Baking
Basics
Business
Tips
Baking
Glossary
Glossary
M – P
MAILLARD BROWNING REACTION
The reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars under the influence of high temperatures, producing colour and flavour compounds such as those found in the crust of bread. The Maillard reaction occurs at lower temperatures than the caramelisation of sugar and proceeds more rapidly at a higher pH.
MALTING
1. The process of sprouting grain to produce malt. 2. The process of adding malt flour or fungal amylase to freshly milled flour at the mill raises the diastatic activity to the desired level.
MIXING TOLERANCE
The ability of dough to withstand over-or undermixing without showing major changes in the physical properties of the finished bakery food.
MIXING TOLERANCE INDEX (MTI)
An indication of flour strength by the Brabender farinograph. An MTI of 20 indicates a strong flour for bread production. An MTI of 50 indicates flour weakness and lack of mixing and fermentation tolerance.
MOISTURE CONTENT
The amount of water in a system, such as dough, including the water in the ingredients, expressed as percent of total weight of the material. Example: flour contains 11 to 14% moisture (water).
MOULDER
A machine for rolling or moulding the dough pieces into proper shape and length. After moulding, the dough pieces are panned or placed on dusted peel boards.
MOULDING
The process of forming, giving shape.
MOULD INHIBITOR
Compounds which, when added to a substance, especially food products, retard the growth of moulds and extend mould-free product shelf life.
MOULDS
Pans or forms which will control shape of products during baking.
NO-TIME DOUGH
The straight dough which/ through the use of more fermenting agents and higher temperatures/ and usually with aid of more mechanical development in the form of mixing has its fermentation period reduced from hours to a period of 0 to 20 minutes. It is processed into bread or other bakery food almost immediately after mixing. The short rest period after mixing and the final proof are the only fermentation phases in this process.
OIL-FIRED
Ovens of various kinds and designs may be heated by the combustion of atomised fuel oil under pressure. The burners are so constructed that air and oil can be mixed in the desired proportions before reaching the burner, thus eliminating waste by ensuring complete combustion of the oil.
OILED DOUGH
In some bakeries, instead of greasing or oil-spraying bread pans, the moulded pieces of dough are greased. This can be achieved in a number of simple ways. (There are a number of objections to this method, but in the opinion of many bakers these are outweighed by the advantage of saving time in greasing tins.)
OLD DOUGHS
Yeast dough which has become over fermented due to excessive fermentation. This condition produces bread with a poor volume, a dark crumb colour, a sour taste, a coarse grain, a tough texture, and a light crust colour.
OPEN TOP BREAD
A loaf of bread baked without a lid on the pan, resulting in a rounded top crust.
OVEN HOOK
A small hook used by an oven operator which enables him to quickly remove pans that would otherwise be hard to reach.
OVEN SPRING (OVEN KICK)
The quick rise or expansion of a bakery product caused by the heat of the oven. The heat expands the gases within the product and also produces a vapour pressure from the moisture within the product, causing the cells in the dough to expand.
OVER AND UNDER SCALE
Scale with an indicator showing how much the piece scaled is either over or under the desired weight. This type of scale is usually used for check weighing dough or batter coming from the divider or depositor.
OVERHEAD PROOFER (INTERMEDIATE)
A system of trays designed for holding the pieces of dough for relaxing during the intermediate proof, immediately after scalingand rounding of the dough piece. The trays are conveyed through an enclosed cabinet to prevent drafts from reaching the dough. This stage requires about 7 to 15 minutes from the time the dough piece enters until it leaves the proofer. This time period is called the “intermediate proof”. (See Intermediate Proofer).
OVERPROOF
An excess amount of fermentation immediately prior to baking.
PADDLE BEATER
The flat-ribbed beater used on vertical mixers for creaming or blending mixes.
PALETTE KNIFE
Thin, flexible, round-ended, blunt-edged knife used for spreading creams, jams, royal icing, etc., and for scraping down the sides of bowls.
PALLET
Platform of wood, metal or plastic on which containers (bags or other types of containers) are stacked for easy transport with forklift trucks.
PAN RACK
A rack with shelves for holding baking sheets and/ or pans. The rack maybe either a stationary fixture or mobile in which case it is fitted with casters.
