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    Home » Recipes » Baking Tips

    The Ultimate Baking Glossary

    Published: Sep 23, 2020 · Last Modified: Oct 11, 2022 by Leslie Jeon · 2 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Image of baking tools that reads 'The Ultimate Baking Glossary'

    Stumped by some confusing words on a recipe? This Ultimate Baking Glossary has a searchable table of common baking terms listed in alphabetical order.

    Image of baking tools that reads 'The Ultimate Baking Glossary' this post

    From blind baking to macaronage, there is a wide variety of baking terms that you should know to follow any recipe with ease. 

    So, I compiled together this ultimate baking glossary to list all the most common baking terms in one place. To make things easier for you, I have listed the terms in alphabetical order, and you can search for any term in particular with the search bar in the top righthand corner. 

    I want to make sure this glossary continues to be a helpful resource for you, so please let me know in the comments if there are any terms you would like added. 

    Happy baking, everyone! 

    TermDefinition
    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
    bloomingthe process of soaking gelatin sheets or gelatin powder in cold water before incorporating the gelatin into a recipe
    blown sugarcreated when a portion of pulled sugar is placed on a rubber pump and blown; can be used to create elaborate showpieces
    bread flourhigh-protein (12-13%) white flour, typically milled from red or white wheat; primarily used to make yeasted breads and pastries
    cake flourfinely ground flour made from soft wheat suitable for making cakes; it is very low in protein (6-8%)
    caramelizationa chemical process that occurs when sugar syrup is heated and turns amber in color, developing a nutty flavor and aroma
    carryover cookingthe 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 spraya mixture of cocoa butter and chocolate applied with an electric paint sprayer; can be used to create dramatic design effects
    cocoa butterthe edible cocoa fat extracted from cocoa beans
    corneta disposable container made from a triangle of parchment paper; commonly used to pipe icing or chocolate
    coulisfresh, frozen, or dried fruits puréed to create a dessert sauce
    couverturehigh-quality chocolate that is available in bittersweet, semisweet, and milk chocolate varieties
    cream cheese a soft, unripened cheese made from cow's milk
    crème anglaisea sweet, stirred French custard made with eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk/cream; used as the base for ice creams
    crépethe French version of a thin pancake made by cooking a thin layer of liquid batter in a pan
    crumbthe interior texture of baked goods such as cookies and cakes
    crumb coatingthe process of applying a thin layer of frosting to a cake to catch loose crumbs
    dockingthe process of lightly poking small holes in raw dough to allow for the release of steam and trapped air during baking
    éclairsthin, finger-shaped choux filled with pastry cream and glazed with various toppings
    emulsiona homogenous mixture of two or more liquids that do not easily mix
    entremeta simple or elaborate multilayered mousse cake
    fermentationthe chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms; occurs during organic leavening
    firm ganache2 parts chocolate to 1 part liquid; commonly used for cake bakes, firm truffle centers, and fillings for warm baked goods like donuts
    flash pointthe temperature at which an oil ignites if it comes in contact with a flame
    foldinga technique used to incorporate airy ingredients into denser, heavier ingredients without jeopardizing the airiness of the mixture
    fondantused as a coating for cakes; made with powdered sugar, powdered gelatin, water, glucose, and glycerin
    french meringuea blend of whipped egg whites, sugar, and often an acid for stabilization; since it is a raw preparation, it should be cooked before consuming
    ganachean emulsion of dark, milk, or white chocolate and a liquid (typically cream) that can be used as a glaze, filling, icing, or candy
    gelatina stabilizing agent comprised of collagen molecules; commonly used as a gelling agent in food
    génoisea classic French cake that has a light, airy texture developed without the aid of leavening agents
    giandujasilky Italian chocolate that is flavored with hazelnut paste
    glutenthe type of protein found in wheat, barley, and rye; gives elasticity, rise, and texture to dough and baked goods
    hullingthe process of removing the hull (the leafy portion of a berry)
    imitation vanillaan entirely synthetic flavoring that has a harsh flavor and bitter aftertaste; it should not be used for most baking
    italian buttercreama type of buttercream made using Italian meringue, butter, and other flavorings
    italian meringuea blend of whipped egg whites and sugar; the egg whites are cooked as hot sugar syrup is slowly drizzled into them
    macarona cookie made from sugar, egg whites, and ground almonds
