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Washed
An ingredient that has been thoroughly rinsed and scrubbed to prepare it for cooking or eating.
Water Bath
A gentle cooking technique in which a container is set in a pan of simmering water.
Wax Paper
Paper that has a waxed surface making it ideal for using as a non-stick lining for cake tins and baking trays.
Wheat Starch
A powdery substance obtained from wheat kernels. It is very useful as a thickener, but it doesn’t have as much thickening power as cornstarch, which requires only half as much to achieve that same level of thickening. Wheat starch is used for thickening sauces, gravies, and puddings. It is best to stir it into water first before it is added to other foods, so that it can be more easily incorporated without creating lumps.
Whip
To beat rapidly using a fork, hand or electric whisk to introduce air into a mixture or single ingredient to increase the volume and become fluffy.
Whipped
A mixture of ingredients or a single ingredient that has been rapidly beaten using a fork or hand or electric whisk to introduce air into it to increase the volume.
Whipped Cream
Made of heavy cream and sugar and usually has some type of stabilizer to prevent it from separating. Whipped cream must be kept refrigerated. Not recommended for outdoor settings.
Whisk
A hand or electric tool used to introduce air into ingredients to increase their volume. Also, to beat rapidly using a hand or electric whisk to introduce air into a mixture or single ingredient to increase the volume. Similar to whipping but not as fast a motion or for as long a period of time. Ingredients are whisked until blended or smooth-but not fluffy.
Wire Rack
A metal rack with feet to raise it slightly above the surface on which it is placed. Wire racks are invaluable in baking to allow freshly baked cakes, loaves and biscuits to cool before storing.
Wrap
To encase food in plastic cellophane or aluminum foil.
Water:
Very hard water and soft water create problems for
baked goods. Tap water of medium hardness and without
noticeable chlorination or other off odors is suitable.
Bottled water may be used in very hard water regions. (Soft
water=15-50 ppm; Medium hard=50-100 ppm; Hard=100-200
ppm; Very hard=over 200 ppm).
Water content:
The amount or percentage water is of the
total weight of an ingredient or product.
(Ex: a 4 oz sweet potato is 80% water or 3.2 oz water).
Weigh:
To use a scale to determine the weight of ingredients,
dough pieces, the baked product or net weight.
Wheat-allergic:
People who have an IgE-mediated response
to wheat protein (not necessarily the gluten portion). These
individuals must only avoid wheat, not other grains. Most
children who are allergic outgrow the allergy. Food Allergy
Network, http://www.foodallergy.org; Members’ links,
http://www.homebaking.org
Wheat flour:
Flour milled from soft (lower protein) red or white
wheat for cakes, pastries, waffles, and other products, or hard
white or red wheat for pizza crust, yeast breads, bagels, and
some rolls or hearth breads. High-protein durum wheat will
be used for flour or semolina for some specialty breads, but
is primarily a pasta wheat. Home baking (called “family flour”
in the milling industry) wheat flour may be: Unbleached or
bleached all-purpose, cake, pastry, whole wheat, stone-ground
or graham, ultra-grain and bread flour. See Members’ links,
http://www.homebaking.org
Whip
Beating a food lightly and rapidly with a mixer, whisk or beater to incorporate air and increase volume.
Whisk:
To beat ingredients together, using a wire whip or whisk,
until well blended.
White chocolate:
A mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin, and vanilla. If cocoa butter is not mentioned, the product is confectionary or summer coating, not white chocolate. It is not a true chocolate due to no chocolate liquor present. Chips or pieces and coating chunks are popular home baking ingredients.
White wheat:
In the U.S., wheat is classified into six classes – three classes have a bran coat that is considered “white” or pale to amber in color. These classes are soft white wheat, hard white wheat, and durum wheat. Also, see Red wheat in the glossary listing.
Whole grain
Whole grain Using whole kernel or ground whole kernels of a grain (barley, corn, oats, wheat, soy, rye) in a food at 51% or more of the flour weight. There must be more flour than sugar and fat for the food to be a“grain food” product. 16 grams of whole grain flour or meal per serving is 1/3 of the daily need for whole grain in a diet. Learn more: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org or http://www.bellinstitute.com.
Whole-wheat flour:
Flour produced from the whole kernel of wheat. Also called graham flour. It is usually produced in flour mills but may be ground in a mill using a stone grinding process.
Whole-white wheat flour:
The classes of U.S. wheat grown are red, white or durum (pasta) wheat. Any wheat can be used to produce a whole wheat flour. Whole white wheat flour is a
flour produced from soft (lower protein) or hard (higher protein) varieties of white wheat. Learn more: http://www.farmerdirectfoods. com or http://www.stonebuhr.com or http://www.washingtongrainalliance. org Go to Education/Consumers http://www.kswheat.com Go to Consumers, then click on Wheat Facts.
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