Flying Solo

Due to a family crisis, I was unable to attend my last Pro Baking 1 class, croissant and puff pastry. The makeup class won't be until the fall and I was feeling a little nervous about starting Pro 2 without those skills under my belt. I'd already learned to make the croissant dough in class so I took out my notebook and got to work. Initially I was sure I had failed because the dough was way stickier than I remembered but since I'd already invested half my household supply of flour I soldiered on. After adding more flour and a few minutes of kneading I felt I had something I could work with and ultimately I was happier with this dough than the one I had made previously. The butter didn't even squish out the sides when I rolled and turned it- very encouraging. I refrigerated the dough overnight and got an early start this morning in the hopes that they'd be done in time for breakfast. I formed my plain and chocolate croissants and let them rise for 1 1/2 hours, popped them in the oven and crossed my fingers. 20 minutes later...


Success! I couldn't believe it. They looked really great and tasted even better. 2 months ago I never would have attempted croissants at home and now I can't wait to make them again. Sweet, buttery, flaky victory!
For great croissant tutorials and recipes, go here and here.

Sunday School- Better With Butter

The last 2 weeks of class have been a butter and flour covered blur. Focaccia, crackers and pizza, then straight into brioche, croissant and puff pastry. Pro Baking 1 isn't winding down so much as careening toward the end at break-neck speed.
Today we made blocks out of butter to fold into croissant and puff pastry dough, and turned last week's brioche down into gorgeous pain au raisin. I was amazed at how well mine turned out considering I had to really book it to get the dough done last week before the end of class.
This is the part of the post where I usually give out lots of helpful tips but to be frank I'm still processing it all. I do know the basis for the success of these doughs lies even distribution of leaves of butter throughout. There is a lot of rolling and turning the dough to get that flakiness one expects in a croissant so basically, if you're not wearing flecks of pain au chocolate all over you when you eat one, you wasting calories on a something that is not the real deal. Just say no to fake pastry!
I figure, if you're going to have a cinnamon roll, really have one. And don't skimp on the milk either.

Sunday School, Now With Yeast!

Forget "new car" smell, driving home from class today with a bag full of still warm, fresh baked bread made for a truly heavenly commute. Today marked a departure from all the cakes, sweets & treats we've been making up until now and began our journey into the world of yeast. I have a few loaves under my belt (figuratively and sadly, literally) thanks to Artisan In Five, but I was really looking forward to experimenting with more traditional bread making methods. Today's recipes included Rustic Country, Challah, and Rosemary Olive Breads but it was really all about my new single-celled little friend, yeast.

Yeast can be broken down into 3 types: freeze dried, compressed/cake, and starters. Freeze dried yeast is what most of us use, sold in the grocery store in a jar or those convenient little packets. This is yeast in suspended form and once its activated creates a fast rise, perfect for the kind of breads we made in class today.

Compressed or cake yeast is better suited for slow rise breads and pastry like cinnamon rolls. To ensure best quality, avoid grocery store cake yeast, instead buying it at specialty stores or by mail order and always keep it in the fridge.

A starter is made by gathering wild yeast from the environment, made with a combination of mashed grapes (or some other fruit or vegetable) and flour, covered in cheesecloth and left outside for about 24 hours which causes fermentation and creates a bubbling mixture brimming with live yeast. Kept in the fridge and fed often, it will last 2-3 weeks, is the ultimate slow riser, and creates a tangy, complex bread which is most commonly sourdough.

Phew, so much information and we've barely scratched the surface to understand all we need to know about bread making. Lots more yeasted fun to look forward to in the coming weeks classes- can't wait to share what I've learned. Until then, give this challah recipe a try.

