Baking: Day 12

On Tuesday we finished our Pain au Lait. We made single and double knots and little clover shapes. We also made and finished Challah. I had no idea making bread braids would be so fun!

Baking: Day 11

Monday we made Pain au Lait aka Milk Bread. But we ran out of time to make it. On to Tuesday.

Baking: Day 10

Sourdough and Rye Sourdough

Baking: Day 9

On Thursday of the second week we made bagels, pretzels and started our sourdough. I also was able to get my original bread recipe into the oven even though it was not reshaped. Chef made little pizza shapes that turned into hearts. It was too salty so I will modify that. A very productive day for me.

Baking: Day 8

On Wednesday we had our practical and written exam. I will know the results later. I did a nice job on my baguettes. I really like the flour wash and my slashes came out nicely. If you don't mind my saying. I should have let them proof longer for a longer, leaner baguette. Next time. It's such an elusive thing to know exactly when to start shaping the dough. It's touch sensory and I am still learning that.

Baking: Day 7

On Tuesday we rolled out wheat bread and made little dinner rolls. We also worked on our Original Bread.

Baking: Day 6

On Wednesday we have a written and practical exam. We have made Baguettes twice already. So instead of making baguettes for the third time, today we started on our Original Bread Project. It's not totally original, just tweaked enough to call our own.

I am working with water, milk, dry active yeast, bread flour, buckwheat flour, oats, cranberries, cherries, apples, cinnamon, ginger and salt. I made this in class today. It's proofing overnight and I can bake it tomorrow. But I decided to make it again at home with the same recipe. I had the same problems in class. Too dry (add water). Too sticky (add flour). Funny that.

Baking: Day 5

Pita bread. Ciabatta and Focaccia

Baking: Day 4

On Thursday we made baguettes. Mine were actually better this time. A new razor to slash the bread with helps. We made the dough for Ciabatta and Focaccia (same dough), but will actually shape and bake them on Friday.

More Baker's Percentages were discussed and applied. Repetition will help this make sense. I was given the topic of Sourdough Bread to write about. And I need to research bread profiles for my Original Bread Project. I am really looking forward to this one!

Baking: Day 3

On Wednesday we made a lovely Margherita Pizza. We scaled the dough from a large piece we made on Tuesday. We shaped it into little floppy frisbees, with much resting in between. Then we added sauce, cheese (mine is very light), basil and a little olive oil. Rejoice for the rich smell of homemade sauce!(Crushed tomatoes by hand , salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and red chili peppers)

At home I added sauteed portobello mushrooms and yellow bell peppers. I baked it again for a crisp crust and to heat everything together. Yum!

Baking: Day 2

On Monday we rolled out a magical lump of dough. Tuesday we shaped our lumps into something recognizable. Two baguettes and an epi. My first attempts at bread are so-so to look at. But my experience making them was of sheer joy! It truly is a merging of art & pastry. I love the tactile quality of working with dough. Kneading dough is so wonderful. It's like coming home.

We did mise for pizza dough and then worked in teams of two. Wednesday we make pizza!

Baking: Day 1

The first day of Baking Principles and Viennoiserie was a little review but also some crazy ass math going on. I am learning baker's conversions. It all has to do with 100% being your largest quantity and making everything follow suit.

The only ingredients for French Bread is flour, water, salt and yeast. We just scaled our ingredients and rolled the dough around like clay. But I must say it was such a pleasant experience to roll the dough over and over until it was smooth. So much nicer than rolling actual clay around.

I remember in high school ceramics class my teacher said don't let that clay push you around. The rough sand in the clay hurt my hands and I never really pursued the wheel. But this...This is sooo nice!

Home project

I am working on mini apple pies. The apples shrank away from the top. I'll have to work on that.

Day 28

The last day of Intro to Baking and Patisserie was a long relief. We had one hour to fill and assemble fruit tarts, fill and dip the eclairs, and finish chocolate work on the Straussburger Cookies. There was plenty of time. But having a hard deadline creates a certain intensity.

I still have this lingering romantic nature of baking. But making production pieces that all look the same has a certain zen quality too. I thought my tarts were the best. I will have to practice my piping. I really want to bake an apple pie again. Or maybe mini apple pies. I have learned so much in the last six weeks. I have a totally new outlook. It's a really good place to be.

On Monday, we start Bread Making. I think that will be really fascinating. I will have to get my head around gluten and how it forms. It really is science. I will be a Baking Alchemist!

Day 27

On Wednesday I made Pastry Cream, baked my Pate Sucree for the Fruit Tartlets and made and baked Straussburger Cookies. Busy day, but it was all done in a timely manner.

In Sanitation, we surprisingly took our ServSafe Test and I passed!

Day 26

The Lemon Chiffon Pies from Monday were refrigerated and ready to take home on Tuesday. We had some demos, but then got on to our final projects. There are only two days left of classes. We made the tart dough and Eclair Paste on Tuesday. Wednesday is a working day and Thursday is a finishing up day.

Day 25

On Monday we had a written exam. We made Lemon Chiffon Pie. I always feel very behind in class. I feel like I am the last to finish things. But, my Lemon Chiffon was higher than some. (That's a good thing!) I just hope it tastes good too!

Day 24

On Thursday we made Marzipan and on Friday we made Pourable Fondant to pour all over our Petit Fours with raspberry jelly. Piping chocolate decorations was a little challenging for me. But at least they all look the same.

Homework

I made the Sable Cookies in the first week of school, but they have been sitting in my freezer. I finally baked them and they are quite delicious! The Biscotti have also been in my freezer. But I think I over baked them. Darn.

Day 23

Genoise Mousseline Practical. Battenburg Cake. Mine came out lovely!

Day 22

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. We started Battenburg Cake in teams of two. I picked pink, my teammate got the yellow. We also started Petit Four Sponge. Both were baked and saved. Tomorrow we decorate!

Day 21

Devils Food Cake. I work rather by the seat of my pants and sometimes it works out. It tastes as good as it looks!

Practice

Day 20

On Monday we finished up our Genoise. I frosted mine on the weekend totally wrong. It's not a normal cake. It is a gritty sponge cake than requires simple syrup all over it cut into layers with jelly in between. Who would have thought that! It's pretty to look at. But not my favorite.

We also made Devil's Food Cake which smelled so good while in the mixer. We will probably slice that into layers and do something special to it too.

We have lost one member of our class. Scott says our classes are trials by fire. And I have to agree. We are learning at such an incredible pace and have to be efficient and good on top of all that. I try not to take anything too seriously. I just do the best I can. My mantra is "Everyday things are getting better and better."

Homework

On Saturday, I remade the Genoise I made in class. I wanted to make sure I could repeat it. It had a nice rise and I found a simple butter cream recipe to finish it with. But the taste of the cake was gritty. What a disappointment. On Sunday, I made the Genoise, since we will be tested on Thursday. I used the left over frosting for the Genoise and it was pretty good. And even better with some Earl Grey Tea.

Day 19

On Friday I made just Genoise Mousseline. Making Genoise was for extra credit. But I decided to pass and just have an easier day. And for the really ambitious we could make Lemon Madeleines. The demo was confusing, and my notes made no sense. On Monday we will make icing for the Genoise and Genoise Mousseline. At least my Genoise Mousseline did not collapse.