I know that I use a lot of terms on this blog, and while I will endeavor to explain a new term when it first makes its appearance, that explanation will be avoided in the future for the sake of brevity. I WILL however, try to add the terms to this page so that if any term slips your mind or if you stumble upon the blog after a concept has been introduced you'll have a resource. For my singer readers, I would put my pronunciations in IPA but that wouldn't help the rest of known humanity, so instead I'm just going to fuddle through with common words ;).
Autolyse - A period of rest following the incorporation of a doughs flour and water. Preferments are sometimes included during this stage. Salt, yeast, and other additions are usually added after this step. The purpose of the autolyse is to allow the flour to fully hydrate, allowing for increased performance of the dough with less overall mix time.
Crumb - The texture of the interior of a loaf of bread. For example, I use terms such as open crumb to refer to a dough with large erratically spaced bubbles.
Elasticity - The tendency for a dough to spring back to its original position after being stretched. A common attribute from wheat flour.
Extensibility - The ability for a dough to be stretched without tearing. A common attribute from rye flour.
Hydration - This term is used in the baker sense: the percentage of liquid ingredients in a dough in relation to the the overall flour weight. I will also refer to the flour hydrating, in reference to the active incorporation of water into the dough.
Percentages (bakers)- I frequently refer to percentages on the blog, and the math whizzes that you are, you may have noticed that percentages for my bread add up to over 100%. This is because I am using bakers percentages. Bakers percentages are a way to show an entire formula by listing the comparative weights of each ingredient in relation the overall flour weight in a dough.
Poolish - [poo-leash] - a liquid yeasted preferment, commonly with 100% hydration. (i.e. equal parts flour and water)
Preferment - a portion of a dough which is made in advance of the bulk of the dough, enhancing the flavor and quality of the finished bread. For my purposes I am using the term preferement to refer to a yeasted preferment (utilizing commercial yeast), though by definition sourdough starters (aka levain cultures) are also preferments.
Steam - This is exactly what it sounds like, but here is why you'll see it listed in the blog posts: The right amount of steam while baking allows for several things. First, a better oven spring, as it helps to keep the outer crust of the dough from setting before it has finished it's rise. Second, better color to the crust. The coloration of crust can be attributed to enzymatic activities which are go into overdrive when a loaf first enters the heat of the oven. Adding steam allows the surface to stay cooler longer, which in turn gives the enzymes more time to do their work before the environment becomes inhospitable. Third, proper steam can give the loaf a nice shine to it. This is because the moisture allows the starches on the surface of the loaf to gelatinize.