The Baking Glossary

Have you ever read a recipe or watched a food video and got confused by some of the words they were saying? This post is here to help you understand some baking and food terms you’re bound to come across, especially on this blog.

Just like any other technical career, the baking industry has words and phrases that are used almost exclusively by those on the job. Whether you are a baker, a chef, a supplier, a foodie, or a customer, it’s essential to know what you are talking about. Some of these terms are going to be self-explanatory but others are going to be a little harder to understand. I will do my best to include and explain all the terms you’re likely to see.

ingredients

A

• all-purpose flour: flour formulated to be slightly weaker than bread flour so it is also used for pastries
• almond paste: a mixture of finely ground almonds and sugar

B

• baking chocolate: a chocolate product in which another fat is substituted for part of the cocoa butter
• bread flour: strong flour, such as patent flour, used for breads
• brown sugar: regular granulated sucrose containing impurities that give it a distinctive flavor and color
• buttermilk: milk, usually low-fat or fat-free, that has been cultured by bacteria to resemble the original buttermilk; the milky liquid drained off after cream is churned to make butter
• cake flour: a fine white flour made from soft wheat

C

• chocolate: any number of products made from fermented, roasted, ground cocoa (or cacao) beans. Often with the addition of sugar, flavorings, and other ingredients

• coating chocolate: a sweetened chocolate similar in appearance to couverture but with other fats substituted for part of the cocoa butter
• cocoa: the dry powder that remains after cocoa butter is pressed out of chocolate liquor

• cocoa bean: seed of the cacao tree; fermented, roasted, and ground to make cocoa and chocolate products
• cocoa butter: a white or yellowish fat found in natural chocolate
• cocoa mass: unsweetened chocolate, consisting of cocoa solids and cocoa butter; also called chocolate liquor
• condensed milk: heavily sweetened milk that has had 60 percent of the water removed
• confectioners’ sugar: sucrose ground to a fine powder and mixed with a little cornstarch to prevent caking
• corn syrup: a syrup made from corn, consisting mostly of glucose
• couverture: natural, sweet chocolate containing no added fats other than natural cocoa butter; used for dipping, molding, coating, and similar purposes

• cream cheese: a soft, fresh cheese with a high milk fat content
• creme fraiche (krem fresh): a slightly aged, cultured heavy cream with a slightly tangy flavor

D

• dark chocolate: sweetened chocolate that consists of chocolate liquor and sugar
• dark couverture: couverture consisting of chocolate liquor and sugar; contains no milk solids
• demerara sugar: a type of crystalline brown sucrose
• double acting baking powder: baking powder that releases some of its gases when it is mixed with water and the remaining gases when it is heated

• dried whole milk: a powdered form of whole milk with the water content removed
• Dutch process cocoa: cocoa processed with an alkali to reduce its acidity; aka Dutched cocoa

E

• emulsified shortening: shortening containing emulsifiers and used for high-ratio cakes
• enriched flour: flour to which vitamins and minerals are added to compensate for the nutrients lost when the bran and germ are removed
• evaporated milk: milk, either whole or skim, that has had 60 percent of the water removed
• extract: a flavoring ingredient consisting of flavorful oils or other substances dissolved in alcohol

F

• fortified nonfat or low-fat milk: milk that has had all or part of the fat removed and that contains added substances, such as vitamins A and D, that increase its nutritional value

G

• gelatin: a water-soluble protein extracted from animal tissue; used as a jelling agent
• granulated sugar: sucrose in a fine crystalline form

H

• half and half: a kind of high-fat milk or low-fat cream containing 10 to 18 percent milk fat
• homogenized milk: milk processed so the cream does not separate out

I

• instant dry yeast: a dry, granular yeast product that does not require hydration before being added to doughs
• invert sugar: a mixture of two simple sugars, dextrose and levulose, resulting from the breakdown of sucrose
• isomalt: a compound derived from sucrose, used as a dietary sugar substitute and as an alternative to sugar in decorative sugar work

K

• Kirsch: alcoholic beverage distilled from cherries

L

• lecithin: an emulsifier usually derived from soybeans
• light cream: cream with a fat content of 18 to 30 percent
• low-fat milk: milk with a fat content of .5 percent to 2 percent

M

• malt syrup: a type of syrup containing maltose sugar, extracted from sprouted barley
• margarine: an artificial butter product made of hydrogenated fats and flavorings
• marzipan: a paste or confection made of almonds and sugar and often used for decorative work
• milk chocolate: sweetened chocolate containing milk solids
• milk chocolate couverture: couverture consisting of chocolate liquor, sugar, and milk solids
• molasses: a heavy brown syrup made from sugarcane

