The chef provided step by step direction on making each of the pie doughs. We will be making three, Basic Pie Dough, special Pie Dough for Apple Pie and Sweet Dough. She also demo'd the filling and topping and we ran out of time to complete the cake batter demonstrations. I guess those will be on Thursday.
The topic for this week's class is Pies, Tarts and Cakes. We discussed the three types of pie and tart crusts: Pie Dough (Pate Brisee - flaky and mealy), Sweet Dough (Pate Sucree), Crumb Crust. We also discussed the four basic classifications for pie and tart fillings: soft or custard, cream, chiffon and fruit.
After discussing pies, we moved on to cakes. We discussed the functions of the ingredients and mixing methods. There are two basic categories of cake formulas which all mixing methods are based, high fat, which are standard cakes and egg foam, which are sponge and angel food cakes. There are three methods for mixing high fat cakes known as the creaming method, the two-stage method and the one-stage method. There are two additional methods for mixing egg foam cakes, sponge method and angel food method. I never knew there were so many ways to mix a cake.
Pastry Cream is a stirred custard. Custards needs to be handled carefully as they contain eggs and cannot be heated to temperatures high enough to destroy bacterias without curdling the eggs. Pastry cream is easy enough to make but requires constant attention with a few key details. When adding the yolks to the cornstarch/sugar mixture, you must stir it quickly with a whisk as sugar is hydroscopic (attracts moisture). By stirring quickly to blend it well, it will prevent little specs from forming in the mixture. As the mixture thickens on the stove you must constantly stir with a whisk to remove lumps. After removing from the stove you must continue stirring as the mixture will continue to cook and will scorch if not stirred. After placing in a bowl and putting in a ice bath, you must continue stirring to keep lumps from forming until cooled. After it is cooled, cellophane needs to be placed touching the surface of the cream and remove air pockets before placing the refrigerator to prevent a skin from forming on the top.
Chantilly Cream is basically heavy cream whipped to peaks and flavored with sugar and vanilla. You can make it will whipping cream which is a dairy product but must be refrigerated or with whipped toppings which is non-dairy (use 2 parts whipped topped and 1 part water). 
The chocolate glaze was made by incorporating evaporated milk, corn syrup, simple syrup and chocolate. The real trick with the glaze is to put the chocolate pieces into the mixture so the chocolate is covered by liquid and let sit for a couple minutes before stirring.
After making all the components of the eclairs, cream puffs and french rings, we were ready to complete assembly. Filling the cream puffs and eclairs required a special pastry bag tip called a bismark tip which allowed us to insert the tip into the pastry and fill. |
| Cream Puffs and French Rings |
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| Pate a Choux Swans |
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| Swans, French Rings and Eclairs |
First up was Chocolate Chip Cookies. These turned out really good. I think the difference with these cookies from chocolate chip cookies I have made in the past is the flour. This recipe used pastry flour (a low-protein, soft wheat flour). We drizzled some with melted chocolate on top after complete. The Chef also made some with white chocolate and bacon on top. I gave it a try and can say although I loved the white chocolate on top, I am not a fan of bacon on my cookies.
After the chocolate chip dough, we moved on to the Sugar Cookies. The Chef showed an awesome way to roll out these cookies. After placing the dough on a piece of parchment paper, place another piece of parchment on top and press down with hands. Then take two yard stick rulers and place them on each side of the dough. Roll out the dough with each side of the rolling pin on each of the yard sticks. The depth of the yard stick is the perfect depth for the dough. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting out the shapes. After cutting out the shapes we used decorative sugars on top prior to baking. |
| Spritz and Sugar Cookies |
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| Cookie Display |
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| Sean, Cecila and Arnold |
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| Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Country Biscuits, Morning Glory Muffins, Danish |
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| From left to right, Half-Pocket, String (Figure 8, Circle), Pocket |
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| Bear Claw |
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| Danish Pastries |
By this time we are done with the butter the dough was ready to come out of the freezer. By freezing the dough, it has made it cold (needed so the butter does not melt) and less sticky so we can work with it. I am chosen from my team to roll out the dough first. I roll it out so it is 1/3 larger than the rolled butter plus 1/2" edge. Then the butter is placed on the dough. 
While waiting for the second batch of lean dough to mix, we move on to scaling the white pan bread (rich dough). I have scaled out the butter and am putting my knife down and somehow nick one of my fingers ever so slightly. The knives are very sharp so I am now bleeding and have to ask the Chef to bandage me up. I have to double glove it the rest of the class. Not the best start so far, LOL.
The white pan bread formula (all recipes are referred to formulas because baking is a science) goes as planned and we now have both doughs fermenting in the proof box. At this point, I ask the Chef if we are good to start moving the mixers out into the hall (all the movable equipment has to be removed from the kitchen to scrub the floor thoroughly). She indicates that it was a good time. Now the kitchen is completely chaotic as everyone is running around and talking to each other. I attempt to talk over everyone to direct them to start moving equipment out and about 15 seconds in the Chef interrupts by loudly yelling for everyone to be quiet and listen up because I have been trying to unsuccessfully direct the class. She then asks that I use by outdoor voice.
The knot was easy but the standard shape requires locking your hands together at the base of your index fingers so your thumbs cross over one another and using the index through the ring fingers in an arch applying just the right pressure to roll the dough. Everyone struggled with this and as you can see the shapes need some work. We added cheese and onion topping to some before baking. Others received melted butter or butter, garlic, parsley topping out of the oven. 
We were also shown how to operate the proof box, a special cabinet used to control temperature and humidity. The proof box helps reduce the proofing time frame of the dough (the final rise of the yeast product prior to baking it). While proofing dough at room temperature would take approximately 1 to 1-1/2 hours, the proof box will drop the time frame to about 1/2 hour.
After walk through of the equipment we will be using, the Chef provided a demonstration on the first couple of steps in the straight dough mixing method for yeast dough products, scaling the ingredients and mixing. Scaling just involves accurately measuring the ingredients, but it is important to have all ingredients scaled prior to mixing. 
Obviously mixing is combining the ingredients but it is also to distribute the yeast and develop the gluten. Mixing requires the use of the hook in the mixer and that the ingredient be put into the mixer in a specific method and order, then mixed for 7 to 8 minutes. 
We were also shown how to test the dough to make sure it ready. Interestingly you take about a golf ball size piece of dough, and then you gently stretch it to make a window, see through the dough without putting a hole in it, then you tap the center. If it bounces back and does not break, then the dough is ready. Tomorrow we make French bread and white pan bread and learn first hand all 10 steps of dough production. 