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ACTIVE DRY
YEAST |
Tiny dehydrated granules of yeast that are in a dormant
phase until they are exposed to water. This product was developed by the
Fleischmann's Yeast lab in Peekskill, New York for use by the armed
forces during World War II. It is currently available from Fleischmann's
in a 3-strip and a 4-ounce jar. |
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ALCOHOL |
One of the two major by-products of yeast fermentation,
the other being carbon dioxide. Most alcohol in bread dissipates during
baking but there are a few molecules of residual alcohol in a loaf of
bread. |
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ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR |
In the US: a blend of soft and hard wheat flours with a
medium amount of gluten, suitable for most baking purposes including
conventional hand-made yeast breads. We do not recommend this flour for
use in bread machines because it may yield inconsistent results.
In Canada: a hard wheat flour suitable for baking bread by hand and in
the bread machine. |
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AMARANTH |
A seed that can be crushed or ground to flour and added
to breads. Amaranth does not have significant amounts of gluten and no
more than 1/2 cup per loaf should be added. |
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AUTOLYSE |
(pronounced ah-toh-leez) Yeasted recipes - A
short rest called an autolyse comes right after mixing the flour,
yeast, oil, and water. It cuts down on your kneading time and allow the
dough to bake into a lighter bread with a more open crumb. Here's how an
autolyse works.• It allows the flour time to fully absorb
the water, so the dough is less sticky when you knead it; • It helps the
gluten to both bond and break down, resulting in a dough that's quicker
to knead and easier to shape; • It gives the yeast time to rehydrate
fully so you don't end up with yeast bits in the dough. You'll notice in
the recipe that the salt goes in after the autolyse. This is
because salt causes gluten to contract and toughen, preventing the
gluten from absorbing as much water and thus fully benefiting from the
autolyse. |
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BABA |
A rich rum or kirsch-soaked yeast cake with currants or
raisins, traditionally baked in a cylindrical mold. |
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BABKA |
A Polish sweet bread, traditionally made with rum,
almonds, raisins and orange peel. |
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BAGEL |
A traditional, doughnut-shaped roll with a characteristic
dense texture achieved by a short rise, followed by boiling and then
baking the product. Bagels have become quite popular and are now made
with a wide variety of savory and sweet ingredients, and used as bread
for sandwiches or topped with plain or flavored cream cheeses, lox, etc. |
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BAGUETTE |
A long, thin, cylindrical loaf of French bread. The
baguette has a crisp, brown crust with a chewy interior and is
traditionally made from only flour, salt, water and yeast. |
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BAKE |
To cook food in an oven with dry heat. |
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BAKER'S YEAST |
Yeast used for raising bread, typically from the
taxonomic group Saccharomyces cerevisiae. |
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BANNETON |
A woven basket in which bread is allowed to rise before
baking. It may be cloth lined or bare, but either way, it is dusted with
flour prior to use. The rising dough conforms to its shape and is then
tipped out before baking. A banneton is thought to provide good air
circulation and even temperatures during the rising. |
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BANNOCK |
A traditional Scottish cake, sometimes made with yeast,
and often baked on a griddle. |
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BAP |
A soft yeast roll with a floury finish, popular in
Scotland as a breakfast roll. |
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BARM BRACK |
An Irish bread, sometimes made with yeast, that is
buttered and served with tea. Barm Brack typically contains candied
fruit peel and raisins or currants. |
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BÂTARDE |
A traditional loaf of white bread, slightly larger than a
baguette. |
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BATH BUN |
A sugar-coated bun originating in Bath, England, usually
studded with candied fruit, currants or golden raisins. |
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BATON |
A white loaf of bread somewhat smaller than a baguette.
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BATONNET |
A white loaf of bread somewhat smaller than a baguette.