Challah
adapted from New School of Cooking Curriculum
1tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp dry yeast
1/2 cup neutral flavored oil
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 3/4 to 4 cups all purpose flour
poppy and sesame seeds
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water

Dissolve 1 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve. Combine with oil, water, sugar, salt, eggs and half the flour. Mix well. Stir in remaining flour, cover dough and let rest 10 minutes. Turn onto a floured board and need for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to proof until doubled.
Turn dough onto counter and divide into 3 equal parts. Shape into long strands and braid loosely, tucking in the ends. Brush with beaten egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with seeds if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Sunday School- My Favorite Subject

Need another great reason to go to culinary school? Chocolate tasting! A legitimate one, not like the where stand in the kitchen eating chocolate chips out of the pantry...I've heard some people do that. Not me of course.
As much "research" as I've done in the past, there was a lot about chocolate that I didn't know. Did you know:
1. Chocolate was originally consumed in unsweetened liquid form as a sort of elixir
2. Later, Europeans began using cocoa beans to create confections by roasting the beans, smashing them into a paste, then adding sugar and lecithin.
3. Varying roasting times and methods is what gives different brands of chocolate their distinctive taste.
4. The term semisweet chocolate is an American invention. It's really bittersweet chocolate with more added sugar.
5. The best way to store chocolate is wrapped in foil and then in plastic. Wrapped this way a block of chocolate may last up to a year. Chips or pastilles should be used within a month.
6. Chocolate can make you very happy. You probably knew that one already.

Sunday School 3.14159265

While souffles, genoise and yule logs freak me out, there's nothing scary to me about pie. Even before I fell in love with all things culinary, I could always be counted on to at least bake a pie a every Thanksgiving (pumpkin of course). Pie making is so comforting, so intrinsically domestic that even once I started attempting more complicated pies I've never pie-phobic.


This week's baking class was all about my friend the pie and I was excited to learn crust making from an expert. Here are some important factors in achieving crust success:
1. Cold, but not frozen butter or lard.
2. Always refrigerate the dough, wrapped in plastic for at least one hour before rolling out.
3. For optimum results, only roll your dough out once.
4. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the fridge, not on the countertop.
5. Avoid big fluted edges on double crust pies, save them for single crust pies. Double crust bake longer than single which will result in very burned fluted edges.

From grandma's apple, chicken pot pie to quiches and galettes, mastery of a good, standby pie crust will take you a long way in your culinary adventures. Try the recipe below, and you might find yours.

Pie Dough
from New School of Cooking Curriculum
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
8 ounces cold unsalted butter
6 to 8 tbsp ice water

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Use just your fingertips to cut butter into the dough until you reach "wet sand" consistency. Add water and using your hand like a paddle, mix until the dough just holds together. Divide in half and wrap in plastic, pressing down on dough through plastic to fully combine. Refrigerate one hour before using.

Souffle Part Deux, A Learning Lunch

In theory, practice makes perfect. After speeding through the chocolate souffle practical in class, I knew I had some homework to do so for lunch today I tried my hand at a Gruyere souffle. I prepped all of my ingredients, took my time, and crossed my fingers in hopes of success. As you can see, I had a little issue with deflation (ironic, yes?) but the texture was light and fluffy and the flavor of the cheese really came through. I paired it with a Strawberry Walnut Salad with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette for light and educational lunch.

Speaking of education, I'm thrilled to be participating in the DineandDish Adopt A Blogger program. My adopter is Lori, creator of Recipe Girl- a fantastic blogger whose site is a great resource for recipes, entertaining menus and general cooking knowledge. Recipe Girl offers over 2,000 dishes ranging from seasonal to holiday favorites, low fat mains to decadent desserts. Whether you're a newbie like me, or a veteran blogger, you should definitely check out Lori's Blog for some great ideas for your next meal.

Cheese Souffle
adapted from New School of Cooking Curriculum
1/2 ounce flour
1/2 ounce butter
1/2 cup milk
2 ounces gruyere, grated
1 egg yolk
2 egg whites
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare 3 ramekins with butter and a light dusting of flour.
In a small saucepan combine flour and butter, stirring with a wooden spoon over medium heat to make a roux. Whisk in milk until and simmer one minute until thickened into a bechamel sauce. Beat in egg yolk. Gently stir in cheese. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the souffle base. When almost, but not fully incorporated, add the remaining egg whites and gently fold in to combine. Pour into ramekins and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Sunday School In The Fast Lane

Phew! What a whirlwind. I'm still reeling from the fast pace and have sugar shakes from speed tasting my chocolate souffle straight out of the oven. I think I burned my tongue. Today's class was all about classic, and often intimidating Souffle and Pate A Choux, and even though this wasn't my first attempt at either just the thought of making them is enough to make me break out into a cold sweat.
And while they didn't come off completely without a hitch (I got a little behind with the souffles base because had to remake my roux) I am happy to report that both the souffle and the eclairs were successes.