    macaronagea 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 vanillaconsidered to be the highest-quality vanilla; the beans are grown on islands off the east coast of Africa
    marzipana sweetened almond paste that may be eaten or used in a variety of ways
    mascarponea 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 leaveninga type of leavening that uses air or steam to cause a dough/batter to rise
    medium ganache1 part chocolate to 1 part liquid; commonly used for soft truffle centers, soufflé bases, frosting, and cake filling
    meringuea light mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar
    mise en placethe assembly and preparation of ingredients and equipment for cooking; "put in place" in French
    modeling chocolatea mixture of chocolate and sugar syrup that can be modeled similarly to marzipan; can be made with dark, milk, or white chocolate
    moussea light, creamy dessert made with an egg base, whipped cream, and usually gelatin
    organic leaveninga type of leavening that uses yeast to cause baked goods to rise
    pastillagea pliable paste made from a base of powdered sugar that can be shaped or molded to make elaborate decorations and showpieces
    pastry creama thickened mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and milk often used as a filling
    pastry flourflour made from soft wheat suitable for making pastries and tart doughs; it is a medium-to-low protein flour (8%)
    pâte à bombea French custard base made by pouring soft-ball cooked sugar over whipping eggs
    pâte à chouxa delicate pastry dough that is cooked twice—once on the stovetop and again in the oven; used for desserts like éclairs and profiteroles
    pâte briséean unleavened basic dough without sugar; shortcrust pastry often used for tarts or pies
    pectina natural plant sugar that acts as a thickening agent during the making of fruit jellies and preserves
    petits fours déguiséspetits 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 moelleuxpetits fours characterized by their spongy or cake-like quality; examples include madeleines, financiers, and miniature cakes
    petits fours secpetits fours characterized by their dry texture and crisp, crunch quality; examples include tuiles, cigarettes, and langues du chat
    piea baked dish made of pastry dough casing that contains a sweet or savory filling
    pipingthe method used to create a variety of borders and decorations by squeezing trails of icing from a pastry bag
    poolisha fermentation starter used in bread making; combines yeast with a portion of the recipe ingredients into a runny, liquidy mixture
    poured sugarmade by cooking sugar to the proper temperature, cooling it slightly, then pouring it into molds to cool and harden
    profiterolessmall choux rounds filled with cream or ice cream
    proofingthe 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 pastrya type of laminated dough that is composed of multiple layers of dough and butter
    pulled sugarthe end result when thin pieces of sugar are pulled and cooled rapidly so they retain a satiny sheen
    quick breadsany bread leavened with leavening agents other than yeast or eggs
    sabayona foamy, stirred sauce-like custard made by whisking eggs, sugar, and wine over low heat
    satinizingthe process of pulling and folding cooked sugar to aerate it and make it more pliable with a satin-like finish
    scoringcuts made prior to bread dough before baking; creates a decorative appearance and lets the bread expand properly in the oven
    seizinga 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 floura blend of low-protein flour, salt, and baking powder; not the same thing as all-purpose flour
    silpatnonstick silicone mat that can be used for baking
    slurrythe mixture of a raw starch with a cold liquid; you must make a slurry before adding starch to a hot liquid
    soakingthe process of brushing a soaking solution over the surface of cake layers; the soaking solution is usually flavored with extracts, liquors, or liqueurs
    souffléa 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 meringuea blend of whipped egg whites and sugar; the egg whites and sugar are beaten together over low heat in a bain-marie
    tarta pastry shell that has been filled with sweet or savory ingredients; the top is usually open and not covered by pastry
    temperingthe 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 flouran unbleached flour milled from the entire wheat berry; it has a medium protein content (11%)
    yeasta monocellular microorganism that reproduces very rapidly by consuming sugar, minerals, nitrogen compounds, and oxygen; used in organic leavening

    Do you have any other terms you want added to this list? Leave them in the comments below! 

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    1. Jocelyn Sweeney

      September 23, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      Love the explanation for imitation vanilla, definitely not suitable for baking! That stuff is gross, real vanilla all the way!

      Reply
      • Leslie Hargett

        September 24, 2020 at 8:23 pm

        I completely agree! 🙌🏻

        Reply

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