BAKING TERMS

and
DEFINITIONS
ABAISSE
A French term
referring to a sheet of
rolled-out pastry.
Bake
To cook in an oven or oven-type
appliance. This term typically
applies to pastries, cookies, breads,
casseroles, and occasionally fish
and poultry.
BAKE BLIND
To bake an empty pie crust
by half filling it with dried
peas, etc., to ensure that it
holds its shape.
BATTER
A semi liquid mixture of liquid,
eggs, and starch used to make
pancakes, cookies, or a coating
for foods to be fried.
BISCUIT
In baked goods, a small
roll (either yeast or
quick bread).
CREAM
To mix fat and sugar until
smooth at the same time
incorporating air into the
mixture.
CRIMP
To use a fork to press the edges of
an unbaked piecrust against the rim
of the pie plate to seal in the filling
and provide a traditional
decoration.
DOUGH
A mixture of liquid, flour, etc.,
that is stiff enough to be handled
or kneaded, rolled and shaped.
Example bread dough.
DREDGE
To coat the surface with
a dry ingredient like
flour.
DRIZZLE
To sprinkle a surface
with a liquid like syrup.
FONDANT
A sugar and water mixture
cooked to the soft-ball stage (
234º F), cooled and kneaded.
Used for cake icing or candies.
FUDGE
A semi-soft confection made from brown or
white sugar, butter, cream, and evaporated
milk (or plain water) and flavored usually
with either chocolate or vanilla, but
sometimes with ginger, glazed fruits, maple
syrup, nuts, or orange.
GANACHE
A French pastry filling
of semisweet chocolate
and heavy cream.
GREASED
To brush a surface with
butter, margarine,
shortening or oil to prevent
sticking.
ICING
The sweet and decorative topping for a
cake. Classically, it must be white, but
in practice it applies to any topping,
usually a thin one. Thicker toppings are
then referred to as frosting.
LET RISE
To allow the yeast
dough to ferment and
double its time.
PASTRY
Sweet baked food made
with a flour-shortening-
liquid dough.
PHYLLO PASTRY
Pastry dough comprised of
numerous very thin sheets
made from flour and water.
PIPE OUT
To squeeze out a
mixture from a pastry
bag.
PRE-BAKE
To bake a crust without
the filling or to half-
bake.
PREHEAT
To light the oven about 10 minutes in
advance to allow the oven
temperature to reach a desired
degree of heat before the cake is
baked.
PUNCH DOWN
To deflate risen dough using
the fist to break down large
air spaces.
REROLL
To roll again after the
filling has been spread.
ROLL
To shape a rectangle of
dough or cake into a
cylinder.
UNTIL DONE
Meaning the cake is
already baked; when the
top spring back.
SCALD
To heat almost to the
boiling point.
THREAD-LIKE
Stage where sugar syrup
when dropped from a
spoon spins a thread.
the term cookie is derived
from the Dutch word koekje
meaning small cake.
Cookies are tiny, flat, sweet items
made of flour, shortening, sugar
and other ingredients. The mixture
is referred to as “dough”. The
dough is made into different
shapes and sizes.
 Dropped Cookies  Pressed Cookies
 Molded Cookies  Refrigerated Cookies
 Rolled Cookies  Cookie Bars
Are baked products usually made from soft
dough or batter. They may or may not be filled
or frosted, but an elegant frosted cake is the
pride of any baker.
 Shortened Cakes
 Unshortened Cakes
 Chiffon-type Cakes