N

• nonfat milk: milk with all the fat removed
• nonfat dried milk: fat-free milk with all the moisture removed

O

• oil: liquid fat

P

• pastry flour: a weak flour used for pastries and cookies
• pectin: a soluble plant fiber, used primarily as a jelling agent for fruit preserves and jams
• regular shortening: and basic shortening without emulsifiers, used for creaming methods and for icings

S

• scone flour: a mixture of flour and baking powder used when very small qualities of baking powder are needed
• self-rising flour: white flour to which baking powder, and sometimes, salt has been added
• shortening: a white, tasteless, solid fat formulated for baking or deep frying
• skim milk: milk with all the fat removed
• sodium bicarbonate: baking soda; a chemical that releases carbon dioxide gas when combined with an acid
• sour cream: a cream usually with about 18 percent milk fat, that has been fermented by bacteria until thick

W

• whipping cream: cream with a high enough fat content, usually above 30 percent, to enable it to be whipped into a foam
• white couverture: a confection consisting of cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar. Sometimes erroneously called white chocolate.
• whole milk: milk with 3.5 percent fat content
• whole wheat flour: flour made by grinding the entire wheat kernel, including the bran and germ

Y

• yogurt: milk cultured with special bacteria until thick

Z

• zest: the colored outer portion of the peel of citrus fruits

methods

A

• angel food method: a cake-mixing method that involves folding a mixture of flour and sugar into a meringue

B

• biscuit method: a mixing method in which the fat is mixed with the dry ingredients before the liquid ingredients are added
• bloom: to hydrate gelatin

C

• chiffon method: involves the folding of whipped egg whites into a batter made of flour, egg yolks, and oil
• contact method: decorating technique in which the tip of a paper cone of icing stays in contact with the decorated surface
• cooked fruit method: a method for making pie fillings in which the fruit is cooked and thickened before being placed in the pie crust
• cooked juice method: a method for making pie fillings in which the fruit juices are cooked, thickened, and mixed with the fruit
• creaming method: a mixing method that begins with the blending of fat and sugar, used for cakes, cookies, and similar items
• creaming: the process of beating fat and sugar together to blend them uniformly and to incorporate air

D

• docking: piercing or perforating pastry dough before baking in order to allow steam to escape and to avoid blistering
• double-panning: placing a baking sheet or pan on or in a second pan to prevent scorching the bottom of the product being baked
• dredge: to sprinkle or coat thoroughly with sugar or another dry powder
• drop-string method: a decorating technique in which the tip of a paper cone of icing stays above the decorated surface and the icing drops as a string onto the surface. Also used to suspend strings of icing between two points

F

• flour-batter method: a cake-mixing method in which the flour is first mixed with the fat
• four-fold: a technique used to increase the number of layers in puff pastry or Danish pastry by folding the dough in fourths

G

• glaze: 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

M

• marble: to partly mix two colors of cake batter or icing so the colors are in decorative swirls
• modified straight dough method: a mixing method similar to the straight dough method, except the fat and sugar are mixed together first to ensure uniform distribution; used for rich doughs
• muffin method: a mixing method in which the mixed dry ingredients are combined with the mixed liquid ingredients

O

• one-stage method: (1) A cookie-mixing method in which all ingredients are added to the bowl at once. (2) a cake-mixing method in which all the ingredients, including high-ratio liquid shortening, are mixed together at once

R

• retarding: refrigerating a yeast dough to slow its fermentation
• rounding: a method of molding a piece of dough into a round ball with a smooth surface or skin

S

• sanding method: a pastry- and cookie-mixing method involving blending the fat with the dry ingredients and then adding the eggs
• scaling: weighing, usually ingredients, doughs, or batters
• seeding: a technique for tempering chocolate by adding grated tempered chocolate to melted chocolate to cool it
• short mix: a yeast dough mixing technique combining a short mixing period with long fermentation
• simple fold: one part of the procedure for making Danish and croissant dough, which requires folding the dough in thirds; also called three-fold
• sponge method: a cake- and cookie-mixing method based on whipping eggs and sugar
• straight dough method: a mixing method for yeast goods in which all ingredients are mixed together at once

T

• three-fold: a technique used to increase the number of layers in puff pastry or Danish pastry by folding the dough in thirds
• two-stage method: a cake-mixing method that begins with the blending of flour and high-ratio shortening and is followed by the addition of liquids

