overstir
Agitate too much
To overstir is to stir something too much, compromising its texture or consistency.
The term appears most often in baking, where overstirring develops excess gluten and produces tough results: Don't overstir the muffin batter—lumps are fine.
The principle applies wherever agitation should be limited: Overstir a cocktail and you'll dilute it.
Toil to exhaustion
- glutenCereal grain protein
- toughenMake harder to damage
- denseClosely packed together
- heavyOf great mass
gummy · doughy · batter · dough · texture · consistency · lumps · rubbery
Looped wire mixer
- spoonEating utensil for liquids
- spatulaFlat-bladed kitchen tool
- foldBend onto itself
- incorporateAbsorb into something larger
combine · blend · mix · beat · whip · cream · emulsify · aerate
overwork
Toil to exhaustion
heavy · gummy · doughy · batter · dough · texture · consistency · lumps · rubbery · chewy
whisk
Looped wire mixer
incorporate · combine · blend · mix · beat · whip · cream · emulsify · aerate · homogenize
curdle
Congeal into lumps
creme · pudding · pastry cream · hollandaise · sabayon · grainy · lumpy · separate · break · heat
starchy
Containing complex carbohydrates
porridge · polenta · rice · arborio · creamy · release · starch · mushy · overcooked · paste