Scald has two common culinary meanings. In pastry and dairy cookery, to scald a liquid—usually milk or cream—is to heat it until very hot, often with small bubbles forming around the edge, without bringing it to a full boil. The verb also describes briefly exposing certain foods to very hot water or steam, for example to loosen skins or prepare an ingredient for further processing.
Milk is heated gently in a saucepan or over a bain-marie until it is steaming and small bubbles appear around the edge. Depending on the recipe, this may be around 80–85°C, but the target is not universal. Avoid scorching the base of the pan and do not allow the liquid to boil over.
Heating milk can help dissolve sugar and infuse flavourings such as vanilla, citrus zest or spices. In some traditional yeast-dough recipes, scalding also denatures whey proteins that can interfere with gluten development. Modern pasteurized milk does not always require scalding for food safety, so follow the recipe’s purpose rather than treating it as a mandatory step.
Tomatoes, peaches and some other produce may be briefly immersed in boiling water and then cooled rapidly so the skins loosen and can be peeled. This is a short blanching or scalding step, not the same process as heating milk for pastry work.
Scalding milk means heating it to a high temperature below a full boil. Simmering produces gentle bubbles throughout the liquid, while boiling produces vigorous bubbling. For produce, the term scalding usually refers to brief exposure to very hot water or steam.
Chef’s tip: Heat milk gradually and stir or use a heavy-based pan to reduce scorching. If a recipe requires a precise temperature, use a thermometer rather than relying only on bubbles around the edge.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
