Croquembouche
A croquembouche is a French dessert consisting of a pyramid of choux-buns bound with threads of caramel. It’s sometimes served instead of a wedding cake or…
Blanch
Blanching is to briefly and partially cook food, usually vegetables or fruit, in boiling liquid, usually water but oil is sometimes used. The technique is useful…
Abalone
Abalone is a name given to several different species of sea snail. It’s hard to give an exact number because not everyone agrees on the definitions,…
Albacore
The albacore is a species of tuna found in all three of the world’s major oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a popular source…
Slashing
Slashing is a bakery term which refers to slashing the top of the dough with a very sharp knife or razor blade. This is crucial –…
Knead
Kneading is the process of working dough, especially bread dough, to speed up the development of gluten to turn the dough into a firm and more…
Burst
When bread loaves are first put in the oven to bake, they swell rapidly. This is known as oven spring. If this has been planned for,…
Autolyse
Autolyse is a term for bread baking technique of mixing the flour and water together and leaving it to rest before adding the other ingredients, such…
Sausage rolls
A sausage roll is a savoury pastry snack which is popular in Britain and in the Commonwealth nations. They’re commonly sold in retail outlets such as…
Balsamic vinegar
True Balsamic vinegar is an artisan product from Modena, in Italy. It’s made from grape juice, which is simmered to make a concentrate, and then fermented.…