the production and expansion of trapped gases caused by the oven heat.

Pain de Epice (pan day peece): A type of gingerbread. French name means “spice bread.”

Palmier (palm yay): A small pastry or petit four sec made of rolled, sugared puff pastry cut into slices and baked.

Parfait: (1) A type of sundae served in a tall, thin glass. (2) A still-frozen dessert made of egg yolks, syrup, and heavy cream. Paris-

Brest: A dessert consisting of a ring of baked Eclair paste filled with cream.

Pasteurized: Heat-treated to kill bacteria that might cause disease or spoilage.

Pastillage: A sugar paste used for decorative work, which becomes very hard when dry.

Pastry Cream: A thick custard sauce containing eggs and starch.

Pastry Flour: A weak flour used for pastries and cookies.

Pate a Choux (pot ah shoo): Eclair paste.

Pate Feuillete (pot foo va fay): French name for puff pastry.

Patent flour: A fine grade of wheat flour milled from the inner portions of the kernel.

Petit Four: A delicate cake or pastry small enough to be eaten in one or two bites.

Petit Four Glace: An iced or cream-filled petit four.

Petit Four Sec: An un-iced or unfilled petit four (“sec” means “dry”), such as a small butter cookie or Palmier (a small pastry or petit four sec made of rolled, sugared puff pastry cut into slices and baked).

Phyllo (fee lo): A paper-thin dough or pastry used to make strudels and various Middle Eastern and Greek desserts.

Piping Jelly: A transparent, sweet jelly used for decorating cakes.

Pithiviers (fee tee vyay): A cake made of puff pastry filled with almond cream.

Praline: A confection or flavoring made of nuts and caramelized sugar.

Profiterole: A small puff made of Eclair paste. Often filled with ice cream and served with chocolate sauce.

Puff Pastry: A very light, flaky pastry made from a rolled-in dough and leavened by steam.

Pulled Sugar: Sugar that is boiled to the hard-crack stage, allowed to harden slightly, then pulled or stretched until it develops a pearly sheen.

Pullman Loaf: A long, rectangular loaf of bread.

Pumpernickel Flour: A coarse, flaky meal made from whole rye grains.

Punching: A method of expelling gases from fermented dough.

Puree: A food made into a smooth pulp, usually by being ground or forced through a sieve.

Retarding: Refrigerating a yeast dough to slow the fermentation.

Rich Dough: A dough high in fat, sugar, and/or eggs.

Rolled-in Dough: Dough in which a fat has been incorporated in many layers by using a rolling and folding procedure.

Rounding: A method of molding a piece of dough into a round ball with a smooth surface or skin.

Royal Icing: A form of icing made of confectioners’ sugar and egg whites; used for decorating.

Rye Blend: A mixture of rye flour and hard wheat flour.

Sabayon: A foamy dessert or sauce made of egg yolks whipped with wine or liqueur.

Sacristain (sak ree stan): A small pastry made of twisted strip of puff paste coated with nuts and sugar.

Saint-Honore: A dessert made of a ring of cream puffs set on a short dough base and filled with a type of pastry cream. The cream used to fill this dessert, made of pastry cream and whipped egg whites.

Savarin: A type of yeast bread or cake that is soaked in syrup.

Scaling: Weighing, usually of ingredients or of dough’s or batters.

Scone: A biscuit like bread.

Scone Flour: A mixture of flour and baking powder that is used when very small quantities of baking powder are needed.

Short: Having a high fat content, which makes the product (such as a cookie or pastry) very crumbly and tender.

Shortbread: A crisp cookie made of butter, sugar, and flour.

Shortening: (a) Any fat used in baking to tenderize the product by shortening gluten strands. (b) A white, tasteless, solid fat that has been formulated for baking or deep-frying.

Simple Syrup: A syrup consisting of sucrose and water in varying proportions.

Soft Wheat: Wheat low in protein.

Sorbet (sor bay): French word for “sherbet,”

Sorbetto; Italian word for “sherbet.”

Souffle: (a) A baked dish containing whipped egg whites, which cause the dish to rise during baking. (b) A still-frozen dessert made in a souffle dish so that it resembles a baked souffle.

Sourdough: (a) A yeast-type dough made with a sponge or starter that has fermented so long that it has become very sour or acidic. (b) A bread made with such a dough.

Sponge: A batter or dough of yeast, flour, and water that is allowed to ferment and is then mixed with more flour and other ingredients to make a bread dough.

Sponge Cake: A type of cake made by whipping eggs and sugar to a foam, then folding in flour.

Sponge Method: A cake mixing method based on whipped eggs and sugar.

Spun Sugar: Boiled sugar made into long, thin threads by dipping wires into the sugar syrup and waving them so that the sugar falls off in fine streams.

