0
Bakery Img

Bakery Glossary A to Z: 80+ Baking Terms Every Café Owner Should Know.

Whether you’re opening your first café, starting a cloud kitchen, or finally bringing your dream bakery to life — welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes confusing) world of baking.

Ever paused at a recipe thinking, “What does ‘laminate the dough’ even mean?” You’re not alone — baking has its own language. That’s why we created this simple, valuable glossary to help you understand the lingo. Whether you’re running a kitchen, training staff, or posting online, this is your go-to guide for speaking “baker” with confidence.

Bakery Glossary A–Z

Bakery Glossary (A–Z)

A

Aerate
Add air to your mixture to keep it light and fluffy
All-purpose flour
The everyday flour — perfect for cookies, cakes, or bread
Artisan bread
Handcrafted bread made the old-school way
Autolyse
A resting step in bread-making that helps gluten build better

B

Bain-marie
A gentle water bath often used to melt chocolate
Baking powder
The magical powder that helps cakes rise
Baking soda
Needs an acid to work — like lemon juice or yogurt
Batter
Pourable mixture used for pancakes, muffins, etc.
Bench rest
When dough takes a break before shaping
Blind bake
Pre-baking your tart base before adding fillings

C

Creaming
Beating butter and sugar till light and pale
Crumb
The texture inside your bread or cake
Convection oven
Oven with a fan for even, faster baking
Crust
The golden, crispy outside of bread or pies
Custard
Silky mix of eggs and milk used in tarts or desserts

D

Docking
Pricking dough to stop it from puffing up
Dough
Thicker than batter; used for breads and pastries
Double boiler
Melts delicate ingredients without burning
Dusting
A light sprinkle of flour or sugar

E

Egg wash
Gives your pastry a shiny, golden finish
Enriched dough
Made richer with eggs, milk, or butter

F

Fermentation
When yeast makes the dough rise
Folding
Gentle mixing to keep your batter airy
Fondant
Smooth icing for clean, designer cake looks
Frangipane
Almond-flavored filling for tarts

G

Ganache
A dreamy mix of cream and chocolate
Glaze
A glossy finish on your pastries
Gluten
Protein that gives dough its stretchy structure

H

Hydration
Water-to-flour ratio in your bread dough
Hot crust
Fresh out of the oven with steam still escaping

I

Icing
A sugary topping, thinner than frosting
Instant yeast
Quick and easy yeast — no soaking needed
Italian meringue
Whipped egg whites with hot sugar syrup (super stable)

J

Jelly roll
Rolled sponge cake with a sweet filling
Julienne
Super thin slices (rare in baking, but good to know)

K

Kneading
Working the dough to build strength
Knock back
Gently punching down risen dough

L

Laminate
Folding butter into dough to make layers (croissants!)
Leavening agent
What makes dough rise (yeast, baking soda, etc.)
Lukewarm
Warm but not hot — perfect for yeast activation

M

Macerate
Letting fruits soak to get juicy and flavorful
Marzipan
Almond paste used for decorations
Mix-ins
Extra stuff like choco chips, nuts, berries

N

Non-stick spray
Keeps your goodies from sticking to pans
Nougatine
Crunchy caramel and nut mix used for garnishing

O

Overproof
When dough rises too much and becomes weak
Oven spring
That beautiful last-minute puff in the oven

P

Pâte à choux
Used to make cream puffs, eclairs
Pastry cream
A thick, vanilla custard for fillings
Proofing
Letting dough rise before baking
Piping
Decorating or shaping batter with a nozzle
Punch down
Deflating dough to release excess gas

Q

Quiche
Savory tart that you’ll find in many modern bakeries

R

Resting time
Dough chill time before the next move
Rolling
Flattening dough with a rolling pin

S

Scoring
Making cuts on bread to control how it rises
Shortening
A type of fat used for extra crumbly pies
Sift
To break up lumps in flour or sugar
Sponge
A pre-ferment used in bread making
Stiff peaks
When whipped cream or egg whites stand tall

T

Tart
A shallow pastry with filling
Tempering
Getting chocolate to set just right
Torte
Dense cake, often layered with nuts or creams

U

Underproofed
Dough that didn’t rise long enough
Unbleached flour
Flour that hasn’t been chemically whitened

V

Vanilla bean
Pure vanilla flavor straight from the pod
Volume
The size or rise of your final baked item

W

Whisking
Beating ingredients to mix or add air
Whole wheat flour
Healthier, fiber-rich flour

Y

Yeast
The live magic behind fluffy breads
Yolk
The rich, yellow part of the egg

Let’s Bake Better, Together.

Running a bakery isn’t just about great recipes — it’s about great communication. Whether you’re talking to a chef, a vendor, or a customer, knowing your terms helps you stay confident, sharp, and professional.

closed restaurant image

Most Cloud Kitchens Shut Down in Under 6 Months: Why Does This Happen?

The rise of cloud kitchens, or “ghost kitchens,” has been revolutionary for the food delivery...

Read More
Packaging

Bad Packaging Will Kill Your Restaurant Faster Than Bad Food

Great food can win hearts, but bad packaging? It can ruin reputations. In today’s fast-paced,...

Read More
Bakery Img

Bakery Glossary A to Z: 80+ Baking Terms Every Café Owner Should Know.

Whether you’re opening your first café, starting a cloud kitchen, or finally bringing your dream...

Read More

Leave a Comment

As the largest online restaurant supply store, we offer the best selection, best prices, and fast shipping to keep your business functioning at its best.

Linkedin Instagram Facebook X-twitter

Prockured Services

About

Resources

Contact Info

  • +91 9116561883
  • connect@prockured.com

Copyright © 2025 Prockured 

Continue Shopping →
Item added to cart.
0 items - ₹0.00
Checkout