Baking Terms

♦ Bake: To cook in the oven with dry heat.

♦ Batch: One recipe of yeast, quick breads or cookies.
♦ Batter: Dough that is too moist to knead, as in batter bread. Also used to describe texture in early part of
directions before all the flour has been added.
♦ Beat: To mix ingredients together with a circular up and down motion using a spoon, whisk or rotary or electric
beater.
♦ Bind: To thicken or smooth out the consistency of a liquid.
♦ Blanch: To dip food, (mostly fruits or vegetables) into boiling water or pour boiling water over the food.
♦ Blend: To stir ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.
♦ Boil: To cook liquid over 212°F (100°C).
♦ Bread: To coat with dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.
♦ Caramelize: To heat sugar until brown and a characteristic flavor develops.
♦ Chill: To make food cold by placing it in a refrigerator or in a bowl over crushed ice.
♦ Chop: To cut into small pieces.
♦ Clarify: To make a substance clear or pure.
♦ Coat: To thoroughly cover a food with a liquid or dry mixture.
♦ Combine: To mix or blend two or more ingredients together.
♦ Cool: To let food stand until it no longer feels warm to the touch.
♦ Cream: To soften solid fats, often by adding a second ingredient, such as sugar, and working with a wooden
spoon or electric mixer until fat is creamy.
♦ Crush: To pulverize.
♦ Cube: To cut into small squares of close to equal size.
♦ Cut in: To combine solid fat with flours using a pastry blender, two forks or the fingers.
♦ Dot: To place small pieces of butter or other food over the surface of a food.
♦ Double in bulk: Refers to the expansion of gluten cells in yeast bread that has risen. It is difficult for beginners to
judge, so we suggest the finger test after allotted time has elapsed: Press two fingers into dough, and if marks
remain unchanged, it is ready to punch down.
♦ Double in size: Refers to the final rising before bread is baked. This is a visual measurement, subject to guessing
and experience. Less is better than more. Individual recipes indicate what to look for including “almost double in
size,” or “until half again as large.”
♦ Drain: To remove liquid from a food product.
♦ Drop: Using a spoon, drop batter onto baking sheet.
♦ Dust: To lightly sprinkle the surface of a food with sugar, flour or crumbs. To also sprinkle the surface for rolling
out the dough.
♦ Elastic: Capable of recovering shape after stretching the dough.
♦ Flake: To break into small delicate pieces with a fork.
♦ Fold: To incorporate a delicate mixture into a thicker, heavier mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula without
stirring, so that the finished product remains light.
♦ Garnish: To decorate foods by adding other attractive and complementary foodstuffs to the food or serving dish.
♦ Grate: To reduce a food into small bits by rubbing it on sharp teeth of a grating tool.
♦ Grease: To rub fat on the surface of a cooking utensil or on a food itself. Also, may use non-fat cooking spray.
♦ Knead: To work dough by pressing it with the heels of the hand, folding it, turning it, and repeating each motion
until the dough is smooth and elastic.
♦ Level: Dry ingredients are spooned into a cup and then leveled off with a straight edge, such as a knife or spatula.