Staling: The change in texture and aroma of baked goods due to the loss of moisture by the starch granules.

Stollen: A type of sweet yeast bread with fruit.

Straight Flour: Flour made from the entire wheat kernel minus the bran and germ.

Streusel (stray sel): A crumbly topping for baked goods, consisting of fat, sugar, and flour rubbed together.

Strong Flour: Flour with a high protein content.

Strudel: (a) A type of dough that is stretched until paper-thin. (b) A baked item consisting of a filling rolled up in a sheet of strudel dough or phyllo dough.

Sucrose: The chemical name for regular granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar.

Swiss Roll: A thin sponge cake layer spread with a filling and rolled up.

Syrup Pack: A type of canned fruit containing sugar syrup.

Tempering: The process of melting and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures in order to prepare it for dipping, coating, or molding.

Torte: German word for various types of cakes, usually layer cakes.

Tulipe: A thin, crisp cookie molded into a cup shape.

Tunneling: A condition of muffin products characterized by large, elongated holes; caused by overmixing.

Turntable: A pedestal with a flat, rotating top, used for holding cakes while they are being decorated.

Two-Stage Method: A cake mixing method, beginning with the blending of flour and high-ratio shortening, followed by the addition of liquids. Also called the high-ratio method.

Vacherin (vah sher ran): A crisp meringue shell filled with cream, fruits, or other items.

Water Pack: A type of canned fruit or vegetable containing the water used to process the item.

Whole Wheat Flour: Flour made by grinding the entire wheat kernel, including the bran and germ.

Zabaglione: An Italian dessert or sauce made of whipped eggs yolks and Marsala wine.

Zest: The colored outer portion of the peel of citrus fruits.

More COMMON BAKING TERMS GLOSSARY

Bake – To cook in an oven with dry heat. The oven should always be preheated for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

Batter – A mixture of flour, liquid, and other ingredients that is thin enough to pour.

Beat – To thoroughly combine ingredients and incorporate air with a rapid, circular motion. This may be done with a wooden spoon, wire whisk, rotary eggbeater, electric mixer, or food processor.

Blanch – To partially cook food by plunging it into boiling water for a brief period, then into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Boil – To heat a liquid until bubbles rise continually to the surface and break.

Brownie – This favorite desert is a chewy, dense, cake-like cookie that is sliced into bars for serving. Usually, brownies are chocolate-flavored and colored brown, hence their name.

Bulgur – Bulgur refers to whole-wheat kernels after they have been steamed, dried, and cracked. Bulgur can be ground up and made into flour, or it can be soaked or cooked for addition to baked goods.

Butter – According to U.S. standards, butter is comprised of 80 percent milk fat and 20 percent milk solids and water. It is created through churning cream into a semi-solid, and it can be salted or unsalted. Bakers use butter on account of its flavor and its facility for creating crispness, flaky layers, flavors, tenderness, and a golden-brown color.

Cake Flour – Cake flour is a low-protein flour that is silky and fine in texture that can be used for pastries, cakes, cookies, and certain breads.

Caramelise – To heat sugar until it is melted and brown. Caramelizing sugar gives it a distinctive flavor.

Chill – To place in the refrigerator to lower a foods temperature.

Chop – To cut into small pieces using a sharp knife, appliance, or scissors.

Combine – To combine ingredients is to mix them together.

Confectioners’/Powdered Sugar – One of the most widely used baking ingredients is confectioners’ or powdered sugar, which is a granulated sugar crushed into a fine powder and combined with cornstarch. Only about 3 percent of the final product is cornstarch, which helps prevent the confectioners’ sugar from clumping.

Cool – To come to room temperature.

Cooling Rack – Baked goods are often cooled on a cooling rack, which is typically a rectangular grid made of thick wire with “feet” or “legs” to raise it off the countertop and allow cooler air to circulate all around the finished good. Usually, baked goods will be cooled for a short while on their pan before they are removed and put on a cooling rack. After they are done cooling on this rack, they can be placed in storage or frozen. The exceptions to this rule are yeast breads, which are usually transferred from a baking pan immediately to a cooling rack in order to keep the crust from getting soggy.

Crimp – To seal the edges of two layers of dough with the tines of a fork or your fingertips.

Cut in – To distribute solid fat throughout the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, fork, or two knives in a scissors motion.

Dash – A measurement less than ⅛ teaspoon.

Dissolve – To dissolve is to mix a dry substance into a liquid until the solids have all disappeared. Fore example, bakers can dissolve sugar into water, yeast into water, and more.

Dough – A soft, thick mixture of flour, liquids, fat, and other ingredients.

