Saturday, February 23, 2013

Week 2 - Baking and Pastry Class

We had a great class today, I was sad for not be prepared for our first quiz, I go all confused after 2 weeks without class.
We had a presentation of wheat and other flours, really good.
We worked on quick breads today, me and my partner made Biscuit 1 recipe, me me's in place two half recipe one chef used for a Demo, we used 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening in this recipe ( butter gives the flavor and the shortening the flakiness and it is tipper because butter is expensive) and applied the fold method in the dough to make more layers. I confess that i have done lots of baking and I love to try new recipes, however every time i come across recipe that calls for Crisco i just ignored it even knowing that make flake texture i always thought that it would give a artificial flavor to the final product, so today was a new experience for me, it was easy to make. The first batch that chef  baked looked great but when i tasted it  felt a little heavy and dense no much flavor until I add a little jam in it. Our batch had a special flavor from the sea salt we sprinkle on the top before go to oven, turned out delicious and beautiful only the ones made of scrape was a little thinner and funk shape, the big challenge for me was to remember not to twit the cutter when cutting the biscuits.
We made crème angles to make ice cream For the first time chef  thought us how to work with the ice cream machine, a little scary at first but very easy, When we see the vanilla rotating in steps inside the cream is signal that is getting ready, if the cream ins not 100% cold it will take longer to get done the ice cream turn out good for my taste but chef  tasted something off. Since when had so many, bake goods in the class today, we were allowed to take some home. We tasted the final product from each other and was really nice to hear  about their experience with the today's baking.

Class Notes
volume- amount of space
weight- how heavy something is
Quick Breads
Wheat -
 1.Bulk
 2. Structure
 strong flours - hard wheat - more protein
weak flours - soft wheat - more tender products, less protein Quick breads, cookies, pastries ( white lily flour=tender bisquits)
Gluten - made of two proteins - gliadin + glutenin + moisture to active the gluten
The more we mix the flour more elastic the dough
Wheat apresentation
Hard Red Winter
Hard Red Spring
Hard White
Soft White
Soft Red Winter
Durum
Most of the flours is made of starch
Composition of flour
Starch
Proteins
Moisture
Gums
Ash- represents the minerals ( artisanal bread seeking flours with high ash content, rustic,, slow baking)
Pigments
Fats
Other flours
Rye = grass
Pentosan Gums- sticky texture in rye
3 shades of rye  
light, high starch, low protein
medium, higher protein, made from entire grain
dark, low starch percentage
Rye Meal- pumpernichel bread
Rye blend- rye flour, strong wheat flour
Corn- gluten free
Cornmeal- many uses, prevents stick
Spelt- is a variety of wheat , it conten gluten
Oats- don't contem gluten( usualy processed in pans that contens wheat)
Oats Flour- mix with wheat flour
Oat Brain- Contain a lot of fiber ( main ingredient in muffins)
Buckwheat- doesn't contain wheat ( normally used for pancakes)
Soy- Low starch, high fat protein, no gluten
Rice- used in almost all gluten free foods, low protein
Learn how to change a recipe when it doesn't work the way it should.
Protein Content
1.High gluten flour 14% protein (typically used for pizza)
2.Bread Flour 11.5%-13% (yeast products)
3.  All purpose flour 10-11.5% ( developed basic for home cooking)
4. Pastry flour less than 10% protein
5. Cake flour less than 10%
Durum 12-16% (pasta)
Principles of Baking
1. mixing process- A. air all formation B. hydration process
2. Gluten development, glutenin and gliadin + moisture
3. Coagulation and firming of gluten protein
4. Gelatinization of starches
5. Caramelization of sugars
6. Maillard, browning of proteins
Quick Breads
Bake fast, mixed quickly
baked and served on same day, within 4 hours( texture compacts, texture change when a day old)
Muffin Method
1. mix dry ingredients in 1st bowl
2.Wet ingredients in a 2nd bowl
3. combine wet into dry and mix until JUST combined
Creaming Method
1.Room temperature fat (air cell formation)
2.Mix fat and sugar with paddle attachment until pale, light and fluffy
3. Add eggs in one at the time, scraping the bowl after each addition
4. Add liquids and mix until JUST combine
5. Sift dry ingredients ( flour, leavened, salt)= remove lumps, impurities, combine thoroughly, aerate. Add to mixture and mix until JUST combined.
Biscuit Method - Pate Brisee ( broken paste) - Pie dough
COLD, COLD FAT
1 Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (sift or whisk to mix)
2.Cut fat into dry ( coarse corn meal, small peas), break up the fat
3. Cheese , herbs, zest, dry fruit, nuts (toss in once you have the dry and fat mixed)
4. Add liquid, mix until just combined
5. knead gently 3-4 times
6.make up
7. 375-425 F
The steam will push up the layers of dough
Demo Biscuit Method- Sift all dry ingredients in one bowl make sure after weight keep the fat in the freezer . Add the cold fat and pinch and toss with gloves in hands . This recipe have 1/2 butter (more flavor, low melt point)1/2 shortening( higher melting and make flack). Make a role in the flour and add the milk, don't mix too much. Bread flour in the table and top of the dough and gentle knead, roll out, do not twist the cutter. Rolling pin uses its weight. Constantly moving the dough. We can see pieces of fat in the dough.
Fold Method- to create more layers, every time you fold use the opposite way 3X. The dough should still fell cold, dip the cutter in the flour and cut with minimum scrap. You can use a knife to cut and avoid waste. Scraps never rise as the regular cutter one, put the together but do not work the dough too much. Egg wash make it shine. You can finish it with sugar, cheese, herbs on the top. Can be frozen for up to 3 weeks, the freshness  happen when you do the baking part. Use a touch , cayenne, mustard, sea salt to bring flavor.
Acid makes product tender, like cream of tartar
Creamy Method (Chef made Banana Bread)
Padle attachment on machine- fat and sugar first, developing air , until fluffy, pale white, butter should be playable. Add one egg at the time and vanilla. Scrap the bowl, since there is no gluten yet , there is no over mix problem. Sift all dry ingredients. Add the sour cream (acid) make it moisture. Banana , add the dry ingredients until just combine, add nuts if in the formula. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan almost full 3/4
Baking soda + sour cream = double leavened
baking powder = baking soda + cream of tartar
homogen- when two things don't go together like oil+ water
Tunneling- result of over mixing muffin batter
air leavened - popover add to a hothot pan, eat after come out of the oven



No comments:

Post a Comment