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BATTER BREAD |
A yeasted bread that is not kneaded but stirred
vigorously. The very thick but pourable batter produces a coarser crumb
than a kneaded bread. |
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BENCH
SCRAPERS |
A kitchen tool useful for scraping dough off a kneading
surface. |
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BIALY |
A Jewish-American yeast roll that is dense and chewy,
topped with sautéed onions. It is related to the bagel. |
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BIGA |
An Italian version of homemade starter, made with flour
and water and often a small amount of commercial yeast. This starter has
a dough consistency and must be broken up before use. |
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BLEACHED
FLOUR |
Flour processed with a "bleaching agent." Fresh ground
wheat flour does not result in consistently good products. Over time,
flour ages and whitens and within several months it produces a better
product. To hasten the improvement process, modern flour mills bleach
and age flour chemically through the addition of tiny amounts of a
bleaching agent. |
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BLOOM |
Bloom refers to the way the top of bread opens up during
baking along the cuts made in the top crust. The cutting creates "ears"
(flaps of dough that rise up from the loaf and crisp up). |
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BOULE |
A round loaf or ball of dough. |
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BREAD FLOUR |
A special flour, higher in gluten, that can be used for
making yeast breads by hand; recommended for use in a bread machine.
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BREAD
MACHINE YEAST |
A Fleischmann's Yeast product especially developed for
use in the types of doughs most commonly made in bread machines. It is
an instant yeast. Available in the U.S. and Canada in 4-ounce jars.
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BREAK AND
SHRED |
The portion of the loaf between the top and the sides
that shreds somewhat during baking. Ideally it should be even around the
loaf. |
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BREWER'S
YEAST |
An inactive yeast product that is a by-product of beer
making and is specially processed to be a nutritional supplement for
humans. |
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BRIOCHE |
A soft, light bread from France. Rich in eggs and butter,
it is often baked in small or large fluted pans but can be used to
enclose other foods such as sausage or cheese. |
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BROWN AND
SERVE |
A method used in preparing breads where the dough is
shaped, risen and baked at a low temperature until it is cooked all the
way through. It is then cooled, wrapped and refrigerated until close to
serving time. Then it is baked again at a high temperature for a short
time until brown. |
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BUCKWHEAT |
A seed of a small plant, ground into light or dark flour.
Although both are whole buckwheat, the light flour has less fiber and a
milder flavor. Kasha is roasted, hulled buckwheat kernels. Since
buckwheat flour can be difficult to find, kasha can be processed in a
food processor for about 3 minutes to create an acceptable substitute.
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BUNDT PAN |
A special tube cake pan with fluted sides. Must be well
greased to prevent sticking. |
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CARBON
DIOXIDE |
Along with alcohol, one of the two main by-products of
yeast fermentation. It is trapped in the dough by the gluten fibers
thereby raising the bread. |
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CHALLAH |
A traditional Jewish egg bread served for the Sabbath and
Holy Days; most often it is braided. |
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CHEF |
A piece of dough cut from a previous batch of bread which
is used to make a levain or starter for the next bread. The chef is
stored as a dough and may dry up on the outside but the inside will
remain soft and ready to use. |
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COMPRESSED
YEAST |
Fresh (not dried) yeast that is extruded and cut into a
cake form. It must be refrigerated at all times and has a relatively
short shelf life of 4-6 weeks. |
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CONVECTION
OVEN |
This oven has a fan built into it that circulates the air
and cooks the food more evenly than conventional ovens. It does not
require preheating and uses conventional cookware. |
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COOLRISE
DOUGH |
A kneaded and shaped dough that is formulated especially
to rise in the refrigerator over night. |
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COUCHE |
A large piece of linen or canvas used to wrap dough for
rising. It is seasoned by dusting it with flour. It need not be washed
but can be hung out to dry and later the dough crumbs should be scraped
off. |
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COULIBIAC |
A French dish of salmon, rice, hard cooked eggs,
mushrooms, shallots and dill, encased in a dough (usually a brioche) and
baked. |
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CROISSANT |
A French classic roll, crescent shaped and made from
buttered layers of yeast dough much like a puff pastry. |
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CRUMB |
Term referring to the interior texture, gluten network,
tenderness and general feel of a bread. Desirable crumb size and texture
varies depending on the product. Kneaded breads are generally fine and
even, although when using sourdough starters the product may contain
large bubbles. Batter breads generally contain a coarse crumb.