♦ Mash: To break food by pressing it with the back of a spoon, a masher or forcing it through a ricer
♦ Mince: To cut or chop into very fine pieces.
 ♦ Packed: Used for brown sugar. Spoon brown sugar into dry measuring cup and press down until firmly packed.
Overfill the measuring cup, level it off with straight edge or spatula.
♦ Pare: To remove the stem and outer covering of a vegetable or fruit with a paring knife or peeler.
♦ Preheat: To heat the oven, broiler or toaster oven to a desired temperature before inserting the food.
♦ Punch down: To push a fist firmly into the top of yeast dough that has completed the first rising.
♦ Puree: To put food through a fine sieve or a food mill to form a thick smooth liquid.
♦ Rest time: Yeast doughs benefit from brief intermission of handling; individual recipes tell you when. Always cover
resting dough so a “skin” doesn’t form. Turn a bowl over it or cover with plastic wrap.
♦ Scald: To heat liquid to just before the boiling point; to dip food into boiling water or pour boiling water over the
food.
♦ Score: To make small, shallow cuts on the surface of a food.
♦ Sear: To brown the surface of a food very quickly with high heat.
♦ Season: To add herbs, spices or other ingredients to food to increase the flavor.
♦ Separate: To remove the yolk from the white of the egg.
♦ Shaping: Recipes indicate how to shape special breads and rolls. For regular bread loaves, lightly flour the work
surface and, after shaping the dough into a smooth ball, roll to a rectangle using a rolling pin. Beginning at the short
end, roll tightly to make a loaf shape. With fingers, pinch seam of rolled dough to seal. Then pinch each end. Pat
into a uniform loaf shape.
♦ Shred: To cut or break into thin pieces.
♦ Sift: To sift flour and dry ingredients through a sifter. Flour will pack from its own weight. Sifting incorporates air
into the flour and insures accurate measuring.
♦ Simmer: To cook in liquid that is barely at the boiling point.
♦ Skim: To remove a substance from the surface of a liquid.
♦ Steam: To cook with vapor produced by a boiling liquid.
♦ Steep: To soak in hot liquid.
♦ Strain: To separate solid from liquid.
Revised 2007
♦ Thicken: To make a liquid dense by adding a food like flour, cornstarch, egg yolks, rice or potatoes.
♦ Vent: To leave an opening through which steam can escape in the covering of a food to be cooked.
♦ Whip: To beat quickly and steadily by hand with a whisk or electric mixer.

Measure equivalents
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce
4 tablespoons = ¼ cup 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
5⅓ tablespoons = ⅓ cup 1 cup = ½ pint
8 tablespoons = ½ cup 2 cups = 1 pint
10⅔ tablespoons = ⅔ cup 4 cups = 1 quart
12 tablespoons = ¾ cup 4 quarts = 1 gallon
16 tablespoons = 1 cup 1 ounce = 28.35 grams
1 gram = 0.035 ounces 1 liter = 1.06 quarts

Substitutions
♦ 1 cup whole kernels (to grind) = 1⅓ cups flour

♦ ¾ cup whole wheat flour + ½ cup cornstarch = 1 cup

cake flour

♦ 2½ cups whole wheat flour = 2 cups white flour

♦ 1 cup cake flour = ⅞ cup sifted all-purpose flour

♦ 1 cake compressed yeast = 1 package or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Measuring Equipment

Baking is more scientific than other cooking techniques and requires careful measuring. To
ensure success, it is important to accurately measure ingredients using the correct measuring
utensils. Pencils ready. Commence taking notes.

Dry Measuring Cups

Dry measuring cups allow you to fill the cup to

the top and then "level off" or remove any
extra with a straight edge knife or metal
spatula. Available in nested sets of 4 to 8 cups.
Made of metal or plastic, these cups do not
have a pouring spout.
Measuring Bowls

Measuring bowls are indispensable for the

accurate measuring of dry and liquid
ingredients. Food measuring bowls are usually
made of glass. Available in graduated sizes,
glass dry measuring cups are flat-bottomed
with flat edges.
Measuring Spoons

Available in metal or plastic, measuring spoons

are used to measure small quantities of liquid
and dry ingredients.
Liquid Measuring Cups

Made of glass or plastic, these cups have a lip

for pouring. Measuring cups made of glass or
clear plastic are easiest to use and most
accurate.

Thermometers
Oven Thermometers

Oven thermometers are designed to either

stand or hang on an oven rack. Since oven
temperatures can vary from one part of an oven
to another, position the thermometer on the
oven rack where the baking sheet or pan will
be placed. If there's room, keep the
thermometer positioned next to the baking
sheet during baking, so that you can determine
if the temperature is changing too much during
baking or when cookie sheets are switched. If
the thermometer reads differently than the oven
temperature you select, change the oven
temperature accordingly (i.e., if the
thermometer reads 25°F too high, reduce the
temperature by 25°F). If your oven is off 75°F
or more, it would be advisable to call a service
technician to professionally calibrate the oven.
Candy Thermometer

A candy thermometer is used to test the

temperature during the cooking of candy, jams
and jellies. It often has an adjustable clip so
that it can rest against the sides of a heavy-
gauge saucepan.