W

• wash: to apply a liquid

final product

• 1-2-3 dough: a pastry dough made of one part sugar, two parts fat, and three parts flour, by weight

A

• Angel food cake: a type of cake made of meringue and flour

B

• Baba: a type of yeast bread or cake that is soaked in syrup
• Babka: a type of sweet yeast bread or coffee cake
• Bagel: a ring-shaped lean yeast dough product made from a very stiff dough
• baked custard: a custard that is baked undisturbed so it sets into a solid (example: cheesecake)
• baked meringue: any meringue mixture that is baked until dry
• Baklava: a Greek or Middle Eastern dessert made of nuts and phyllo dough and soaked in syrup
• Bavarian cream: a light, cold dessert made of gelatin, whipped cream, and custard sauce or fruit
• Bavarois (bah var WAH): French for Bavarian cream
• Beignet soufflé (ben YAY soo Flay): a type of fritter made with éclair paste, which puffs up greatly when fried
• Betty: a baked dessert consisting of layers of fruit and cake crumbs
• Biga: a yeast pre-ferment made as a stiff dough
• Black Forest torte: a chocolate sponge layer cake filled with whipped cream and cherries
• Blancmange (blaw MAWNGE): (1) an English pudding made of milk, sugar, and cornstarch (2) a French dessert made of milk, cream, almonds, and gelatin
• blitz puff pastry: a type of pastry mixed like a very flaky pie dough, then rolled and folded like puff pastry
• boiled icing: Italian meringue used as a cake icing
• Bombe: a type of frozen dessert made in a dome-shaped mold
• Boston cream pie: not a pie, but a sponge cake or other yellow cake filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate fondant or confectioners’ sugar
• brioche: rich yeast dough containing large amounts of eggs and butter; a product made from this dough
• buttercream: an icing made of butter and/or shortening blended with confectioners’ sugar or sugar syrup and, sometimes, other ingredients

C

• cabinet pudding: a baked custard containing sponge cake and fruit
• Cannoli: fried Italian pastries made in tube shapes, generally with a sweet cream or cheese filling (singular form: cannolo)
• Cassata: an Italian-style bombe, usually with three layers of different ice creams, plus a filling of Italian meringue
• Challah: a rich egg bread, often made as a braided loaf
• Charlotte: (1) a cold dessert made of Bavarian cream other cream in a special mold, usually lined with ladyfingers or other sponge products (2) a hot dessert made of cooked fruit and bakes in a special mold lined with strips of bread
• chiffon cake: a light cake made by the chiffon method
• chiffon pie: a pie with a light, fluffy filling containing egg whites and, usually, gelatin
• chocolate truffle: a small ball of chocolate ganache, served as a confection
• Christmas pudding: a dark, heavy steamed pudding made of dried and candied fruits, spices, beef suet, and crumbs
• ciabatta: a type of Italian bread made from a very slack dough deposited on pans with minimak shaping
• cobbler: a fruit dessert similar to a pie, but without a bottom crust
• compote: cooked fruit served in its cooking liquid, usually a sugar syrup
• cookie: North American name for a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing fat, flour, eggs, and sugar. Known in England and other English-speaking countries as “biscuit” (example: chocolate chip cookies, fruity pebbles cookies, espresso smores cookies)
• coulis (koo LEE): a sweetened fruit puree, used a sauce
• coupe: a dessert consisting of one or two scoops of ice cream or sherbert placed in a dish or glass and topped with any of a number of syrups, fruits, toppings, and garnishes; a sundae
• cream pie: an unbaked pie containing a pastry cream-type filling
• cream pudding: a boiled pudding made of milk, sugar, eggs, and starch
• crème anglaise (krem awn GLEZZ): a light vanilla-flavored custard sauce made of milk, sugar, and egg yolks
• crème brûlée: French for “burnt cream”; a rich custard with a brittle top crust of caramelized sugar
• crème caramel: a custard baked in a mold lined with caramelized sugar, then unmolded
• crème chantilly (krem shawn tee YEE): sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla
• crème Chiboust (krem shee BOO): a cream filling made of pastry cream, gelatin, meringue, and flavorings
• crémeux: a type of cream or pudding consisting of crème anglaise plus one or more thickeners or binders, such as chocolate, gelatin, or butter
• crêpe (krep): a very thin French pancake, often served rolled around a filling
• crêpes Suzette: French pancakes served in a sweet sauce flavored with orange
• crisp: (1) a baked fruit dessert with a streusel topping (2) a confection or garnish consisting of a very thin slice of fruit that has been dried
• croissant (krwa SAWN): a flaky, buttery, yeast roll shaped like a crescent and made from a rolled-in dough
• crumb crust: a piecrust made of cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar
• custard: a liquid thickened or set by the coagulation of egg protein