Dot – To distribute small amounts of margarine or butter evenly over the surface of pie filling or dough.

Drizzle – To drip a glaze or icing over food from the tines of a fork or the end of a spoon.

Dry Ingredients – Dry ingredients are those recipe ingredients that are dry and might need to be blended before they are added to another kind of mixture in the recipe. Dry ingredients can include sugar, salt, baking cocoa, spices, flour, and herbs.

Dust – To sprinkle lightly with sugar, flour, or cocoa.

Fermentation – Fermentation is the chemical change in a food during the baking process in which enzymes leavens a dough and helps add flavor. In baking it is the first stage in which bread dough is allowed to rise before being shaped. Fermenting agents include yeast and other bacteria and microorganisms.

Flute – To make or press a decorative pattern into the raised edge of pastry.

Fold in – To gently combine a heavier mixture with a more delicate substance, such as beaten egg whites or whipped cream, without causing a loss of air.

Glaze – To coat with a liquid, thin icing, or jelly before or after the food is cooked.

Gluten – This protein is found in wheat and various cereal flours. Although some people are allergic to it, gluten makes up the structure of the bread dough and holds the carbon dioxide that is produced by the yeast or other substance during the fermentation process. When flour is combined with liquids, gluten develops as the liquid and flour is mixed and then kneaded. Formed from the proteins glutenin and gliadin, gluten provides the elasticity and extensibility or stretch for bread dough.

Gluten-Free – Some people are allergic to gluten, but there are many ways to bake without producing the gluten protein. Gluten-free flours include rice, corn, soy, amaranth, and potato flours. Stone-ground, graham, or whole-wheat flours made from hard or soft wheats or both kinds are also usable. These are produced through the milling of whole-wheat kernels or combining white flour, bran and germ. Even though these gluten-flours may differ in coarseness from their gluten counterparts, the nutritional value is virtually the same.

Grease – To rub fat on the surface of a pan or dish to prevent sticking.

Grind – To produce small particles of food by forcing food through a grinder.

Honey – Produced from flower nectar through the work of bees, honey is an all-natural sweetener that produces a golden-colored curst and holds moisture in different baked goods. Its color and flavor will vary according to the nectar that the bees use.

Knead – To fold, push and turn dough or other mixture to produce a smooth, elastic texture.

Kosher Salt – Kosher salt is used to top baked goods, kosher meat, or for recipes where coarse salt is preferred because it has a coarse-flake structure. Usually, kosher salt will not be iodized, but it may have an anti-caking agent included within it.

Leavening – Leavening refers to the production of a gas in a dough batter using an agent like baking powder, yeast, baking soda, or even eggs. Leavening agents work via the production of carbon dioxide in the dough, and long ago these agents were also known as “lifters.”

Lukewarm – A temperature of about 105°F, which feels neither hot nor cold.

Melt – To melt is to heat an otherwise solid food until it achieves liquid form. In baking, sugar, butter, and chocolate are often melted.

Milk Chocolate – Milk chocolate is made up of a sweetened dark chocolate combined with other milk solids. At least 10 percent of the product will be chocolate liquor, and the milk solids will comprise at least 12 percent of the final product.

Millet Flour – Produced from whole millet, millet flour is a low-gluten, starchy flour that is finely ground. Its texture is quite similar to that of rice flour.

Mix – To stir together two or more ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.

Mix until just moistened – To combine dry ingredients with liquid ingredients until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened but the mixture is still slightly lumpy.

No-Knead – Also known as “batter breads,” no-knead is a baking method for yeast breads that can be produced without any kneading.

Nut Flour – Nut flour is made up on nut meats that have been finely ground. The nuts that are used can be either toasted or not, and the flour is used for breads, cookies, cakes, and pastry crusts.

Nuts – Nuts are the dry fruits of legumes, seeds, or trees. Made up of an edible kernel surrounded by a dry, hard shell, nuts are high in nutrients and flavor. They can have as much as 90 percent fat, although nut fats are primarily monounsaturated and very healthy. The different textures and flavors of nuts can provide much sensory satisfaction in baked goods.

Oats – Oats are made up of any grain that is hulled, cleaned, toasted, and cooked whole (groats). These groats can also be steel-cut, steamed, or rolled (flattened). Rolled oats can be made quick-cooking when they receive additional cuts, and they can be used interchangeably with other oats in baking because they are whole grains. Instant oats, however, have been more finely cut and cooked, so they cannot be used in place of normal oats.

Oat Flour – Oat flour is made up of rolled oats or groats that have been finely ground.

Oat Bran – Oat bran refers to the outer layers of an oat kernel. Oat bran is a good additive for baked goods as it is high in soluble fiber.

