Miss Simplee Sufficient

Baking recipes use conventional terms to describe particular techniques. In baking, recipes are almost indispensable. But if you follow a trusted recipe, a delicious result is almost guaranteed. Below is a summary of the most common techniques referred to in recipes, in addition to a few definitions of terms related to them.

Common preparation steps involved in baking include:

• Bringing ingredients to the right temperature
• Measuring ingredients
• Separating eggs
• Beating egg whites until they're stiff
• Beating whipping cream until it's stiff
• Mixing ingredients together
• Waiting for yeast-based dough to rise
• Preparing filling (may need to be cooked before baking)
• Preparing frosting

Terms related to the techniques used for these preparation steps include:

Scald heat a liquid in a pan just below boiling temperature 

Sift remove lumps from packed dry ingredients like cake flour and powdered sugar by putting them through a sifter

Leavening ingredient to make baked goods rise; usually yeast in breads and baking soda or baking powder for cakes and cookies

Measure fill a measuring spoon or cup with the amount of an ingredient specified by a recipe
 

Level dry ingredient in a measuring spoon or cup lies flat and even with the rim

Heaping dry ingredient in a measuring spoon or cup forms a mound above the rim

Pinch, dash small amount of an ingredient

Grate rub against a knife or grater to make strips or very small pieces of the food, like lemon rind or nutmeg
 

Separate crack raw egg and gently rock yolk between two sides of shell, letting white fall into a small bowl; then put yolk into a separate bowl
 

Stir, mix, blend, beat combine ingredients with a mixing spoon or electric mixer
 

Whip, whisk use a whisk or electric mixer at high speed to add air to an ingredient; whipping cream or egg whites are usually whipped until they remain stiff
 

Cut in mix butter or other solid fat into flour with a pastry cutter or pair of knives until the mixture looks crumbly
 

Cream mix butter or other solid fat into eggs or sugar until the mixture is light and smooth
 

Fold mix whipped cream or egg whites into a batter without letting them collapse; requires special motion with a spatula to lift batter over the whipped ingredient, cut down toward the bottom of the batter to lift more up, and continue until blended
 

Batter mixture of flour, liquid and other ingredients that's runny enough to pour
 

Dough mixture of flour, liquid and other ingredients that's stiff enough to form into shapes

Knead mix a dough by pressing and rolling it with the heel of the hand

Shape form dough into a loaf, roll, or other shape
 

Roll, pat make a large area of dough a consistent thickness with a rolling pin or by hand
 

Cover dough and let rise cover bowl holding dough with a nonstick surface like plastic wrap, wrapping the bowl in a layer of insulation like a dishtowel, and leaving it undisturbed in a warm room until dough is twice original size
 

Grease spread a thin layer of oil all over a baking pan to prevent sticking

Chop, cut up, dice use a knife or food processor to cut into smaller pieces

Peel using a knife or vegetable peeler to remove skin from fruits

Core, seed use a knife to remove the stem, inside core and seeds from fruit