D

• devil’s food cake: a chocolate cake made with a high percentage of baking soda, which gives the cake a reddish color
• Dobos torte: a Hungarian cake made of seven thin layers, filled with chocolate buttercream, and topped with caramelized sugar

E

• éclair: a cylindrical piece of baked éclair paste with a pastry cream filling
• éclair paste: a paste or dough made of boiling water or milk, butter, flour, and eggs; used to make éclairs, cream puffs, and similar products
• egg-foam cake: a cake leavened primarily by whipped eggs; it usually has a low percentage of fat
• English muffin: a yeast dough product made in the shape of a disk and cooked on a griddle

F

• flaky piecrust: a piecrust that has a flaky texture due to layers of fat sandwiched between layers of dough; aka flaky pie dough
• flat icing: a simple icing made of confectioners’ sugar and water, usually used for Danish pastries and sweet rolls
• focaccia: a flat Italian bread similar to a thick pizza dough
• fondant: a type of icing made of boiled sugar syrup that is agitated so it crystallizes into a mass of extremely small white crystals
• Fougasse: a regional French bread made in the shape of a trellis or ladder
• frangipane: a type of almond-flavored cream
• French bread: any of a variety of crisp-crusted yeast breads usually consisting only of flour, water, yeast, and salt
• French doughnut: a fried pastry made of choux paste (éclair paste)
• French meringue: egg whites and sugar whipped to a foam; also called common meringue
• French-style ice cream: ice cream containing egg yolks
• fritter: a deep-fried item made of or coated with a batter or dough
• fruit gratin: a dessert consisting of fruit plus a topping, browned under a broiler
• fruit pie: a baked single- or double-crust pie with a fruit filling
• fruit torte: a layer cake topped with a decorative arrangement of fruit

G

• ganache (gah NAHSH): a rich cream made of sweet chocolate heavy cream
• gâteau: French for “cake”
• Gâteau St. Honoré: a pastry consisting of a base made of short pastry and pâte à choux and a cream filling, usually crème Chiboust or crème diplomat
• gelato: Italian ice cream
• gelée (zhuh LAY): (1) a liquid thickened with gelatin (2) any other kind of jelly, especially one set with pectin
• genoise: a sponge cake made by whipping whole eggs with sugar and folding in flour and, sometimes melted butter
• granita: Italian equivalent of the French term Granité
• Granité (grah nee TAY): a coarse, crystalline frozen dessert made of water, sugar, and fruit juice or another flavoring

H

• hearth bread: a bread baked directly on the bottom of the oven, not in a pan
• hot milk and butter sponge: a sponge cake batter in which a mixture of warm milk and melted butter is mixed into the batter

I

• ice cream: a churn-frozen mixture of milk, cream, sugar, flavorings, and, sometimes, eggs
• ice milk: a frozen dessert similar to ice cream, but with a lower fat content
• ice: a frozen dessert made of water, sugar, and fruit juice
• Italian meringue: a meringue made by whipping a boiling syrup into egg whites

L

• ladyfinger: a small, dry, finger-shaped sponge cake or cookie
• laminated dough: a dough consisting of many alternating layers of dough and butter or other fat
• levain: sourdough starter
• Linzertorte: a tart made of raspberry jam and a short dough containing nuts and spices

M

• macaron: French spelling for macaroon
• macaroon: a cookie made of eggs (usually whites) and almond powder, almond paste, or coconut
• marshmallow: a light confection, icing, or filling made of meringue and gelatin (or other stabilizers)
• mealy piecrust: a piecrust in which the fat has been mixed in thoroughly enough so the dough does not have a flaky texture, aka mealy pie dough
• meringue: a thick, white foam made of whipped egg whites and sugar
• meringue chantilly: baked meringue filled with whipped cream
• meringue glacée: baked meringue filled with ice cream
• millefeuille (mee foy): French term for napoleon; literally, “thousand leaves”
• mousse: a soft or creamy dessert made light by the addition of whipped cream, egg whites, or both

N

• napoleon: a dessert made of layers of puff pastry filled with pastry cream
• nougatine: a mixture of caramelized sugar and almonds or other nuts, used in decorative work and as a confection and flavoring

