underbaking

Removing too early

Underbaking is removing baked goods from the oven before they're fully cooked through.

The result is denser, moister texture—sometimes intentional for fudgy brownies or gooey cookies, sometimes a mistake yielding raw centers.

The recipe calls for slight underbaking so the cookies stay chewy.

texture

doughy

Soft like raw bread

gummySticky and soft
gooeySoft and sticky
denseClosely packed together

sticky · soggy · mushy · raw · underdone · soft · chewy · heavy · spongy · tacky

intentional

fudgy

Dense and moist

moltenLiquefied by extreme heat
gooeySoft and sticky
browniesDense chocolate baked squares

culinary

sunken

Descended beneath water level

collapsedFell inward suddenly
fallenHaving dropped down
denseClosely packed together

pale · unset · jiggly · underdone

safety

salmonella

Foodborne bacterial illness

bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
foodborneSpread via consumed items
contaminationIntroduction of impurities

pathogens · listeria · illness · infection · unsafe · hygiene · toxins · parasites

Categories

cooking mistakesburnt toast, burned food, undercooked, burnt popcorn, overcooked

Opposites

doneness/cooking completion

underbakingoverbaking

Excessive oven time

overcooking · burning · overroasting · charring · scorching

Family

bake, baking, bakery, bakers, bakeries, unbaked, bakeware, prebaked, rebake

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G