Odisha CHSE +2 VOC-ITV Craft Baker key terms

Protein network formed when wheat flour is wetted and mixed. It gives dough elasticity and strength, traps gas produced by yeast or chemicals, and sets during baking to form bread structure.

Refined wheat flour made by milling wheat endosperm and removing bran and germ. It is fine, white, high in starch and low in fibre, and is used for cakes, pastries and soft breads.

Whole wheat flour produced by grinding the entire wheat grain, including bran and germ. It contains more fibre and nutrients than maida, absorbs more water, and gives denser, nuttier baked goods.

A single-celled fungus used as a biological leavening agent. In dough it feeds on sugars and produces carbon dioxide and alcohol, making the dough rise and adding flavour during fermentation.

A chemical leavening agent made of sodium bicarbonate, an acid and a starch such as cornflour. When moistened and heated it releases carbon dioxide, causing cakes and biscuits to rise.

Sodium bicarbonate, a chemical leavener that releases carbon dioxide only when combined with an acid such as curd, lemon juice or buttermilk. It also browns and crisps baked goods.

A solid fat, usually vegetable fat, used in baking to coat flour particles and limit gluten formation. This tenderises the product and helps create a fine, soft crumb.

Common white sugar with fine, free-flowing crystals. It sweetens baked goods, tenderises gluten, holds moisture, feeds yeast and browns crusts through caramelisation and Maillard reactions.

The white of an egg, mostly water and protein. When whipped it forms a foam that traps air, and when heated it coagulates to set structure in cakes, meringues and glazes.

A formula method in which every ingredient is expressed as a percentage of total flour weight, with flour always 100 percent. It makes recipes easy to scale and compare.

The function on a weighing scale that sets the display to zero with an empty container on it. Taring lets you weigh ingredients directly into the same bowl accurately.

A bakery oven with one or more flat stone or steel hearths, called decks, on which bread is baked directly. Deck ovens give strong bottom heat and a crisp crust.

A temperature- and humidity-controlled cabinet used for the final rise of shaped dough. It keeps dough warm and moist so it expands evenly without drying or forming a skin.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or allergens from one food, surface or utensil to another. In a bakery it is prevented by cleaning, colour-coded equipment and keeping raw and ready-to-eat items separate.

The temperature range, usually 5°C to 60°C, in which food-poisoning bacteria multiply fastest. Bakery foods with cream, custard or egg should spend as little time as possible in this range.

First In, First Out: a stock rotation rule in which older stock is used before newer stock. It reduces spoilage and waste and helps keep ingredients within their shelf life.

The process by which yeast or bacteria break down sugars and produce carbon dioxide, alcohol and flavour compounds. In bread dough it aerates the dough, develops gluten and creates aroma.

The final rise given to shaped dough before baking, usually in a warm, humid place. During proofing the yeast produces gas, the dough doubles in size and becomes light and airy.

Repeatedly folding, pressing and stretching dough to develop gluten. Good kneading makes dough smooth, elastic and strong enough to hold the gas produced during fermentation.

The amount of water in a dough, usually stated as a percentage of the flour weight. Higher hydration gives a more open crumb and softer dough but makes shaping more difficult.

A bread-making method in which all ingredients are mixed together in one step, then fermented, shaped, proofed and baked. It is simple and quick but gives less complex flavour than sponge methods.

Bread dough made mainly from flour, water, yeast and salt, with little or no fat or sugar. It produces a firm, chewy bread with a crisp crust, such as a baguette or country loaf.

Dough containing significant amounts of fat, sugar, eggs or milk in addition to flour, water, yeast and salt. These ingredients tenderise the crumb and brown the crust, giving soft, rich breads.

The rapid rise of bread dough during the first minutes of baking, before the crust sets. It happens because gases expand and yeast activity continues briefly in the heat.

Cutting shallow slashes on the surface of proofed dough just before baking. Scoring controls where the loaf expands, prevents irregular tearing and gives a decorative finish.

The interior structure of baked bread or cake, described by its cell size, texture and moisture. An open crumb has large air pockets; a tight crumb is fine and dense.

A mixing method in which fat and sugar are beaten together until pale and fluffy before eggs and dry ingredients are added. Air trapped during creaming helps cakes rise and gives a tender texture.

A pastry method in which cold fat is rubbed into flour with the fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. The fat coats the flour, limiting gluten development and producing short, crumbly pastry.

Baking a pastry case or tart shell without its filling, usually lined with paper and filled with weights. It sets the base and prevents the pastry from puffing or becoming soggy.

The process of folding a layer of fat between layers of dough, then rolling and folding repeatedly. It creates many thin layers that puff apart in the oven, as in puff pastry.

A soft icing made by beating fat, usually butter, with icing sugar and flavourings. It is used to fill and cover cakes, pipe decorations and hold its shape at room temperature.

A smooth mixture of chocolate and warm cream, sometimes with butter. Depending on the ratio, it can be used as a glaze, filling, frosting or truffle centre.

A thin first layer of icing applied to a cake to trap loose crumbs and fill small gaps. After chilling, the final icing goes on smoothly over this sealed base.

The length of time a packaged bakery product keeps acceptable quality and safety under stated storage conditions. It depends on recipe, moisture, packaging and hygiene.

A measure of the free water available in food for microbial growth and chemical reactions. Lower water activity, as in biscuits and dry bread, gives a longer shelf life.

The cost of ingredients used to make a product divided by its selling price, multiplied by 100. It helps bakers price items and control profitability.

A documented recipe with fixed ingredient quantities, method, yield and portion size. It ensures consistent quality and makes costing, training and production planning easier.

The number of portions or total weight a recipe produces after mixing and baking. Knowing yield helps bakers calculate portion cost, plan production and control waste.