O

• Opera cake: a layer cake made of thin sponge layers, coffee-flavored buttercream, and chocolate ganache
• Othello: a small (single-portion size), spherical sponge cake filled with cream and iced with fondant

P

• pain de campagne: French country-style bread
• palmier (palm yay): a small pastry or petit four sec made of rolled, sugared puff pastry cut into slices and baked
• panettone: an Italian sweet bread made in a large loaf, generally containing dried and candied fruits
• panna cotta: an Italian pudding made of cream, gelatin, and flavorings; literally, “cooked cream”
• 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 éclair paste filled with cream
• pastillage (pahs tee yahzh): a sugar paste used for decorative work, which becomes very hard when dry
• pastry cream: a thick custard sauce containing eggs and starch
• pâte à choux (paht ah shoo): èclair paste
• pâte brisée: a type of rich pastry dough used primarily for tarts
• pâte sablée: a rich, crumbly pastry dough high in fat; aka short dough
• pâte sucrée: a type of pastry dough similar to pâte brisée but higher in sugar
• petit four (p’tee foor): a delicate cake, pastry, cookie, or confection small enough to be eaten in one or two bites
• petit four glacé: 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
• Philadelphia-style ice cream: ice cream containing no eggs
• phyllo (FEE lo) dough: 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 (pee tee vyay): a cake made of puff pastry filled with almond cream
• pot de crème (poh duh krem): a rich baked custard
• pound cake: a cake made of equal weights of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs
• 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
• Pullman loaf: a long, rectangular loaf of bread
• puree: a food made into a smooth pulp, usually by being ground or forced through a sieve

R

• rolled fondant: a dough-like sugar product with the texture of a stiff dough; rolled into thin sheets and used to cover cakes
• royal icing: a form of icing made of confectioners’ sugar and egg whites; used for decorating

S

• sabayon: a foamy dessert or sauce made of egg yolks whipped with wine or liquor
• Sachertorte: a rich chocolate cake from Vienna
• scone: a type of biscuit or biscuitlike bread
• sfogliatelle (SFO lee ah TELL eh): a southern Italian flaky turnover pastry with a sweet cheese filling
• sherbert: a frozen dessert made of water, sugar, fruit juice, and, sometimes, milk or cream
• shortbread: a crisp cookie made of butter, sugar, and flour
• simple syrup: a syrup consisting of sucrose and water in varying proportions
• soft meringue: the type of meringue traditionally used for pie toppings; usually with a low percentage of sugar
• soft pie: a single-crust pie with a custard-type filling-that is, a filling that sets or coagulates due to its egg content
• sorbet (sor BAY): French for “sherbet”
• sorbetto: Italian for “sherbet”
• soufflé: (1) a baked dish containing whipped egg whites, which cause the dish to rise during baking (2) a still-frozen dessert made in a soufflé dish so it resembles a baked soufflé
• sourdough: a dough leavened by a sourdough starter
• sponge cake: a type of cake made by whipping eggs and sugar to a foam, then folding in flour
• St. Honoré: (1) a dessert made of a ring of cream puffs set on a short dough base and filled with a type of pastry cream; (2) the cream used to fill this dessert, made of pastry cream and whipped egg whites
• stirred custard: a custard stirred while it is cooked so it thickens but does not set
• stollen: a type of sweet yeast bread with fruit
• streusel: a crumbly topping for baked goods, consisting of fat, sugar, and flour rubbed together
• strudel: a baked item consisting of a filling rolled up in a sheet of strudel dough or phyllo dough
• sundae: a dessert consisting of ice cream in a dish, with various sauces and toppings
• Swiss meringue: egg whites and sugar warmed, usually over hot water, and then whipped to a foam
• Swiss roll: a thin sponge cake layer spread with a filling and rolled up

T

• tart: a flat, baked item consisting of a pastry and a sweet or savory topping or filling, similar to a pie but usually thinner
• Tarte Tatin: an upside-down apple tart
• tiramisú: an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger sponge, flavored with espresso coffee and a creamy cheese filling
• torte: German for various types of cakes, usually layer cakes
• tulipe: a thin, crispy cookie made into a cup shape

V

• vacherin (vahsh er ran): a crisp meringue shell filled with cream, fruits, or other items

W

• wash: a liquid brushed onto the surface of a product, usually before baking

Z

• zabaglione: an Italian dessert or sauce made of whipped egg yolks and Marsala wine