Baking Pans, Dishes & Sheets

Many different kinds of pans, dishes and sheets are used in baking, as likely evidenced by your
over-flowing cabinets. It is essential that you use choose the correct size and shape to ensure the
right texture and appearance of your baked good. The time has come for you to become better
Shiny Aluminum Pans
The best choice for baked goods consistent in
color and texture. It prevents biscuits, quick
bread loaves and coffeecakes from becoming
too dark on the bottom and around the sides of
the pan.

Dark nonstick
These pans help keep your baked goods from
sticking. However, they tend to brown their
contents quickly, particularly on the edges and
the bottom. Many nonstick baking pan
manufacturers recommend reducing the oven
temperature by 25ºF.
Insulated Pans

Consists of two thin sheets of aluminum with a

layer of air between them. Baked goods baked
in insulated baking pans may require more
baking time, and they often don't brown well
on the bottoms and sides.
Ovenproof Glass

Ovenproof glass loaf pans and baking dishes

are sometimes used to bake quick breads,
loaves and coffeecakes. Baked goods baked in
glass brown well and you can see the coloring
all around. When substituting a glass baking
dish for a metal baking pan, reduce the oven
temperature by 25°F.
Disposable Aluminum Pans

Readily available in supermarkets, these are

perfect for baked goods which will be given
away as gifts. While available in sizes
comparable to aluminum baking pans and glass
baking dishes, they are often 1/4- to 1/2-inch
smaller in length, width and depth. Baking
times will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Springform Pan

This round pan, used for making cheesecakes

and other desserts that are tricky to remove
from their pans, has a bottom that is separate
from the side. A clamp holds the pan together
and opens to allow the side to easily be pulled
away from the baked dessert.

Standard Muffin Pans

Available in 12-and 6-cup pans, the standard

muffin cup is about 2-3/4 inches in diameter
and 1-1/8 inches deep and holds a scant 1/2
cup batter.

Jumbo Muffin Pans

Spatulas

There isn't much good in baking delectable delights if you can't properly remove them from
cooking surface. Thankfully, there is such a tool for doing so, and it has a fantastic name: "the
spatula." The spatula is used for a variety of purposes including lifting and turning baked goods
and spreading fillings and frostings. "Spatula" is a term that is frequently used interchangeably
for the following different baking utensils:

Equipments
Straight Edge Spatula

The straight edge spatula is similar in shape to

a knife but rarely has a sharp edge. It is used
for spreading foods like frosting, jams, cream
cheese, cake and bar cookie batters, etc. It also
is used when measuring dry ingredients to
"level off," or remove excess ingredient from
the measuring cup.

Pancake Turner

A pancake turner is sometimes referred to as a

metal spatula, particularly when it is smaller in
size. This utensil is wide at the base which
picks up the food, and it has an easy-to-grip
handle. It is used to remove baked foods from
baking sheets (i.e., cookies) or foods from
skillets and griddles (i.e., pancakes, eggs). The
sharp edge of the metal literally "cuts" the
cookie from the cookie sheet. Plastic spatulas
are too thick to remove delicate, warm cookies
from cookie sheets.

Rubber Scraper or Rubber Spatula

A rubber scraper or rubber spatula has a

wooden or plastic handle with a flexible rubber
paddle-shaped end. Used in baking, the rubber
end can scrape batter from the sides of a bowl
or pan and helps remove all the batter or dough
from a bowl.

Liners

Function and form are the staples for any accessory, and liners are no different. Liners help
create a nonstick surface for baked goods, and also help prevent them from burning during
baking. Liners also create an easy release and transfer from the pan to the cooling surface, and
help create layered barriers during storage.