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CRUMPET |
A British yeasted product made from a batter poured into
a ring mold on a stove top and cooked until is brown on the bottom and
riddled with small holes on the top. |
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DARK RYE
FLOUR |
A coarse rye flour ground from the whole rye grain. It
bakes into a dark loaf and is best suited to rustic black breads and
dark pumpernickels. |
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DOUBLED IN
SIZE |
The point to which most doughs are allowed to rise. When
a dough has doubled, it is full of air pockets and the gluten has become
strong and elastic. The fermentation has generated heat and moisture and
has allowed flavors to develop. To test if a dough has doubled in size,
use the "finger-tip test." |
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EGG WASH |
Egg yolk and/or white mixed with a small amount of water
or milk and brushed over a bread prior to baking. An egg wash gives
color and gloss to the product. |
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EGGS |
Eggs in yeast breads provide added leavening, color, soft
texture and richness. |
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ELECTION CAKE |
Rich yeast cake developed in the 18th century to
celebrate election day. It contains nuts, candied fruit and
sherry-soaked raisins. |
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EMULSIFIER |
A chemical that has the ability to bind together two
incompatible things, for example water and oil. Eggs contain the
emulsifier lecithin. Fleischmann's Yeast is processed using the
emulsifier sorbitan monostearate. |
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ENGLISH
MUFFIN |
A yeasted roll made by cooking a soft, shaped dough
usually in a circular form on a griddle. |
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ENRICHED
FLOURS |
Flour with added niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and iron to
compensate for some of the nutrients lost during the milling process.
Effective January 1997, the addition of folic acid will also be
required. |
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FASNACHT |
A yeast raised, potato pastry that is deep-fried like a
doughnut. |
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FATS |
Fats add richness, tenderness, calories and flavor to
breads. They can generally be substituted equally when the amount is
less than 2 tablespoons per loaf of bread. |
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FERMENTATION |
In bread baking, the process by which yeast converts
sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide is trapped in
the bread by the gluten fibers thereby raising the bread. |
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FICELLE |
A long, very thin loaf of French bread about 1/2 the size
of a baguette. |
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FINGER-TIP
TEST |
A method used to test if a dough that has risen has
"doubled in size." The tips of two fingers are pressed lightly and
quickly 1/2 inch into the risen dough. If the dents stay, the dough has
doubled in size. |
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FLAT TOP |
A loaf of bread with a dome that does not hold up so the
dough flattens during baking. Usually caused by too much yeast, too
little flour or excess rising time. |
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FOCACCIA |
An Italian flat bread, thick and not usually kneaded,
traditionally brushed or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with
salt. Modern bakers make a variety of additions to this traditional
snack bread. |
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FOOD
PROCESSOR |
A kitchen appliance designed to chop, dice, puree and
slice a wide variety of foods. Larger models can also be used to knead
bread dough. |
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FREEZER
DOUGHS |
Doughs specially formulated to be frozen for later use.
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FRENCH BREAD |
Traditional French bread is a crusty loaf of white bread
with a chewy exterior. The bread is usually made from flour, salt, yeast
and water. It is made in many different shapes. |
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GENUS |
A taxonomic category that ranks below family and above
species. The genus of our yeast is Saccharomyces. (This means sugar
eater.) |
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GLUTEN |
A protein found in wheat and other cereal flours that
forms the structure of the bread and holds the carbon dioxide produced
by yeast. Gluten is developed when flour is hydrated and kneaded.
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GRAIN MILLS |
Machine designed to grind wheat and other grains to make
flour. |
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HARD WHEAT |
Wheat, generally grown in northern climates, that is
especially suited to bread making because of a high level of the wheat
protein, gluten. |
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HOT CROSS BUN |
A traditional yeast-raised bun usually containing
raisins, currants or chopped dried fruit, made for Good Friday. It is
slashed with a cross and confectioners sugar icing is put over the cross
after baking. |
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INSTANT YEAST |
Instant yeast is a specially processed form of Active Dry
Yeast that can be mixed into a dough dry (rather than dissolved) and
reduces rising time up to 50 percent. It was developed in the 1980s.