Partially set – To refrigerate a gelatin mixture until it thickens to the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.

Peel – To remove the skin of a fruit or vegetable by hand or with a knife or peeler. This also refers to the skin or outer covering of a fruit or vegetable.

Preheat – To preheat an oven is to heat an empty oven to the proper temperature for the recipe before the food product is placed within it.

Proof/Prove – To allow yeast dough to rise before baking. Or to dissolve yeast in a warm liquid and set it in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes until it expands and becomes bubbly.

Punch Down – This term used in reference to bread dough describes the point at which a dough has doubled in its size or when a marked dent is visible after two fingers are lightly pressed into the dough about half of an inch. Punching down a dough can be achieved via touching the dough with the fingers, making a fist, and pushing it down into the center of the dough before pulling the dough edges into the center and turning the dough over. After doing this, cover the dough and let it rest or rise again before it is shaped into a loaf.

Quinoa Flour – Quinoa flour made from the grinding of quinoa grain. It is free of gluten and very nutritious. Its tender, moist crumb is favored for waffles, fruitcakes, pancakes, and cookies.

Refrigerate – To chill in the refrigerator until a mixture is cool or until dough is firm.

Rind – The skin or outer coating of such foods as citrus fruit or cheese.

Rolling boil – To cook a mixture until the surface billows rather than bubbles.

Rounded teaspoon – When dough is slightly mounded, not level.ScaldTo heat a mixture or liquid to just below the boiling point.

Sauté – To sauté is to cook or brown food in a small amount of hot fat or oil. This softens the food and releases its flavors.

Score – To cut slits in food with a knife, cutting partway through the outer surface.

Self-Rising Flour – Self-rising flour is another early “convenience mix” that when used in a recipe, allows for the baking powder and salt in the directions to be ignored. It is usually a combination of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Semi-sweet baking chocolate is a chocolate containing anywhere between 15 and 35 percent chocolate liquor plus sugar, cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, and vanilla. Though it is not interchangeable with milk chocolate, it can be substituted for bittersweet or sweet chocolate in recipes that call for those forms of chocolate.

Semolina Flour – Also known as pasta flour, semolina flower is made through the grinding of semolina (granules) that come from durum wheat. Many specialty breads will include semolina or part-semolina flour in their ingredients.

Softened – Margarine, butter, ice cream, or cream cheese that is in a state soft enough for easy blending, but not melted.

Shred – To cut food into narrow strips using a sharp knife, grater, or food processor fitted with a shredding disk.

Soft peaks – Egg whites or whipping cream beaten to the stage where the mixture forms soft, rounded peaks when the beaters are removed.

Sprinkle – To sprinkle is to scatter small particles of toppings or sugars over a surface like cake, bread, frosting, and more.

Steam – To cook food on a rack or in a wire basket over boiling water.

Stiff peaks – Egg whites beaten to the stage where the mixture will hold stiff, pointed peaks when the beaters are removed.

Stir – To combine ingredients with a spoon or whisk using a circular motion.

Table Salt – Table salt, which is also known as granulated salt, is produced through the boiling and evaporation of brine. Table salt is often iodized, and anti-caking agents are usually added to it.

Toss – To mix lightly with a lifting motion, using two forks or spoons.

Unbleached Flour – An unbleached flour is one that has bleached naturally in its aging process without the addition of maturing agents. It is no different from bleached flour nutritionally, and it can be used interchangeably with its bleached counterpart in baking.

Whip – To beat rapidly with a wire whisk or electric mixer to incorporate air into a mixture in order to lighten and increase the volume of the mixture.

Whole Grain – A whole grain food makes use of whole or ground kernels of grains like barley, corn, oat, wheat, and rye in its production.

Zest – Zest is the thin, outer skin of a citrus fruit. It is fragrant and removed with a paring knife, vegetable peeler, or citrus so that it can be added to baked goods for a citrus flavor.

Ultimate baking glossary

Term	Definition
all-purpose flour (AP flour)	a blend of various grades of hard and soft flours that have been milled from only the endosperm of the wheat berry; it has a medium protein content (10-12%); it can be used for almost any type of baking
blind baking	the process of baking the pastry shell separately from the filling when making tarts or pies; after filling, the tart or pie is added to the oven to cook more if needed
blooming	the process of soaking gelatin sheets or gelatin powder in cold water before incorporating the gelatin into a recipe
blown sugar	created when a portion of pulled sugar is placed on a rubber pump and blown; can be used to create elaborate showpieces
bread flour	high-protein (12-13%) white flour, typically milled from red or white wheat; primarily used to make yeasted breads and pastries
cake flour	finely ground flour made from soft wheat suitable for making cakes; it is very low in protein (6-8%)
caramelization	a chemical process that occurs when sugar syrup is heated and turns amber in color, developing a nutty flavor and aroma
carryover cooking	the process by which food continues cooking after it has been removed from the oven or stove
chemical leavening	a type of leavening that works by reacting with water, salts, acids, or other substances to produce carbon dioxide, which causes pastry and bread doughs to rise
chocolate spray	a mixture of cocoa butter and chocolate applied with an electric paint sprayer; can be used to create dramatic design effects
cocoa butter	the edible cocoa fat extracted from cocoa beans
cornet	a disposable container made from a triangle of parchment paper; commonly used to pipe icing or chocolate
coulis	fresh, frozen, or dried fruits puréed to create a dessert sauce
couverture	high-quality chocolate that is available in bittersweet, semisweet, and milk chocolate varieties
cream cheese	a soft, unripened cheese made from cow’s milk
crème anglaise	a sweet, stirred French custard made with eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk/cream; used as the base for ice creams
crépe	the French version of a thin pancake made by cooking a thin layer of liquid batter in a pan
crumb	the interior texture of baked goods such as cookies and cakes
crumb coating	the process of applying a thin layer of frosting to a cake to catch loose crumbs
docking	the process of lightly poking small holes in raw dough to allow for the release of steam and trapped air during baking
éclairs	thin, finger-shaped choux filled with pastry cream and glazed with various toppings
emulsion	a homogenous mixture of two or more liquids that do not easily mix
entremet	a simple or elaborate multilayered mousse cake
fermentation	the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms; occurs during organic leavening
firm ganache	2 parts chocolate to 1 part liquid; commonly used for cake bakes, firm truffle centers, and fillings for warm baked goods like donuts
flash point	the temperature at which an oil ignites if it comes in contact with a flame
folding	a technique used to incorporate airy ingredients into denser, heavier ingredients without jeopardizing the airiness of the mixture
fondant	used as a coating for cakes; made with powdered sugar, powdered gelatin, water, glucose, and glycerin
french meringue	a blend of whipped egg whites, sugar, and often an acid for stabilization; since it is a raw preparation, it should be cooked before consuming
ganache	an emulsion of dark, milk, or white chocolate and a liquid (typically cream) that can be used as a glaze, filling, icing, or candy
gelatin	a stabilizing agent comprised of collagen molecules; commonly used as a gelling agent in food
génoise	a classic French cake that has a light, airy texture developed without the aid of leavening agents
gianduja	silky Italian chocolate that is flavored with hazelnut paste
gluten	the type of protein found in wheat, barley, and rye; gives elasticity, rise, and texture to dough and baked goods
hulling	the process of removing the hull (the leafy portion of a berry)
imitation vanilla	an entirely synthetic flavoring that has a harsh flavor and bitter aftertaste; it should not be used for most baking
italian buttercream	a type of buttercream made using Italian meringue, butter, and other flavorings
italian meringue	a blend of whipped egg whites and sugar; the egg whites are cooked as hot sugar syrup is slowly drizzled into them
macaron	a cookie made from sugar, egg whites, and ground almonds
macaronage	a classic French technique in which macaron batter is made by folding almond flour into meringue until it falls from a spatula in thick ribbons
madagascar bourbon vanilla	considered to be the highest-quality vanilla; the beans are grown on islands off the east coast of Africa
marzipan	a sweetened almond paste that may be eaten or used in a variety of ways
mascarpone	a rich double- or triple-cream cheese with at least 60-75% milkfat; it is prepared by adding citric acid to heavy cream and then draining off the liquid