Parchment Paper

A heavy, grease- and moisture-resistant paper

with a number of culinary uses including lining
baking pans and wrapping foods that are to be
baked. Parchment paper is available in gourmet
kitchenware stores and many supermarkets.
Wax Paper

Semitransparent paper with a thin coating of

wax on both sides. Because of its moisture-
proof and nonstick characteristics, wax paper
plays a major role in the kitchen for duties such
as covering food and lining baking pans.
Aluminum Foil

Aluminum that has been rolled into a thin,

pliable sheet. It's an excellent barrier to
moisture, air and odors and can withstand
flaming heat and freezing cold. It comes in
regular weight (for wrapping food and
covering containers) and heavy-duty weight
(for freezer storage and lining pans and grills).
Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth is a lightweight natural cotton

cloth that does not fall apart when wet and will
not flavor the food it touches. Cheesecloth has
a multitude of culinary uses including straining
liquids, forming a packet for herbs and spices
that can be dropped into a soup or stock pot
and lining

Electric Mixers

Electric mixers allow you to control the mixing with a range of speeds from extra slow to extra
fast. Mixing with an electric mixer, as compared to mixing by hand, provides a much faster
mixing action and thorough blending of ingredients within the bowl. Electric mixers come with a
variety of attachments for various styles of mixing, whisking and kneading depending on the
type of mixer - though try to resist the temptation to lick the beaters...especially when they are
turned on.

Electric Hand-Held Mixer

An electric mixer is a kitchen appliance used to

beat, mix or whip batter.
Electric Stand-Up or Table-Top Mixer

An electric mixer is a kitchen appliance used to

beat, mix or whip batter. Many of the more
powerful stand mixers have special
attachments such as dough hooks or paddle
beaters.

Kitchen Equipment

Ready to take your baking to the next level? Check out these specialized tools that can assist you
as you channel your inner Julia Child.

Pastry Blender

A pastry blender is made of five or six parallel

U-shaped steel wires attached at both ends to a
handle. It is used to cut cold butter into a flour
mixture to distribute the fat without melting it,
often for making pie crusts or biscuits.

Pastry Brush

A baking tool that looks similar to a small

paintbrush, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick.
Common liquids used with a pastry brush are
milk, water and egg whites. Use a pastry brush
to brush marinades over meats too.
Rolling Pin

Though this kitchen tool is used mainly to roll

out dough, it's also handy for a number of other
culinary tasks including crushing crackers and
bread crumbs, and shaping cookies. Rolling
pins can be made of almost any material
including brass, ceramic, copper, glass, marble,
plastic and porcelain. The favored material,
however, is hardwood. The heavier pins deliver
the best results because their weight and
balance produce smoother doughs with less
effort.
Whisk

A kitchen utensil made of a group of looped

wires held together by a long handle. Whisks
are used in baking for whipping ingredients
such as eggs and cream to incorporate air into
them. The more wires a whisk contains, the
more effectively it will incorporate air into a
mixture. Whisks are available in a variety of
different sizes for different tasks.
Pastry Cutter

A pastry cutter has a straight-edged rolling

wheel and is often used to cut narrow strips of
dough for a lattice-topped pie.

Cookie Cutter

A cookie cutter is used to cut decorative shapes

from dough that has been rolled out. Cookie
cutters are made from aluminum, copper or
plastic. Common sizes are 2-inch to 3-inch;
however, cutters are available in 1/2-inch up to
12-inches.
Pastry Cloth
A pastry cloth is a large canvas cloth on which
pastry or dough can be rolled.

Pastry Crimping Wheel

A pastry crimping wheel is a rolling-bladed
tool with a fluted design. It is used to cut
dough and add a decorative edge treatment to
pie crusts.
Wooden Spoon

Wooden spoons do not scratch non-stick pans.

The bowl end of a wooden spoon is thicker in
size than a metal spoon of the same size.
Therefore it is easier to mix batter because it
does not cut into the batter, but rather, stirs or
mixes it. Keep a variety of wooden spoons
available for baking projects. Always wash and
dry wooden spoons after use. Allow them to air
dry.
Sifter

A mesh-bottomed kitchen utensil used to sift

ingredients such as flour or confectioners'
sugar. Sifters are usually made of stainless
steel or heavy-weight plastic.

Kitchen Shears

A heavy-duty strong scissors with one serrated

blade. Used for cutting fish, poultry, meats and
produce. They can even be used to crack nuts
or trim herbs into a dish. Some kitchen shears
have additional tools as part of the handle, such
as a can opener or screwdriver.