PASTEURISATION
Process named after its inventor, Louis Pasteur, by which foods are heat-treated to destroy or to retard the development of microbial life. The process for pasteurisation is to heat foods to a temperature of 68° for 30 minutes and to cool down to below 5°.
PASTEURISE
Means heat treatment to such an extent that all pathogenic and the bulk of micro-organisms are destroyed without marked changes in the composition and taste of the product and which yields a negative phosphatase result.
PEAK
This refers to a stage in the mixing of a foam, such as for angel food cake or meringue. A small amount of an egg white and sugar foam is removed from the mass of foam, which leaves a pointed tip or peak where the part is removed. When this peak is short and stiff, it is called a dry peak. When the peak is long, soft and tends to bend over, it is called a wet peak.
PEAKED CAKE
A cake which is thick at the centre and slopes downward toward the edges. This condition is usually associated with a very soft batter and/or a very hot oven. A very high egg content may also contribute to this phenomenon, particularly in fairy cakes.
PEEL
1. The long-handled, flat, wooden shovel-like tool used by a baker to place dough pieces directly on the oven hearth for baking and for removal of the baked product from the oven. Steel peel heads are used occasionally and are useful if oven-bottom bread is baked in a too hot oven, thus burning and sticking to the oven sale. These steel peel heads enable the bread to be removed from the oven without appreciable damage. Peel handles are usually made of ash, teak or mahogany. 2.The whole of the peel (outer coating) of oranges, lemons, bananas/ and other fruits.
PEEL OVEN
A baking chamber with a stationary baking surface or floor. The loading or unloading of such an oven is generally accomplished with a peel – a long-handled flat scoop. The deck oven is similar except that the chamber is shallower and usually does not require a peel for loading or unloading.
PEELING
1. The act of using a peel, or long wooden spatula, to insert dough pieces into the baking chamber or to remove the baked loaves. 2. To remove the outer skin of fruits or tubers.
PERCENT EXTRACTION
Refers to the percent of flour made from a given weight of wheat. The weight of flour divided by the weight of wheat is expressed in terms of percent extraction.
PERFECTOR
A machine used in the continuous manufacture of edible fats and margarines in which the fats maybe emulsified and conditioned ready for packaging.
PIE PRESS
Machine used to stamp or press pie dough to form the proper shaped bottom crust in a pie tin.
PIE RIMMER
A mechanical device for trimming the excess dough from the edge of the pie and elevating the edge for holding soft fillings.
PIE ROLLER
A machine for mechanically rolling the pieces of pie dough into a sheet to fit the pie tin.
PIPING
The decoration of cakes by forcing royal icing or other suitable material through plain or fancy shaped tubes to give form to the string of sugar, etc. being extruded. According to the form the decoration takes, it maybe described as lace, net, figure, or line piping.
PLASTICITY
1. The consistency or feel of shortening. 2. The property of a material which permits it to be easily formed or shaped. For example, a plastic shortening is pliable but is neither hard and brittle nor soft and oily at room temperature. Also used to describe dough condition.
PLATFORM SCALES
Large scales in which the scale pan takes the form of a low, flat platform so that heavy articles may be easily weighed in bulk. Example: sacks of flour.
PLIABLE DOUGH
A dough which is easy to handle, work, shape and mould.
POCKET
On a divider, an adjustable cavity into which the dough is forced and measured by volume to control the scaling weight of the individual dough pieces.
PREMIX
A pre-blend of minor ingredients used to improve scaling accuracy. Many premix mixes require only the addition of flour, water and yeast to produce a complete dough.
PRESSURE DEPOSITOR
A device to extrude a uniform quantity of doughnut or cake batter in a given time. Depending on the product, it is designed to deposit the batter directly into the hot frying fat or into a baking pan.
PROTECTED ACTIVE DRY YEAST (PADY)
Has longer shelf life than active dry yeast because: 1) contains antioxidant BHA or BHT to protect from oxidation oxygen and 2) is dried to a lower moisture content (5 to 6%) to slow down metabolic processes.
PYROMETER
A mechanical, optical or electrical instrument used for measuring high temperatures such as those in a baking oven.