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ITALIAN BREAD |
A simple bread similar to French bread but typically
shorter and plumper. It is typically made from four, salt, water and
yeast. |
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KAMUT |
A variety of high protein wheat that has been used in
bread baking, pasta and cereals. It is considered one of the original
strains of wheat used in ancient times for bread making. |
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KASHA |
See buckwheat. |
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KHACHAPURI |
A Russian bread similar to a calzone, it is filled with
cheese and baked until the dough is done and the cheese is melted.
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KNEAD |
The action used to manipulate bread dough that forms the
gluten network in dough. To knead dough flatten into a disk shape, fold
it toward you, using the heels of your hands, push dough away with a
rolling motion, turn dough on quarter turn and vigorously repeat the
fold, push, turn steps. |
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KOLACKY |
A sweet bun claimed by Poles and Czechs. It is filled
with poppy seeds, nuts, mashed fruit or jam. |
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KUCHEN |
Fruit or cheese-filled, yeast-raised cake that originated
in Germany. |
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LA CLOCHE |
A cooking chamber designed to imitate ancient cooking
ovens. |
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LAME |
A tool used to slit the tops of loaves. It is designed to
cut the bread tops at an angle rather than straight into the loaf.
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LEAVENER |
A substance used to make baked products lighter by
helping them rise. Yeast, baking powder and baking soda are the most
common leaveners used by the home baker. |
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LEVAIN |
A bread starter consisting of flour and water with wild
yeasts. It can be made a few days in advance of baking or be made from
the chef by softening and mixing it in water. |
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LIGHT RYE
FLOUR |
Rye flour ground from the rye endosperm. It does not
include the bran or germ of the grain. |
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LIQUID |
The ingredient in bread used to dissolve and re-activate
dry yeast and/or mix with flour to form the gluten network. |
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MEDIUM RYE
FLOUR |
Rye flour ground from the endosperm of the rye grain. It
has part of the germ and bran removed prior to milling. |
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MILLET |
A tiny yellow seed that lends texture and flavor to
breads. Millet flour is nutritious but low in gluten. |
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MONKEY BREAD |
Bread that was formed into small balls and dipped into
butter sometimes rolled in a spicy or flavorful topping, then baked in a
tube pan. |
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MORTAR AND
PESTLE |
A kitchen tool that consists of a bowl (mortar) and a
bat-like tool (pestle) that is used to grind spices, herbs and other
foods. |
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MUFFIN |
A small cake-like bread (generally, but not always, a
quick bread) made with a variety of flours, fruits and nuts and baked in
a muffin pan. A muffin pan has a number of cup shaped depressions to
hold individual portions of batter. |
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NAAN |
An East Indian flat bread, baked in a tandoor oven and
leavened with wild yeast. |
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NAN |
See Naan |
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NITROGEN
PACKED |
Modern yeast is often packed in a nitrogen-filled bag to
avoid the effect that oxygen has on the product. |
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OVEN SPRING |
The last, quick rise a bread goes through when a risen
dough is first placed in a hot oven. |
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OVERPROOF |
Bread that has been risen too much. It may not hold its
dome top or shape and may develop "off" flavors. |
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PEEL |
A large wooden tool used to transfer dough to and from a
baking stone. |
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PITA |
Round Middle Eastern flat bread, leavened with yeast, is
split horizontally and filled with various sandwich filings.
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PIZZA |
A round savory tart made with a crisp yeast dough, which
in the past was covered with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and a
variety of other ingredients. Now, it can be covered with a variety of
savory ingredients that may include sauces, meats, vegetables and
cheeses. |
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PIZZA STONE |
A slab of stone used to simulate the baking qualities of
brick ovens. |
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POLENTA |
Coarsely ground, whole corn meal. It should be
refrigerated to preserve freshness. |
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POOLISH |
A mixture of flour, water and yeast used as a sponge in
French bread baking. |
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PRETZEL |
A yeasted dough that is typically rolled into a long rope
and often knotted. They can be crisp or soft and chewy. |
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PROOF |
In bread production this term refers to the rising step
in bread that is generally done in a climate-controlled "proof box."
