Glossary Of Culinary Terms - Dacor Wall Ovens Manual

Knead- the technique of pressing, fold-
ing and turning a yeast dough in order to
develop its glutens, causing the dough to
rise. It is essential for any yeast dough.
A well-kneaded dough will be smooth
and elastic.
Macaroons- a cookie made of eggs
(usually whites) and almond paste or
coconut.
Mince- to cut food into very small pieces.
Mousse- a soft or creamy dessert that is
made light by the addition of whipped
cream, egg whites, or both.
Parchment paper- oil and moisture-
resistant paper used to line baking
sheets and pans to prevent baked items
from sticking.
Pavlova- a crisp meringue dessert
topped whipped cream and fruit or
fruit sauce.
Peel- a flat wooden shovel used to
place hearth breads in an oven and to
remove them.
Phyllo- a paper- thin dough or pastry
used to make strudels or various Greek
or Mediterranean desserts.
Pissaladiere- a flaky, pizza-like tart
topped with onions, black olives and
tomatoes. It is a specialty of Nice, France.
Popovers- a puffy, muffin-sized bread
with crisp brown crust and a somewhat
hollow, moist interior. The batter consists
of milk, flour, butter and eggs and
expands as it bakes.
Profiterole- a small puff of éclair paste.
Often filled with ice cream and served
with chocolate sauce.
Proof- the process of fermenting yeast
dough. This starts with dissolving yeast
in a warm liquid, then allowing it to
swell and become bubbly. This "proves"
that the yeast is alive and is capable of
producing a leavened bread.

Glossary of Culinary Terms

Prosciutto- dry-cured, spiced Italian
ham. Available in gourmet markets.
Puff pastry- a very light, flaky pastry
made from a rolled-in dough and leav-
ened by steam, Puff Pastry is a rolled-in
dough—meaning that it has many layers
of fat (butter) sandwiched between
layers of dough. When the butter melts,
it releases steam, causing the dough to
puff up. Great care needs to be taken
to have the correct dough ingredient
amounts and the butter needs to be
refrigerated before baking to get the
maximum rise.
Puree- a food made into a smooth pulp,
usually by being ground or forced
through a sieve.
Reduce- to thicken and intensify the
flavor of a sauce by boiling it down
through evaporation.
Sauté- to cook food quickly in a small
amount of oil.
Scones- a type of biscuit or a biscuit-like
bread.
Sear- to brown meat quickly. The object
of searing is to seal in the meat's juices.
Shock- to submerge briefly in ice- water
to stop the cooking process.
Shortbread- a crisp cookie made of
butter, sugar, and flour.
Simmer- to cook food gently in liquid at a
temperature low enough to just form tiny
bubbles around the edge of the pan.
Soufflé- a baked dish containing
whipped egg whites, which cause the
dish to rise during baking.
Sponge- a batter or dough of yeast, flour
and water that is allowed to ferment and
is then mixed with flour and other ingre-
dients to make a bread dough.
Sponge cake- a type of cake made by
whipping eggs and sugar to a foam, then
folding in flour.
Springform Pan- a round pan with high,
straight sides that expand with the aid or
a spring or clamp. The pan also has a
removable bottom when the clamp on
the side is released. This allows cakes
to be removed easily by removing the
pan's sides.
Stock- a liquid resulting from boiling
vegetables, meats and their bones
in water.
Stollen- a type of sweet yeast bread
with fruit.
Streusel- a crumbly topping for baked
goods, consisting of fat, sugar, and flour
rubbed together.
Superfine sugar- more finely granulated
sugar. To make this, you can grind
granulated sugar in a food processor.
This type of sugar is better for baking, or
topping/ broiling crème brulee.
Tart pan- a shallow, round baking dish
made of aluminum with a removable
bottom. The 1-inch sides of the pan are
fluted.
Tempering- the process of melting and
cooling chocolate to specific tempera-
tures in order to prepare it for dipping,
coating or molding.
Wash- a liquid brushed onto the surface
of a product, usually before baking.
Water Bath or Bain Marie- a technique
used to cook delicate dishes, such as
custards and sauces. It consists of
placing a container of food in a large,
shallow pan of water. The food can be
cooked in this manner on the cooktop
or in the oven. The purpose of this
technique is to surround the food with
gentle, consistent heat.
Whip- to beat ingredients to incorporate
air into them, thereby increasing their
volume, until they are light and fluffy.
This technique is commonly used for
egg whites and cream.
Zest- the colored outer portion of a
citrus fruit's peel.
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