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This page lists common bread baking terms from P-Z. For additional bread baking tips, click on the tools & resources listed in the right menu bar. Or, refer to the bread making section.
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Bread Baking Terms P-Z
Paddle is the oval mixer attachment used for mixing batters and slack bread doughs.
Parchment paper is baking paper that protects pans, reduces cleaning, and has a nonstick quality. It is very useful when making pizza on a pizza stone. You can find it in most grocery stores.
Pastry blade is also referred to as a bench blade or bencher, it consists of a flat rectangular stainless steel blade held by a plastic or wooden handle. It is the best tool for dividing bread dough by hand and also for scraping and cleaning work counters.
Pastry scraper is a flexible plastic tool, sometimes shaped with both a curved end and a flat end (hemisphere style). It is used to separate dough from surfaces without tearing the dough, and is sometimes also used to help manipulate dough when hand mixing. Probably one of the most versatile, often used, and least expensive tools in a baker’s tool kit.
Peel is the long-handled wooden or metal shovel used to load dough or pizza onto a hearth or baking stone.
Polenta is coarse cornmeal used both as an ingredient and to dust under hearth breads. Read more about non-wheat flours.
Poolish is a French-style pre-fermented sponge made with a small amount of commercial yeast. It is usually wet not firm. Here is a recipe that uses a poolish.
Pre-ferment refers to any pre-dough used as a portion of the finished dough to initiate fermentation. It contributes leavening and extra flavor to bread.
Proofing refers to the final rise before baking. It also refers to the process of proofing yeast to make sure it is alive and active.
Punching down is a short kneading process that deflates the dough so that it can go through another rising cycle. Also sometimes referred to as degassing.
Refresh is where you feed a starter with flour and water to keep it alive.
Retard is where you slow down (retard) the fermentation process by cooling the dough, usually in the refrigerator. If you’re not ready to bake the dough the same day, you can put it in the refrigerator for a few days before baking. Make sure you cover the dough so it doesn’t dry out.
Rich dough
This is dough that has been enriched with butter, sugar, and/or eggs. A classic example of this type of dough is Brioche.
Round
This refers to the process of shaping a dough into a round shape or the finished shape itself.
Rye chops are coarsely ground whole grain rye kernels, similar in size to cracked wheat, bulgar, hominy grits, or steel-cut oats.
Scoring refers to the process cutting or slashing a dough prior to baking in order to give it a special look and to control its expansion during baking.
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Semolina is a gritty flour made from durum wheat. It is used both as an ingredient and as a dusting flour on peels. Read more about flours.
Soaker is a nonfermented pre-dough containing grain (flour, coarsely milled, or whole, and especially useful for coarse grains), along with water or other liquid, and sometimes salt. Soaking the grain initiates enzyme activity in advance of fermenting the dough.
Sourdough is any bread that is made from wild yeast. Check out this sourdough bread recipe.
Sorghum syrup is similar to molasses, this is the extract of boiled sorghum stalks, extracted in much the same way molasses is derived from sugar cane. The flavor of sorghum syrup is smoother and lighter than molasses. Sorghum itself is a cereal grain (the third most cultivated grain in the world, though most of it is used for animal feed).
Sponge is a pre-ferment in batter form. Generally, it is much wetter than the final bread dough to which it is added. It is used to give flavor, added leavening, and structure to dough. Here is a French-style bread recipe that uses a sponge.
Spritzer is just a spray bottle that is used to mist loaves and the oven walls with water in order to create steam. Just make sure you use a clean spray bottle that you don’t use for anything else but bread baking.
Starch is the main ingredient in bread. It is derived from the endosperm of wheat or other grains. Read more about wheat and wheat grains.
Starter is a sponge or piece of pre-ferment made with either commercial or wild yeast. It is used as leavening in the finished dough. Check out this sourdough starter recipe.
Straight dough is also called the direct method and is dough that is made without a sponge or pre-ferment. All of the ingredients are added in one mixing cycle. Read more about the straight dough method.
Whole grain is any grain that is used in its whole state and includes the bran and germ. Read more about whole grains.
Windowpane test is a way to determine whether the gluten has sufficiently developed in a dough by gently stretching a piece of the dough to see if it will produce a paper-thin, translucent membrane.
Yeast is an essential ingredient that makes the dough rise and gives home-baked yeast bread its wonderful taste and aroma. Other ingredients are added to complete the reactions that result in a perfectly baked loaf of hot, crusty homemade bread. Read more about yeast.
Additional bread baking instruction:
Sources:
Ashe, Arthur J. , III. “Yeast.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. Gwinnett Public Library. 2 July 2008.
www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar613160.
MacRitchie, Finlay. “Gluten.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. Gwinnett Public Library. 2 July 2008 www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar226760.
Wych, Robert D. “Malt.” World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. Gwinnett Public Library. 2 July 2008 www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar340680.
www.flour.com
Reinhart, Peter. Crust and Crumb. Ten Speed Press 2006.
© 1996-2007 ACH Food Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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