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PROOFING
YEAST |
To dissolve yeast in warm liquid (we recommend 1/4 cup
water) with a little sugar (we recommend 1 teaspoon sugar) and set it
aside for 5 - 10 minutes until it develops foam on top. |
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PUEBLO BREAD |
This bread, which originated in Native American
communities, is made with unbleached flour, salt, water, yeast and lard
or shortening (sometimes sugar or eggs) and baked in an adobe oven. A
hot fire is started in the oven and allowed to burn out. The bread is
baked in the hot ashes. |
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PULLMAN PAN |
A pullman pan is a loaf pan with a lid that slides across
the top to seal the dough inside. The dimensions are usually 13x4x4
inches. The bread is generally compact since it is trapped within the
pan. It makes good slicing bread for sandwiches. |
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PUMPERNICKEL BREAD |
A heavy dark bread made with a high proportion of rye to
wheat flour and frequently with molasses to add color and flavor to the
loaf. |
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PUMPERNICKEL FLOUR |
A coarse rye flour ground from the whole rye grain. It
bakes into a dark loaf and is best suited to rustic black breads and
dark pumpernickels. |
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QUICK BREAD |
Any bread product leavened with a chemical leavener
(baking soda and an acid, such as buttermilk, or baking powder) rather
than yeast. This category includes muffins, biscuits, popovers, pancakes
and the like. |
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QUICK-RISE
YEAST |
An "instant" yeast produced by Fleischmann's in Canada
and sold in Canada. It is ideal for dry mix methods of baking but can be
used in any method. |
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RAPIDMIX
YEAST |
A yeast produced by Fleischmann's Yeast and sold in
Canada. It is similar to Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast sold in the
United States; however, it is somewhat more finely granulated so that it
can be mixed directly with dry ingredient. |
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RAPIDRISE
YEAST |
An "instant" yeast produced by Fleischmann's Yeast and
sold in the United States in the convenient 3-strip packages for
consumers. This yeast is well-suited to the quick, one-rise mix method
of making yeast breads. |
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REFRIGERATOR DOUGH |
A dough that is not kneaded and is similar to a batter
bread except it is risen in the refrigerator. During this time, the
flour absorbs the liquid to form a batter/dough. The refrigerator dough
makes a soft textured, light bread. |
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REST |
A short period (10-20 minutes) after kneading and before
shaping when dough is allowed to relax to make shaping easier. This rest
time is typically found in bread making methods that involve only one
rise. |
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RISE |
A stage in the process of making yeast breads where the
dough is set in a warm, draft-free place for a period of time (usually
an hour or so) while the yeast ferments some of the sugars in the dough,
forming carbon dioxide. This causes the bread to grow. A rising period
usually lasts until the dough doubles in size. |
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RYE FLOUR |
Flour milled from a hearty cereal grass containing less
gluten than wheat flour It comes in dark, medium and light versions (see
these headings) |
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SALT |
Sodium chloride crystals, a primary ingredient of many
foods, serves as a flavor enhancer and in yeast doughs and also enhances
the ability of the gluten to form a fine textured dough. |
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SALT
RISING BREAD |
A bread that was traditional before modern yeast made
with a fermented mixture of cornmeal, salt, sugar, flour and water. It
is smooth textured and has a tangy flavor and aroma. |
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SAVARIN |
A large rum-soaked yeast cake baked in a ring mold and
filled with pastry cream, creme chantilly or fresh fruit. |
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SAVARIN PANS |
A special ring mold used for making a savarin.
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SCALD |
Heat liquid to just below the boiling point.
Un-pasteurized milk needs to be scalded prior to baking with yeast.