mechanical leavening	a type of leavening that uses air or steam to cause a dough/batter to rise
medium ganache	1 part chocolate to 1 part liquid; commonly used for soft truffle centers, soufflé bases, frosting, and cake filling
meringue	a light mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar
mise en place	the assembly and preparation of ingredients and equipment for cooking; “put in place” in French
modeling chocolate	a mixture of chocolate and sugar syrup that can be modeled similarly to marzipan; can be made with dark, milk, or white chocolate
mousse	a light, creamy dessert made with an egg base, whipped cream, and usually gelatin
organic leavening	a type of leavening that uses yeast to cause baked goods to rise
pastillage	a pliable paste made from a base of powdered sugar that can be shaped or molded to make elaborate decorations and showpieces
pastry cream	a thickened mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and milk often used as a filling
pastry flour	flour made from soft wheat suitable for making pastries and tart doughs; it is a medium-to-low protein flour (8%)
pâte à bombe	a French custard base made by pouring soft-ball cooked sugar over whipping eggs
pâte à choux	a delicate pastry dough that is cooked twice—once on the stovetop and again in the oven; used for desserts like éclairs and profiteroles
pâte brisée	an unleavened basic dough without sugar; shortcrust pastry often used for tarts or pies
pectin	a natural plant sugar that acts as a thickening agent during the making of fruit jellies and preserves
petits fours déguisés	petits fours that consist of fresh, dried, or candied fruits coated in sugar, fondant, or chocolate; the traditional version is coated in marzipan and then dipped in sugar
petits fours moelleux	petits fours characterized by their spongy or cake-like quality; examples include madeleines, financiers, and miniature cakes
petits fours sec	petits fours characterized by their dry texture and crisp, crunch quality; examples include tuiles, cigarettes, and langues du chat
pie	a baked dish made of pastry dough casing that contains a sweet or savory filling
piping	the method used to create a variety of borders and decorations by squeezing trails of icing from a pastry bag
poolish	a fermentation starter used in bread making; combines yeast with a portion of the recipe ingredients into a runny, liquidy mixture
poured sugar	made by cooking sugar to the proper temperature, cooling it slightly, then pouring it into molds to cool and harden
profiteroles	small choux rounds filled with cream or ice cream
proofing	the step in the preparation of yeast bread and other baked goods in which the dough is allowed to rest and rise a final time before baking
puff pastry	a type of laminated dough that is composed of multiple layers of dough and butter
pulled sugar	the end result when thin pieces of sugar are pulled and cooled rapidly so they retain a satiny sheen
quick breads	any bread leavened with leavening agents other than yeast or eggs
sabayon	a foamy, stirred sauce-like custard made by whisking eggs, sugar, and wine over low heat
satinizing	the process of pulling and folding cooked sugar to aerate it and make it more pliable with a satin-like finish
scoring	cuts made prior to bread dough before baking; creates a decorative appearance and lets the bread expand properly in the oven
seizing	a reaction that occurs when water is added to molten chocolate; tiny sugar and cocoa particles absorb water, causing them to separate from the liquid cocoa butter
self-rising flour	a blend of low-protein flour, salt, and baking powder; not the same thing as all-purpose flour
silpat	nonstick silicone mat that can be used for baking
slurry	the mixture of a raw starch with a cold liquid; you must make a slurry before adding starch to a hot liquid
soaking	the process of brushing a soaking solution over the surface of cake layers; the soaking solution is usually flavored with extracts, liquors, or liqueurs
soufflé	a French, baked egg-based dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites
swiss buttercream	a type of buttercream made using Swiss meringue, butter, and other flavorings
swiss meringue	a blend of whipped egg whites and sugar; the egg whites and sugar are beaten together over low heat in a bain-marie
tart	a pastry shell that has been filled with sweet or savory ingredients; the top is usually open and not covered by pastry
tempering	the process of heating, cooling, and agitating chocolate in order to refine its appearance and mouthfeel
turbinado sugar (raw sugar)	brown sugar that has been only partially refined to remove the surface molasses
whole wheat flour	an unbleached flour milled from the entire wheat berry; it has a medium protein content (11%)
yeast	a monocellular microorganism that reproduces very rapidly by consuming sugar, minerals, nitrogen compounds, and oxygen; used in organic leavening

