Glossary of Pastry Terms

Glossary of Essential Terms in Pastry and Cake Design

Pastry is much more than just a culinary art; it's a symphony of techniques, textures and flavors that come together to create delicious works of art. However, as with any art form, baking also has its own jargon, technical terms that can sometimes confuse the uninitiated. Whether you are a pastry enthusiast looking to deepen your knowledge, or simply curious to know more about the sweet world of pastry, our glossary of essential terms is there to enlighten you. From basting to zesting, discover the terms that bring your favorite desserts to life.

Here is a list of 60 essential baking terms, with their definition:

1. Roll out: Roll out a dough to obtain the desired thickness using a rolling pin.

2. Flavorize: Add spices, extracts or zests to flavor a preparation.

3. Bain-marie: Gentle cooking technique by placing a container in a pan of hot water.

4. Blanche: Beat eggs with sugar until frothy or briefly precook food in boiling water.

5. Bouler: Form a dough into a ball shape.

6. Braising: Slowly cooking a food in a liquid after browning it.

7. Caramelize: Coat or soak a caramel preparation.

8. Chablonner: Cover a cookie with chocolate or icing to protect it.

9. Line: Line a mold with butter, flour or baking paper.

10. Chinoiser: Filter a preparation through a very fine strainer, called a Chinese strainer.

11. Clarify: Separate the whites from the egg yolks.

12. Crush: Coarsely chop.

13. Strong: Allow a dough to rest to firm it up.

14. Bed: Pipe a mixture onto a plate using a piping bag.

15. Creaming: Mix butter and sugar until you obtain a creamy texture.

16. Relax: Make a preparation more fluid by incorporating another liquid.

17. Golden: Brush a dough with a beaten egg to give it a golden color when cooking.

18. Emulsify: Mix two immiscible substances, such as water and butter.

19. Coat: Completely cover a food with a sauce, glaze or chocolate.

20. Make a well: Form a hollow in the center of the flour to add other ingredients.

21. Ferment: Leave a dough to rest so that it rises thanks to the action of yeast or sourdough.

22. Flower: Lightly dust a work surface with flour.

23. Drink: Place a dough in a mold, pressing well against the edges.

24. Whip: Beat vigorously to incorporate air.

25. Fraser: Press a dough with the palm of your hand to make it homogeneous.

26. Icing: Smooth and shiny mixture to cover or decorate a cake.

27. Incorporate: Gently mix two preparations.

28. Infuse: Let ingredients macerate in a hot liquid to extract flavors.

29. Laminate: Roll out a dough in several batches, folding it on itself, particularly for making puff pastry.

30. Raise: Remove bones or bones from a fish, or make a dough rise using a leavening agent.

31. Liaison: Mixture used to thicken a liquid.

32. Macaronner: Mix the meringue and the tant pour tant for the macaroons until you obtain the desired consistency.

33. Meringuer: Beat egg whites until stiff with sugar.

34. Whist: Beat a preparation to make it foamy or increase its volume.

35. Napper: Cover with a sauce or glaze.

36. Knead: Work a dough to make it homogeneous.

37. Poach: Cook in a simmering liquid or pipe using a piping bag.

38. Puncher: Soak a cake in a fragrant syrup.

39. Quenelle: Oval shape obtained by rolling a preparation between two spoons.

40. Fold: Gently incorporate one preparation into another.

41. Reduce: Evaporate a liquid to concentrate the flavors.

42. Roll: Give a cylindrical shape to a preparation.

43. Sanding: Mix butter, flour and sugar to obtain a grainy texture.

44. Squeeze: Beat egg whites with sugar to obtain a firm meringue.

45. Sift: Pass a powder through a sieve to remove lumps.

46. So much for so much: Mixture of equal parts almond powder and icing sugar.

47. Temper: Stabilize the temperature of the chocolate to work with it.

48. Roasting: Dry roast dried fruits to intensify the flavor.

49. Work: Mix a preparation vigorously.

50. Vanner: Constantly stir a cream or sauce to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.

51. Zester: Take the colored skin of a citrus fruit without the white part.

52. Breaking: Breaking the fermentation of a dough by kneading it.

53. Grill: Decorate a vegetable, a fruit or a lemon with grooves.

54. Chiquette: Make regular cuts on the edge of a pie for decoration.

55. Clarify: Make a broth clear by eliminating impurities.

56. Deglaze: Using a liquid (wine, vinegar, water) dissolve the juices attached to the bottom of a pan or saucepan after cooking.

57. Mold: Put a preparation in a mold.

58. Bread: Coat a food with egg then breadcrumbs before cooking.

59. Trimming: Removing inedible or unsightly parts of a food.

60. Turn: Give puff pastry several turns to obtain the sheets.

Pastry is a sensory journey, an art where every detail counts, from the selection of ingredients to the final decorative touch. With this glossary, we hope to have shed light on some of the mysterious and technical terms that shape this delightful universe. Whether you are a budding pastry chef or a simple gourmet, having this knowledge allows you to better appreciate each bite and understand the complexity hidden behind each sweet creation. The next time you taste or make a sweet treat, remember the techniques and terms you learned about here. Happy baking and above all, enjoy your meal!