Baking Vocabulary Quiz
12 questions on baking terms: dough, yeast, knead, preheat and how cakes and bread are made. B1–B2 level.
Baking Vocabulary — FAQ
Dough is a thick, stretchy mixture made mainly from flour and a liquid such as water or milk. It is the basic mixture used to make bread, rolls and many pastries, and it is usually kneaded and left to rise before baking.
Yeast is a living organism that feeds on the sugars in dough and produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas forms bubbles that make bread rise and gives it a light, airy texture. The dough must rest, or prove, to give the yeast time to work.
To knead is to work dough by pushing, folding and pressing it with your hands. Kneading develops gluten, a network of proteins that gives bread its stretch and structure, helping it rise well and hold its shape.
Preheating means heating the oven to the correct temperature before the food goes in. This ensures cakes and bread start cooking immediately and rise properly. Putting food into a cold oven can lead to uneven baking and a poor texture.
Both are raising agents that help cakes rise. Baking soda needs an acid, such as lemon juice or yoghurt, to react and produce gas. Baking powder already contains its own acid, so it works on its own when mixed with liquid and heat.
Creaming is beating butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale, light and fluffy. This traps tiny air bubbles that help cakes rise and gives them a soft, even texture.
Icing is a sweet coating, usually made from sugar mixed with liquid, butter or egg white, that is spread over cakes and pastries. It adds sweetness and decoration and can be made thin and glossy or thick and fluffy.
Folding is a gentle mixing technique used to combine a light mixture, such as whisked egg whites, with a heavier one without knocking out the air. You cut down through the mixture and turn it over slowly so the batter stays light.
Proving, sometimes called proofing, is the stage when shaped dough is left to rest and rise before baking. During this time the yeast produces gas, the dough expands and the bread develops flavour and a better texture.
Puff pastry is a light, flaky pastry made by folding butter into dough many times to create thin layers. When baked, the water in the butter turns to steam, pushing the layers apart so the pastry puffs up and becomes crisp.