The culinary industry employs a variety of people to prepare, create and cook food. Professionals who produce baked goods are called bakers and pastry chefs. If you want to make a career out of baking, it’s important you understand the difference between these two roles when choosing a path and applying for jobs

Pastry Chef vs Baker:What’s the Difference?

What is a pastry chef?

A pastry chef is a member of a professional kitchen, usually in a restaurant or hotel, who is responsible for creating pastries, desserts and baked goods. They are trained chefs who create dessert menus and pastry displays. In large or high-end establishments, they oversee a kitchen station called the pastry kitchen. Pastry chefs have supervisory roles and might direct assistants, pastry cooks and other chefs working below them how to produce pastry and dessert items. They report to the executive or sous chef.

What is a baker?

A baker is a general tradesperson who makes any baked product, including bread, rolls, donuts, pastries, cakes and cookies. The two types of bakers are commercial bakers who work at manufacturing facilities and retail bakers who work in bakeries, grocery stores and restaurants. Both use baking equipment and prepared recipes to create consistent and quality items. They produce large volumes of baked goods every day.

Pastry chef vs. baker

The main differences between a pastry chef and a baker are seniority and specialization. A pastry chef has authority over their station or part of the kitchen and focuses on desserts and sweet items. A baker works for an employer who produces large quantities of all types of baked goods. Here are more differences between the two professions:

Responsibilities

Pastry chefs typically have more responsibility and creative freedom in the kitchen than bakers. Their responsibilities might include:

Creating dessert menus
Researching, developing and testing new recipes
Decorating and plating desserts
Managing inventory
Managing the dessert kitchen’s budget
Supervising and scheduling assistants or junior pastry staff

Bakers spend most of their time making bread and baked goods such as cakes and little to no time designing or decorating them. Their job duties usually include:

Preparing baking equipment and setting oven temperatures
Selecting and measuring ingredients
Operating mixers and blenders
Kneading, rolling and shaping dough
Placing dough or items in ovens
Monitoring items as they bake
Applying icings or other toppings

Being a baker is a more labor-intensive and repetitive job than being a pastry chef. It involves standing on your feet, operating kitchen equipment and moving between ovens and work areas throughout the day.

Skills

While both pastry chefs and bakers have a passion and talent for baking, they also require hard and soft skills unique to their positions. The skills a pastry chef needs to succeed include:

Creativity: These chefs have the artistic ability to design beautiful and exciting desserts that look and taste good.
Interpersonal skills: Pastry chefs interact with a variety of people, including other chefs, kitchen staff, customers and vendors. They should be approachable and friendly and develop a reputation of working well with others.
Multitasking: A pastry chef often manages many tasks and employees at the same time. They work in a fast-paced kitchen and need to balance creating beautiful pastry items with organizing budgets, supplies and schedules.
Communication: Pastry chefs should be able to give clear and effective instructions to their staff about how to prepare and create their recipes.

Important skills for bakers to develop include:

Attention to detail: Bakers need to follow recipes precisely and ensure all measurements and baking times are accurate. They should be well-organized and attentive to every step of the baking process.
Strength and stamina: Bakers often spend long hours standing and working on their feet. They are constantly moving and lifting items and might operate large baking equipment.
Organization: Bakers should keep all their ingredients and baking equipment organized and prepare measurements before baking, so they can make items quickly and accurately.
Patience: These professionals need the patience to allow baked goods to cook to perfection. They should avoid rushing the baking process or skipping steps.

Requirements and training

Because they are management-level employees, pastry chefs typically require more training and experience than bakers. Most attend culinary school for one to four years, depending on the program, to gain professional training and earn an associate degree. Some might pursue a bachelor’s degree in pastry arts, which might be required to become an executive pastry chef or work in a high-end restaurant or hotel. After taking courses or earning a degree, most pastry chefs gain on-the-job experience through apprenticeships, where they work for a year or more under a senior pastry chef, or entry-level jobs such as assistant pastry chef.

Bakers are more likely to find employment without formal training. They can gain the basic skills they need to operate baking equipment, handle food items and perform baking techniques, however, by taking courses at community colleges and trade or technical schools. They can then gain experience through apprenticeships and entry-level jobs such as baker’s assistant. With training and experience, some bakers can transition into becoming pastry chefs.

Certifications

Both pastry chefs and bakers can improve their employment and earning opportunities by pursuing professional certifications. Reputable pastry chef credentials include the American Culinary Federation’s Certified Working Pastry Chef or Certified Master Pastry Chef. Bakers might seek certifications.

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Cake Terms – Icing, Decorating, and Accessories

Cake Icings

Buttercream

Smooth and creamy decorator icing (referred to as frosting). It can be made in different consistencies – firm for flower decor, medium for borders and thin for icing or writing letters and words on cakes. It is easily colored or flavored. It melts in extreme heat and is not recommended for hot venues.

Fondant

A type of icing made of corn syrup, sugar and gelatin. It comes in many different colors, has a sweet flavor and is smooth and stiff. It can be rolled out and spread over cakes. Most cakes have a layer of buttercream or ganache underneath the fondant to keep it pliable. Fondant can also be used for sculpted decorations or patterns on cakes. It looks best decorated with marzipan fruits, ribbon or gum paste flowers. It does not need refrigeration.

Royal Icing

Typically a mixture of meringue powder, powdered sugar, & water. It is shiny, hard and does not need to be refrigerated. It is used for latticework and decorations.

Ganache

A type of chocolate with a consistency similar to store bought icing. Very rich, it is created when hot cream is poured over sweet chocolate, which is then beaten until glossy and smooth. It can be poured over cakes for a glass-like finish or used as filling. It is not suitable for hot or humid weather.

Whipped Cream

Made from sugar and heavy cream and whipped to the desired consistency. Whipped cream can be a topping or a filling, but must be kept refrigerated and brought out right before the cake cutting.

Marzipan

A paste made of almonds, sugar and egg whites. It can be used as icing or molded into decorations including flowers or fruits.

Cake Decorations

Gum Paste

Created with gelatin, cornstarch and sugar. It is used for sculpted figurines or decor on cakes. It is edible, but becomes very hard when dried.

