Sweet and Savory

Phase 4, Week 3, Day 11

Today we finished up our croissants by making both sweet and savory versions. The dough is rolled out to 1/8" and square it off with a knife. We cut 4" triangle bases and rolled our pastries. Some with chocolate, some with ham and cheese, and some plain. They were then proofed, egg washed, and baked off.

We also baked off our blitz puff pastry for our Napoleon preparation tomorrow. We cut them into 2 3inch strips approx 9 inches long. We placed a baking sheets on top and popped then in the oven too.


Work Update: I asked guy who is in charge of the casual restaurant, The Back Door, at the Club if I could come in and "stage" for him a few days a week during lunch to get some line experience. He said, sure. It's been great so far and I'm learning how to manage the tickets as they come in, plate, grill, and fry. I'm so glad I decided to do this, it has been a great introduction to this process. The lunch rush is only 45 min to 1 hour and typically includes about 25 covers, so it's perfect to get a handle on what's going on and not get too far in the weeds.

Our assortment of croissants

Laminated Dough

Phase 4, Week 2, Day 10

Have you ever wondered how they make croissants and puff pastry dough? I have, I was curious how they got all of the flakey layers. Well, over the next few days we learned how to make it. I'm glad I understand the process, but again, not sure if it's worth all the labor. I guess it'd depend on how much you'd sell your product for. Products you might make are Napoleons, Cream Horns, Vol au Vent and Turnovers and of course Croissants.

A laminated dough is layered with fat. The fat acts as the leavening agent. It's kind of an easy process to preform, but it's lengthy. Croissants and Blitz Puff Pastry have slightly different methods of make up.

Blitz differs from regular puff pastry because it adds the butter into the flour instead of adding it during the folding process. Basically, flour, salt and softened butter are combined and the butter is cut in, the water is added and then the dough is wrapped and rested in the cooler. The detrompe (dough), is rolled out to a rectangle and folded by bringing the top and bottom to the center and then folding over, rest for (30 min). Repeat 3 times.

In contrast, croissant dough is made by beating cold butter into a block or beurrage and set aside. Then combining other ingredients until it gathers and then wrap and rest. Seeing a pattern here? Dough is rolled to 3x the length of the beurrage. The beurrage is then placed on the dough and folded in. Cool. Repeat a letter three fold three more times, resting in between.

This process too forever!! We'll finish up our products tomorrow.

B&P Practical 1, Day 2

Phase 4, Week 2, Day 9

Yesterday was agonizing, it seems like we waited around for over half the class time for, proofing, benching or baking. What a change of pace from our last phase. Today we moved a bit more. I completed 12 peanut butter cookies, 12 cheese biscuits, and the written test.

Written test was ok- 86%

Peanut Butter Cookies- I had to start over because I forgot to cream the butter and sugar before adding my other dry ingredients. Just got a little a head of myself. Otherwise fine in production. Chef asked if I had any issues with the method during my grading, and I had to tell her I started over (full point deduction). I also had two that were not exactly the same size as the others, worth .25 points. They did, however, have great taste and good texture. Grade 8.75.

Cheddar Biscuts- For some reason I noticed during baking my dang biscuits looked miniature compared to everyone else's. I used the exact same cutter as Jeremy, and yet mine looked smaller in scale. I couldn't figure it out. But I had to roll with it because I couldn't start over at that point. During grading Chef said they needed to be "tighter in appearance" and could have baked longer for more color. Otherwise very flakey. Score 9.25.

Biscuits

PB Cookies

B&P Practical 1

Phase 4, Week 2, Day 8

Baking and Pastry is so weird. The whole thing is like hurry up and wait. After F3 last phase where the clock started and all you did was move as fast as you could for two hours, this phase is slow as molasses in January during an ice storm. It will take us two class periods to produce 2 loaves of French bread, 12 Peanut Butter Cookies, and 12 Biscuits, and some where in there we will take a written test too.

Our row (Jeremy, Jarod, Rachel, myself and two others) decided to do the bread on day one to completion and the other products and test on day two. The remaining members of the class did the opposite. It should work fine that way keep us out of the fray of the majority.

Now, remember, I didn't get to finish my French bread on Monday so I was flying a bit blind. Being a test of course, we are required to work individually and can't ask any questions of our classmates or instructors at this point.  I just kind of went with the flow of the group. We all needed to go into the oven  together because we had to activate the steam function for the crust. However, no one was sure how long we were supposed to leave the steam in the oven before we opened the flue to let the moisture escape. In a panic we released the flue after only 30 seconds. WRONG! Apparently the bread needs the moisture from the steam to make a crispy crust. We should have left the steam in until the crust began to turn brown (10-15 minutes). Oops! So we spent the remainder of the cooking time worrying about how our bread would turn out. Would it be hard as a rock? Too dry? Not the right color?

Baguettes

Result: Not too shabby! I had nice edges and shape, good color. I could have scored a bit deeper and needed more holes in the bread. A 9 out of 10 over all.