Some tips to help you conquer your pastry fears:
-Never use a whisk with you choux dough, always a wooden spoon -Don't let your choux dough sit out for more than an hour before piping and baking.
-When whisking your pastry cream to a boil, don't allow foam to form. Just keep running the whisk around the corners of the pot.
-Many people make the mistake of over whipping egg whites. To help know when to stop, look at the size of the bubbles. You want to make sure there are no big ones left in your egg white mixture, just little bubbles throughout.
-For sweet souffle, coating your ramekins with butter and sugar to get that chewy/sweet exterior. For savory use butter and flour.

Is souffle on your pastry fears list? Why don't you give it a try.

Chocolate Souffle
from the New School of Cooking
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 ounces butter
1/4 cup flour
1 egg yolk
1.75 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted (over a bain marie)
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375
In a small saucepan over medium heat make a sandy roux with the butter and flour.
Bring the milk and sugar to a boil and add to the roux. Cook until smooth until a paste forms. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in egg yolk. Add melted chocolate and cocoa. Cool to room temperature. Once the base is cooled, whip the egg whites and immediately fold into the base. Bake for 20 minutes.

Sunday School

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've started taking pastry classes. I'm enrolled in the Pro Baking program at The New School of Cooking, a small culinary school in Culver City, and for the next 16 weeks I will spend 4 hours every Sunday learning the fundamentals of all things pastry and you are coming along. I won't be posting the recipes we receive in class (you can find our textbook, Baking At Home With The Culinary Institute of America, on Amazon) but in my Sunday School feature, I will be sharing some of the things I learned, as well as my failures & success during practical.
This week, Custard Week, I had both the former and the latter but first, some Dairy Facts:
Whole milk is 8-10% fat. Half & Half 18%. Cream 20-40%. Milk from a cow milked in the morning has more fat than afternoon milking milk. Butter left out of the fridge is safe because fat is a preservative. So is sugar. Egg whites are all protein. The yolk provides fat (flavor) & lecithin (emulisification)

This week's practicals included Chocolate Pudding, Creme Brulee and Bread Pudding. The Chocolate pudding I made in class had good flavor but a consistency that strongly resembled spackle. Definitely over cooked. Very disappointing. When I got home, I made it again and cooked it slowly at a lower heat to a much shinier, smoother & creamier result. Yum.


This was my first creme brulee- I never make it a home because I don't have a torch and after scaring a few of my fellow students as well as myself through the handling of the class torch it is obvious I need a lot more practice. The custard itself was silky and delicious, especially with the high quality, plump and shiny vanilla beans we used. Gotta get me some of those.


This was also my first Bread Pudding (I tend to avoid them because just the idea of one makes me feel like I have to go work out) and I'll be sampling it this evening. Along with the Pudding Redux. Yeah, maybe going to the gym isn't such a bad idea after all.
Join me next Sunday School Sunday when our subject will be Souffle and Pate Choux. In the meantime, if you have any questions just post them in the comment section and I will try to ask them. Class dismissed!

Back to School

Last Sunday was my first Pro Baking class and I was really nervous. So nervous in fact that I got lost on my way there. Would I like the instructor? What would my classmates be like? Was I out of my league? We went around the room giving our names and what we hoped to get out of the class and much to my relief I was definitely in the right place. While everyone's skill level was different, we were all there for the same reasons- a love of baking and a secret desire to see if it was possible to turn a hobby into something more. I don't know where this class will lead but one thing's for sure- these are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made.

I would like to post the recipe but I want to get permission from the school first. But trust me, they taste as good as they look.
If it weren't for this blog, and more importantly for encouragement of the people who read it, I would never have had the nerve to take these classes in the first place. So in the interest of sharing the experience here are some of the things I learned this week:

A small egg is 1 oz, large egg 2 oz, jumbo egg 4 oz.
Use a rasp (microplane) zester for overall strong citrus flavor, or a channel zester for a hint of citrus taste combined with the other flavors in your pastry.
Carrot cake is essentially a quick bread.
If your cakes are too dense or sinking in the middle you are most likely over mixing.
Wearing a chef jacket makes me feel awesome.