Piping

A decorative technique achieved by using a decorator bag and metal tip. Patterns, swirls, lettering and other decor can be ‘piped’ onto cakes. It is ideal for dots, basketweave, latticework and shells.

Pulled Sugar

Boiled sugar, water and corn syrup that is molded into designs including roses and bows.

Dragees

Hard sugar balls painted with silver or gold paint.

Floral Wire

Non-edible decorative wire used to make 3-D decor on cakes.

Gold Leaf

Edible 24 carat gold decoration used as decorative element on cakes.

Edible Images

Using edible ink and edible frosting paper, any type of image can be imprinted on cakes.

Pearls

An edible decoration for cakes that are made to look like real pearls. They are available in different colors, sizes and taste like hard candy.

Sugar Flowers

Used in the place of fresh flowers, usually hand created from a sugar syrup that hardens.

Cake Decorative Techniques

Airbrushing

Using a small air pump to spray food coloring onto the cake.

Basketweave

Pattern made on cakes in a crosshatch pattern giving the cake the appearance of an actual basket. This can be achieved with fondant or buttercream.

Chevron

A pattern involving different colored ‘V’ shapes in repetition, usually created on cakes with fondant.

Damask

A pattern for cakes commonly found on silk textiles. They are usually botanical patterns but can be geometric or animals.

Cornelli

A delicate design that’s created by using an elaborate piping technique to produce a lacelike pattern.

Hand-painted

A decorative technique used on cakes and desserts involving food coloring and paint brushes. The patterns are painted by hand onto the cake to add fine details with brush strokes.

Houndstooth (dogstooth or dogtooth)

A pattern characterized by a series of broken check marks or four-pointed shapes.

Marble

When flavors or colors are “swirled” together to create a “swimming” effect. Often used in cake interiors or with fondant.

Ombre

When tones of color blend into each other, usually graduating from light to dark.

Quatrefoil

A pattern created using four leaves or lobes, resembling a four-leafed clover or a flower.

Ruffles

A design style on cakes made to look like real ruffles using fondant.

Swiss Dots

A pattern created by piping on small, “pearl” dots. Designed to resemble the Swiss dot pattern commonly found on bridal gowns or veils.

Petal dust

Adds sparkle or sheen to a cake.

Cake Accessories

Cake Board

A cardboard piece available in various shapes and sizes and used as a base for cakes. Not edible but can be covered in edible decorations.

Cupcake Stand/ Cupcake Tower

Sometimes used as an alternative to cakes, a cupcake stand or tree features cupcakes on tiered layers. They can be rented for events in different sizes and hold varying amounts of cupcakes.

Pillars

Separators used in a tiered cake. They can be made of plastic or wood in several lengths to achieve the desired look.

Backdrop

Fabric or paper background that is either draped or hung smoothly and used to highlight a wedding cake setting for taking professional pictures.

Cake Circle

Corrugated cardboard rounds sized to provide bases for standard circular cakes. They can be purchased, waxed, unwaxed, patterned or with ruffles.

Side Decoration

Icing decorations used around the sides of a cake such as strings or garland.

Tier Separators

Constructed supports that separate stacked cakes.

Cake Stand

A plate on a pedestal used for displaying cakes.

Wedding Cake Fountain

Independent water fountain of various levels, some are lighted. Usually placed within the levels of a cake.

Cake Topper

Ornaments on the top of the wedding cake.

Wedding Cake Bridges/Stairs

Ornamental bridges or stairs that connect layers of wedding cake or separate cakes.

Alternative Cakes

Miniatures

Individually decorated wedding cakes served to each guests.

Groom’s Cake

A cake that was traditionally richer than the bride’s, with the addition of flavors like chocolate and fruit. Groom’s cakes are served at the wedding reception but can also be served at the wedding ceremony. It is usually considered proper for the groom’s cake to be served separately from the bride’s. Many are decorated to reflect the groom’s hobbies, such as golfing, fishing, or hunting.

Cupcake

A small cake baked in a cup-shaped container and typically iced.

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What is sold in a bakery?

Sweets and chocolates considered collectively

What is another word for bakery?

camboose. Alternative form of caboose.

boulangerie. A French or French-style bakery.

patisserie. A bakery specializing in French pastry.

confectionery. (Uncountable) Foodstuffs that taste very good.

bakeshop. A shop where baked goods are made and sold.

bakehouse.

bread or cake or biscuit factory

cake bakery.

Cakery

Confectionery

A room or area for preparing and cooking food.

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I Fashion Styles

November 3, 2022 at 11:14 am

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- Team DigitalGummaPost author
  
  November 3, 2022 at 3:33 pm
  
  Hello! Thank You for your Curt remarks, Will make amends soon.
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November 4, 2022 at 9:19 am

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