Chapeau et Tabature

Phase 4, Week 2, Day 7

No lecture today. We are just concentrating on making types of lean bread products. Today we have our choice to make 2 of 4 sourdough products; Chapeau (hat), Boule (ball), Tabature (satchel), and Fougasse. We used a sourdough starter using the pre-frement method.

During the demo. I kept laughing when we talked about the Chapeau. Does anyone remember Pinwheel, the show from the 80's? They had a French claymation short called Chapi Chapo. I sang the dang theme song all morning and the kids thought I was nuts.

Jeremy and I decided to make the Chapeau and the Tabature. A girl needs accessories you know. Jeremy worked on the Chapeau and I took on the Tabature. Not too bad, I didn't think.

Our fashion accessories

A closer look at my clutch

12 Steps of Baking

Phase 4, Week 2, Day 6

At first, baking seemed fun, and then we reached the 12 steps of baking. Basically, if you mess up on one of the 12 steps you are screwed. What fun is in that!? And the whole proof box thing (see below)- if you don't have one at home your options are limited, again what fun is that? The bread machine, although making an inferior product is sounding better and better to me....

Step 1- Scaling
Accurately scale ingredients and bring to room temperature (80-85 degrees)

Step 2- Mixing
3 main goals to achieve. 1) evenly distribute yeast. 2) properly develop gluten. 3) create a smooth and uniform dough.

Step 3- Fermentation (Bulk Proof)
Yeast + sugar + starch = carbondioxide and alcohol. To occur dough should be held at 80% humidity and between 85-95 degrees. Typically in a proof box, or small warm enclosed area with a pan of water; ie., water heater closet or bathroom after a shower (ew!). Proofing is accomplished when dough is doubled in size or holds and indent.

Step 4- Folding
Press down the dough, folding sides to the center to squeeze the air bubbles out.

Step 5- Portioning
Determine desired finished shape and knife and scale.

Step 6- Pre Shaping and rounding
This seals cut ends and seams and stretches the gluten to create a smooth skin.

Step 7- Benching
Let rest covered for 10-15 minutes. This also relaxes the gluten.

Step 8- Makeup, Shaping, Panning

Step 9- Proofing (Final Fermentation)
Proof until doubles in size, dough will be softer and slightly sticky. Don't move your product around at this point.

Step 10- Baking
Before putting in the oven determine if you will need to wash or score your product. Also upon putting in the oven you will also need to use steam for your lean doughs during the first part of the baking process, this makes a nice crust.

Lean doughs go in at 400-450 and rich doughs at 350-400. During the baking process ovenspring occurs where you will see a rapid expansion of trapped gas. Gelatinazation of starches, coagulation of proteins, melting of fat, and carmelization of sugars also happens.

Bake based on color not on time.

Step 11-Cooling
Cool at room temperature for up to 8 hours

Step 12- Storing
After 8 hours wrap and store in freezer.

Step 13- Eat!!!

Know you know what I mean, pain in the arse, but worth it if you have the right equipment and don't have t use your shower.

Today I attended the night class again and we got called out early due to weather. So we only made our French Bread dough. We didn't have a chance to proof it and  bake it off (Steps 3-10), too bad because it's on our practical later this week. Sabatougie!

Who, me?

Phase 4, Week 1, Day 5


On the first Thursday of each new phase all of the classes gather and the staff distributes President's List (4.0 GPA) and Attendance awards. They also, on occasion, hand out Student Spotlight awards. A Spotlighted student can be selected for various reasons, depending on the Chef who is recognizing the student. It can be for being an awesome cook, a good mentor, a leader, "taking it to the next level", or just simply "getting it." Our class had not had a member be recognized as a Spotlight yet, so when Chef Bruce began to describe a student from his class we all got excited. Most instructors try to describe the student first before announcing the name so everyone can try and guess who it is.

He began by referring to the student as a "she" so that narrowed it down quite a bit. The student was well known on campus, a leader and an Ambassador. Now it was down to two of us. He mentioned how this student was organized & a very good student with a 4.0. Narrowing it down again, to me? I thought it couldn't be me. Jeremy was standing next to me and was nudging me. No way, it couldn't be me. I never get recognized for anything, ever. Chef Bruce then went on to talk about how this individual helped other students, and then I knew, it couldn't be me. I'm the last one to help out. I'll help someone if they ask, but I don't go out of my way. And I definitely don't do other people's jobs for them. I'm kind of conflicted by this fact, but it totally bothers me when classmates don't pull their weight. I understand we are a team, but man we've got some slackers who always have to go to the bathroom during cleanup time, but I digress...back to the description. Chef Bruce announce my name and I was still floored. I am definitely honored by this recognition and now I receive an endless amount of crap for it from Jared. Awesome.

Back in class we used our biroche dough to make three types of products. Nanterre, a tete (picture  and how to shape video), and couronne. Unfortunately, I can't find my pictures anywhere. So these links will have to suffice. Enjoy.

:0)