Baking Terminology | Part 3
1️⃣ Cutting In = process of incorporating small pieces of fat (usually butter) into flour.
Baking Science: Coating flour in fat protects the proteins in flour from forming too much gluten. Small pieces of fat dispersed throughout the dough will melt in the oven, creating pockets of steam that give pastry its flakiness.
Tips & Tricks: Use a pastry cutter or pulse with a food processor to cut cold butter into flour until a crumb-like mixture forms.
Chill dough to ensure the butter remains cold.
Baked Goods: Biscuits, pies and scones
pulse = The Pulse function allows you to manually start and stop your blender in quick bursts with control and let it run at optimum speed
food processor = here blender
2️⃣ Docking = process of perforating the surface of a dough with a fork or a docker (a special roller with "spikes"). This allows steam to escape and prevents the dough from puffing up when baked.
Baking Science: When blind baking, poking holes lets the steam escape so that the pie crust does not puff up. When making pizza or crackers, docking the dough keeps the dough flat.
Tips & Tricks: Roll out your dough onto the pan. Press it and shape the edge. Prick it all over with a fork. Don't forget the sides. For pizza dough, if a docker is not readily available, you can dock the dough all over with fingertips.
Baked Goods: Pie dough, pizza dough, crackers
3️⃣ Emulsion = process of combining two ingredients that are normally unmixable.
Baking Science: Oil and water do not mix naturally. Rigorous beating is enough to combine these ingredients. Common emulsifiers such as egg yolks, butter, mustard are added to stabilize the suspension.
Tips & Tricks: Take your time when incorporating two competing ingredients. For example: 1. Add one egg at a time to creamed butter. Wait until fully incorporated before adding another egg. 2. Slowly incorporate warm cream into chocolate. 3. Slowly pour oil into egg yolks, while whisking.
Baked Goods: Ganache, hollandaise sauce, salad dressing
whisk = beat or stir with a light, rapid movement
See also
Baking Terminology | Part 1 (https://t.me/espedition/734)
Baking Terminology | Part 2 (https://t.me/espedition/1030)