Glossary

abaisse  A laminated or flattened block of pastry.

ameliorated  A term describing the addition of ingredients to a base dough to improve its texture or flavour. Examples of ameliorated bread doughs are brioches and fougasses.

autolyse  Also known as the ‘delayed salt method’, this is a bread-making technique where the flour and water are mixed together prior to introducing the yeast and salt. The dough is then left to rest, improving water absorption and subsequent gluten development. Autolysing ultimately reduces the kneading time and improves the texture of the dough. Salt inhibits this process, so is added afterwards.

bain-marie  Used to slowly and gently warm, melt or cook ingredients in a vessel suspended over a saucepan of hot or warm water; a double boiler; a water bath.

balling  After the first prove, the dough needs to be balled, a process designed to stretch the gluten and increase elasticity so the dough retains its shape during the proving stage.

beurre noisette  Butter cooked until the water has evaporated and the fat has gone through the Maillard reaction (non-enzymatic browning). This process adds the subtle flavour of hazelnuts (noisettes) to your butter. Most commonly called ‘brown butter’ in English.

blanch (blanchir)  Literally translated as ‘whitening’, this refers to a process where food is briefly cooked in boiling water to deactivate the enzymes that cause oxidation (enzymatic browning). The food is then plunged into iced or cold water to stop the cooking process.

caramelisation  A non-enzymatic browning process that occurs when sucrose (sugar) is exposed to extreme heat.

colloid  A substance made of microscopic particles that are suspended in a liquid (or solid), altering its texture.

corps  Means ‘body’; refers to the elasticity of a dough. The more corps a dough has, the tougher it will be to roll out or shape.

deglaze  To add a liquid to remove the cooked browned bits of residue from the bottom of a pan, or to a hot caramel or sauce to liquefy it.

demould  To carefully remove a cake or tart from its mould or tin.

denaturation  A process that causes proteins to lose their structure by applying an external stress such as heat, an acid (such as lemon juice) or alcohol.

détrempe  The dough for puff or croissant pastry, prior to adding the butter for turning.

direct method  One method of making bread, where the dough relies exclusively on the addition of yeast for fermentation.

egg wash  A mixture of egg and salt (and sometimes milk or water) brushed over pastries prior to baking, to add colour and shine.

emulsion  A process whereby two liquids – usually a fat and water – are bound together to create a foam or cream, adding texture and reducing the perceived effect (the overall sensation) of the fat.

enzymatic browning  see oxidation

feuilleté  A general type of pastry, savoury or sweet, made with puff pastry.

fraiser/fraisage  A method of using your fingertips and the heel of your hand to incorporate eggs and butter into flour, without kneading. This technique minimises the length of the strands of gluten and is used for shortcrust or any dough where elasticity is undesirable.

ganache  An emulsified cream made with chocolate and a liquid. Although the most common ganaches are made using cream (18–35% fat), ganaches can also be made using fruit juices, purées and even water.

knocking down  Using the palm of your hands or your fist to push down (deflate) a yeasted dough, following the first prove, to remove the carbon dioxide (gas) that has formed.

laminating  The incremental thinning or flattening of a dough with a rolling pin or dough breaker (used commercially to roll out large quantities of dough).

levain  A mixture of flour and a liquid left to ferment over time. Levain, the ‘starter’, is the building block of any sourdough and the only leavening (rising) agent used during the proving process.

lining  The process of applying a thin layer of dough to a cake tin or tart tin.

long dough  A dough, such as that used for viennoiserie or breads, where the strands of gluten have been lengthened during the mixing or kneading process, which increases the elasticity of the dough necessary to trap the gases released during the proving and baking stage, a process essential to the development of any yeasted dough.

Maillard reaction  A non-enzymatic browning process that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars when exposed to heat, producing a desirable flavour and colour. Examples of Maillard reaction browning are bread crusts, seared meat or fish and roasted coffee beans.

masse/masser  A process by which sucrose crystallises within a syrup.

non-enzymatic browning  see Maillard reaction; caramelisation

oxidation  A biochemical process whereby enzymes brown when exposed to oxygen; also called enzymatic browning.

pasteurisation  A process, particularly applied to milks and creams, where ingredients are heated from 72°C–88°C (162°F–190°F) — depending on the fat content and use of the product — to kill harmful germs, and then cooled rapidly to 4°C (39°F).

pâtisserie  A type of sweet concoction and the shop that sells them.

pâtissier/pâtissière  A professional baker (male/female).

pâton  A block of dough that has been folded around the block of butter.

pectin  A substance (see colloid) primarily used as a gelling agent and preservative in jams that occurs naturally in many fruits (especially in the skin and seeds).

pointage  The first stage of proving of any yeasted dough.

poolish  A pre-ferment, or ‘starter’, made of equal parts water and flour with the addition of a small amount of yeast. Breads and fougasses made with poolish will have a strong flavour due to the build-up of lactic acid in the poolish, and will also have a buttery, light crumb and a crisp crust.

proving  The development of a dough under the action of yeast, poolish or levain; the process of allowing the bread dough to rise.

roux  A thickening agent, used often in sauces, made by cooking together flour and a fat (usually butter).

sablage  To mix butter and flour together before adding the liquids in the preparation of certain types of shortcrust pastry.

short dough  A dough, such as pâte sablée and most shortcrust pastry, where the strands of gluten are not lengthened during the mixing process. Short doughs are crumbly and can be difficult to handle.

viennoiserie  A type of leavened pastry. Examples of viennoiseries are croissants, brioche and roulades.