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SCORING |
To make shallow cuts in the surface of the bread that
allows it to bloom during baking. |
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SLASHING |
Cutting the top of a loaf to allow for expansion of the
bread while in the oven. This allows the loaf to bloom as it goes
through oven spring at the beginning of baking. It also allows the crust
to have more crisp folds of dough and lends aesthetic appeal to the loaf
by the design of the cuts. |
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SLOW RISE |
A method for bread baking that uses several slow rises at
room temperature. Fans of this method say it allows for the most flavor
development in the bread. |
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SOFT WHEAT |
A general term for varieties of wheat that contain
relatively small amounts of gluten. |
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SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE |
An emulsifier used in yeast manufacturing to aid in the
drying process. Sorbitan monostearate protects the yeast from excess
drying and also aids in the rehydration of the yeast cells. It is
considered safe and actually can aid the body in fat absorption.
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SOURDOUGH |
A bread with a slightly sour flavor created by using a
sourdough starter as all or some of the leavener. |
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SOURDOUGH
STARTER |
A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour, water and
oftentimes, yeast that is allowed to sit in a warm place to allow the
yeast to ferment and a sour flavor to develop. Once fermented, the
starter can be used in bread recipes to provide a characteristic sour
flavor. In past times, this was the primary way yeast was preserved from
one baking day to the next. San Franciso is famous for its sourdough.
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SPECIES |
A group of taxonomic classification consisting of
organisms that can breed together. |
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SPELT |
An ancient wheat variety, native to Southern Europe. It
can be used in equal quantities to replace wheat flour in recipes.
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SPONGE |
A thick mixture of flour, yeast and liquids that is made
as the first fermenting step in some yeast bread recipes. |
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STRAIGHT
DOUGH |
A single step method of mixing a dough in which all the
ingredients are mixed into a single batch and mixed to develop dough.
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STRAIN |
A sub group of a species in taxonomic classification that
has a common ancestor with distinctive characteristics but is not
different enough from other organisms to be a separate species.
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SWEETENERS |
Any food that adds a sweet flavor to foods. This group
includes natural sweeteners such as sugars, corn syrups, honey, molasses
and the like, as well as the artificial sweeteners. Yeasts ferment
natural sweeteners to raise bread. Artificial sweeteners cannot be
fermented by yeast. |
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TEFF FLOUR |
Teff is the smallest of grains and therefore has a high
ratio of bran and germ. Teff flour has been used in Ethiopia for
centuries and has recently been grown in Idaho for the American market.
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THWACK |
The hollow sound of a perfectly baked loaf just out of
the oven. |
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TRADITIONAL ACTIVE DRY YEAST |
Active dry yeast produced by Fleischmann's in Canada.
This yeast should be dissolved before using for best results.
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UNBLEACHED
FLOUR |
White flour without bleaching or aging agents added to
hasten the aging process. This flour whitens as it ages. |
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UNDERPROOF |
Under risen. |
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UNLEAVENED |
Bread or dough product containing no yeast or chemical
leavener. |
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VACUUM PACKED |
Oxygen damages yeast. Fleischmann's Yeast's 1-pound size
package of instant yeast is packed as a solid block, air-free and
air-tight in a heavy foil package to minimize the yeast's exposure to
oxygen. |
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WAFFLE |
A light, crisp batter bread that can be yeast or
chemically leavened and made in a waffle iron. |
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WEBBING |
The texture or holes in rustic types of bread. Generally
bigger and more irregular webbing is considered best. |
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WHITE RYE |
Another name for Light Rye |
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WHOLE
WHEAT FLOUR |
Wheat flour milled using the entire wheat berry. Unless
labeled otherwise, this flour typically works like an all-purpose flour.
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WINDOW PANING |
This is a test to determine whether or not gluten has
developed. Stretch a small piece of dough until it is very thin, thin
enough to hold together and light can pass through. |
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WRINKLER |
A bread whose top does not hold firm because of
overproofing, too much yeast or a soft dough. |
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YEAST |
In baking, "yeast" refers to a single-celled fungi in the
species Saccharomyces cerevisiae which ferments sugars. The by-products
of this fermentation are principally carbon dioxide and alcohol. The
carbon dioxide raises breads. |
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YEAST BREAD |
Any bread whose primary leavening action results from the
fermentation of sugar by yeast. |
