CULINARY GLOSSARY

Autolyse is a resting stage of the flour-and-water mixture before salt and yeast are added, improving the dough's structure.

The baguette is a long thin French bread with a crisp crust and a light, airy crumb; a symbol of France.

Challah is a traditional braided Jewish egg bread baked for the Sabbath and holidays; festive and symbolic.

Dough hydration is the ratio of water to flour that determines the crumb structure, the dough's stickiness, and the type of bread.

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread on olive oil with characteristic dimples, salt, and aromatic herbs.

Kalach is a ritual braided ring-shaped bread, a symbol of abundance, eternity, and family unity.

Malai is a dense flatbread of corn flour, traditional in Bukovyna and Podillia.

Paska is a tall rich Easter bread blessed in church; the central bake of the Ukrainian Easter.

A sourdough starter is a living culture of wild yeast and bacteria from flour and water, used to bake bread without commercial yeast.