BAKING TERMS EXPLAINED

I am sharing the list that I consider necessary to become familiar with these baking terms. Enjoy!

Alveoli: Another word for the gas pockets in the crumb.
Amylases: Enzymes in flour that break down starch into sugar.
Ash: Ash content is the content of minerals in flour. High ash content increases baking qualities.
Autolyse: A fancy word for letting the dough rest for a while. Mix flour and water in a bowl until all the flour is hydrated. Then let the dough rest for 30–60 minutes, sometimes longer. This gives the flour time to absorb water and enzymes to break down protein into gluten and sugar. After that, add the rest of the ingredients, including the sourdough starter. This procedure results in a dough that is less sticky and easier to handle.
Bakers Percentage: Also sometimes called baker’s math. This is a method to express the different ingredients as a percentage of the total amount of flour. For example, if you are mixing dough with 1000 grams of flour, 670 grams of water, 20 grams of salt, and 8 grams of yeast, according to baker’s percentage that will be 100% flour (the amount of flour is always 100%), 67% water, 2% salt, and 0.8% yeast. You divide the amount of the different ingredients by the amount of flour. This makes it easier to compare different recipes and to scale up or down a recipe.
Banneton: A basket that helps the loaf hold its shape during final proofing.
Batard: A loaf with an oval or oblong shape.
Bassinage: A method to add water to a very wet dough. You hold back some of the water and add it when the dough has developed some strength during bulk fermentation.
Bench Rest: After pre-shaping, the dough is allowed to rest for a while to let the gluten relax. This makes the dough easier to handle during the final shaping.
Biga: A pre-ferment with origins in Italy, made with commercial yeast instead of a sourdough starter.
Boule: A classic round loaf, derived from the French word for ball.
Biga: A pre-ferment with origins in Italy, made with commercial yeast instead of a sourdough starter.
Bran: The outer layer of the wheat kernel, which surrounds and protects the endosperm and germ. Bran contains large amounts of B-vitamins, minerals, and fibers. It is included in whole wheat.
Bulk Fermentation: The first fermentation cycle before the loaves are formed. Most loaves have two fermenting cycles.
Couche: A heavy linen fabric used as support for loaves during the final proof.
Crumb: A term that describes the texture and hole pattern in the soft inner part of the bread.
DDT: An abbreviation for Desired Dough Temperature.
Diastatic Malt: Sprouted barley that is dried and ground into powder. Adding a small amount to the dough helps give a better rise and a browner crust.
Ears: A small part of the crust that lifts attractively if you score the loaf in a certain way.
Elasticity: A dough’s ability to spring back to its original shape after being stretched.
Endosperm: The bulk of the wheat kernel, consisting mostly of protein and starch, and also a source of fibers. The endosperm is the only part used when milling white wheat.
Enriched Dough: A dough that contains a high amount of sugar and fat from butter, egg, or oil. It is used for brioche and croissants.
FDT: An abbreviation for Final Dough Temperature.
Folding: A method to encourage gluten development instead of kneading. The dough is tipped out from the bowl onto a working surface, folded in thirds like a letter, rotated 90 degrees, and folded again. This procedure is often repeated several times during bulk fermentation. Another method is stretch and fold, where the dough is stretched from one side of the bowl and folded over to the other side.
Germ: The sprouting section of the wheat kernel, rich in flavor and fat. It is often removed before milling to extend the shelf life of the flour but is included in whole wheat.
Gluten: An elastic protein that traps carbon dioxide in large pockets, building up the crumb.
Gliadin: One of the proteins in flour, along with glutenin, that is needed for gluten development. Gliadin gives the dough extensibility.
Glutenin: One of the proteins in flour, along with gliadin, that is needed for gluten development. Glutenin gives the dough strength and elasticity.
Hard Wheat: Wheat with a high protein content, suitable for bread baking due to its ability to develop gluten.
Heterofermentative: Lactic bacteria that can ferment glucose into several end products, such as lactic acid, acetic acid, alcohol, and CO2 gas.
Homofermentative: Lactic bacteria that primarily ferment glucose into lactic acid.
Hooch: A layer of liquid that sometimes accumulates on top of the starter. It is alcohol and a sign that the starter needs to be fed.
Hydration: The ratio of water to flour. For example, if you are mixing 1000 grams of flour and 700 grams of water, the hydration will be 70%.
Lame: A special knife with a curved or straight, very sharp blade used to score the loaf before baking.
Levain: Another name for a pre-ferment that contains wild yeast and bacteria. Some say levain and sourdough starter are the same, while others say they are different.
Maillard Reaction: The chemical reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids that results in the lovely golden-brown color of the bread crust during baking.
Oven Spring: The increase in bread volume during the first minutes of baking, caused by the heat speeding up yeast activity.
Peel: A tool, often made of wood, used to load and unload bread from the oven.
Poolish: A pre-ferment made with a small amount of yeast.
Proofing: The second fermentation cycle, also called the final rise, after bulk fermentation and forming of the loaves.
Retarding: A method to slow down or hold back the fermentation process by lowering the ambient temperature, usually by placing the dough in the refrigerator.

This list is not complete, but it will give you the main terms used in baking. For more details, visit sourdoughandolives.com.