Spanish Vocabulary For The Bakery

¡Hola amigos! Are you ready to work through bakery vocabulary in Spanish? From croissants to empanadas, we are going to explore a lot of words.

Basic Bakery Vocabulary

When it comes to bread, there are a few essential Spanish vocabulary words that you should know. First, there’s:

Pan (Bread)

The staple food made from flour and water is pan.

Example: “Voy a comprar pan fresco para el desayuno.”
(I’m going to buy fresh bread for breakfast.)

Which can be used to refer to bread in general or a specific type of bread. For example:

Pan de ajo (Garlic Bread)

Bread flavored with garlic is pan de ajo.

Example: “Me encanta comer pan de ajo con pasta.”
(I love eating garlic bread with pasta.)

Pan integral (Whole Wheat Bread)

Bread made with whole grain flour is pan integral.

Example: “Prefiero pan integral porque es más saludable.”
(I prefer whole wheat bread because it’s healthier.)

Other important bread-related words include:

Masa (Dough)

The mixture of flour and liquid used for baking is masa.

Example: “Voy a preparar la masa para las galletas.”
(I’m going to prepare the dough for the cookies.)

Levadura (Yeast)

The ingredient that helps dough rise is levadura.

Example: “Necesitamos levadura para hacer pan.”
(We need yeast to make bread.)

Amasar (To Knead)

The process of working dough with your hands is amasar.

Example: “Debes amasar la masa durante diez minutos.”
(You should knead the dough for ten minutes.)

Don’t forget about the various shapes and sizes of bread, such as

Baguette (Baguette)

A long, thin loaf of French bread is a baguette.

Example: “Vamos a comprar una baguette para el almuerzo.”
(Let’s buy a baguette for lunch.)

Bola (Round Loaf)

A round-shaped loaf of bread is a bola.

Example: “Voy a hornear una bola de pan para la cena.”
(I’m going to bake a round loaf of bread for dinner.)

Telera (Roll)

A type of bread roll is a telera.

Example: “Vamos a hacer sándwiches con teleras.”
(We’re going to make sandwiches with rolls.)

Sweet Treats: Spanish Vocabulary for Pastries

When it comes to sweet treats, there’s no shortage of delicious Spanish vocabulary to learn. One of the most well-known pastries is the:

Croissant (Croissant)

A flaky, buttery pastry is a croissant.

Example: “Me gusta desayunar un croissant con café.”
(I like to have a croissant with coffee for breakfast.)

Another classic pastry is the:

Empanada (Empanada)

A stuffed pastry is an empanada.

Example: “Vamos a hacer empanadas de carne para la fiesta.”
(We’re going to make meat empanadas for the party.)

A turnover typically filled with meat or cheese. For those with a sweet tooth:

Pastel (Cake)

A sweet baked dessert is a pastel.

Example: “Voy a preparar un pastel de chocolate para el cumpleaños.”
(I’m going to make a chocolate cake for the birthday.)

Galleta (Cookie)

A small, sweet baked treat is a galleta.

Example: “Los niños quieren comer galletas con leche.”
(The kids want to eat cookies with milk.)

Are must-know words. And don’t forget about:

Helado (Ice Cream)

A frozen dessert is helado.

Example: “Vamos a comprar helado para el postre.”
(Let’s buy ice cream for dessert.)

Postres (Desserts)

Various sweet dishes served after a meal are postres.

Example: “Me encantan los postres en este restaurante.”
(I love the desserts at this restaurant.)

Spanish-speaking countries offer a wide variety of sweet treats like:

Churros (Churros)

Fried dough pastries are churros.

Example: “Nos gusta comer churros con chocolate caliente.”
(We like to eat churros with hot chocolate.)

Buñuelos (Buñuelos)

Fried dough balls are buñuelos.

Example: “Vamos a hacer buñuelos para la fiesta.”
(Let’s make buñuelos for the party.)

Panettone (Panettone)

An Italian sweet bread with dried fruit is panettone.

Example: “Compré un panettone para Navidad.”
(I bought a panettone for Christmas.)

Mixing it Up: Spanish Vocabulary for Baking Tools and Ingredients

Baking requires a variety of tools and ingredients, and it’s important to know the Spanish vocabulary for them. In the kitchen, you’ll need:

Cuchara (Spoon)

A utensil used for eating or serving is a cuchara.

Example: “Necesito una cuchara para servir la sopa.”
(I need a spoon to serve the soup.)

Taza (Cup)

A container used for drinking is a taza.

Example: “Voy a tomar una taza de té.”
(I’m going to have a cup of tea.)

Rallador (Grater)

A tool used for grating food is a rallador.

Example: “Usa el rallador para el queso.”
(Use the grater for the cheese.)

Cuchillo (Knife)

A utensil used for cutting is a cuchillo.

Example: “Necesito un cuchillo afilado para cortar las verduras.”
(I need a sharp knife to cut the vegetables.)

Tijeras (Scissors)

A tool used for cutting is tijeras.

Example: “Voy a usar las tijeras para cortar el papel.”
(I’m going to use the scissors to cut the paper.)

Tabla de cortar (Cutting Board)

A surface used for cutting food is a tabla de cortar.

Example: “Corta las verduras en la tabla de cortar.”
(Cut the vegetables on the cutting board.)

For more kitchen vocabulary, check out my post Spanish Vocabulary for the Kitchen.

In terms of ingredients:

Harina (Flour)

A powder used in baking is harina.

Example: “Necesitamos harina para hacer el pastel.”
(We need flour to make the cake.)

Azúcar (Sugar)

A sweetener used in cooking and baking is azúcar.

Example: “Añade azúcar al café, por favor.”
(Add sugar to the coffee, please.)

Huevos (Eggs)

A common ingredient in many recipes is huevos.

Example: “Vamos a necesitar huevos para la receta.”
(We’re going to need eggs for the recipe.)

Leche (Milk)

A liquid dairy product is leche.

Example: “Añade leche a la mezcla.”
(Add milk to the mixture.)

Mantequilla (Butter)

A dairy product used in cooking is mantequilla.

Example: “Necesitamos mantequilla para hacer las galletas.”
(We need butter to make the cookies.)

Especias (Spices)

Various seasonings used in cooking are especias.

Example: “Añade especias a la sopa para darle más sabor.”
(Add spices to the soup to give it more flavor.)

Frutas (Fruits)

Natural, sweet, and edible plant products are frutas.

Example: “Me gusta comer frutas frescas en verano.”
(I like to eat fresh fruits in the summer.)

that can add flavor and texture to your baked goods.

Vocabulary for Describing Bakery Items

When it comes to describing bakery items, there’s a whole host of Spanish vocabulary to choose from. To start, you can describe the texture of a pastry with words like:

You can also describe the flavor with words like:

The appearance of the pastry is also important, you can use words like:

Additionally, you can describe the size, shape and portion of the pastry. For example:

Are some useful terms. Also, you can describe the ingredients of the pastry:

On the Go: Vocabulary for Ordering and Purchasing Bakery Items in Spanish

When it comes to ordering and purchasing bakery items in Spanish, you might like to know how to talk about the pricing: