Formula: Scratch Italian Puff Pastry 5

"Pasta Spogolia Al Vermouth Blanco" is a commercial baking formula, and should be reduced for home usage, down to 1/3 or even 1/4 of the original formulation. This formula requires a 20 QT mixer. It is a Full Developed dough. Ingredients are measured by weight - NOT volume.

This is a really lovely puff dough to work with on the bench, it has a nice feel and tastes pleasing.


# = pound (US standard)
BP = Baker's Percent (disregard if not culinary professional)

Formula:

• 3# 10 oz. Organic Bread Flour Baker's % (80)
• 1# 8 oz. butter (use European style, has better plasticity) BP % (20)
• 1 1/2 oz. salt BP % (2)
• 1 oz. malt BP % (1)
• 7 oz. white wine (boxed is fine for this) BP % (10)
• 1# 4 oz. water BP % (27.5)
• 3 1/2 oz. eggs BP % (3)

Butter For Roll-in/Fold-in

• 3# 10 oz. butter (use European style, has better plasticity) BP % (80)
• 1# 8 oz. Organic Bread Flour
  

Procedure:

Dissolve salt in cold water.

In a 20 QT mixer with the hook attachment, mix the flour, butter, salt & water until well incorporated. Add the eggs and white wine. (slowly pour in) [NOTE: The amount of water needed depends on the hydration of the flour - different batches of flour from the mill will be drier than others, thus requiring more water that stated. You should always add extra liquid slowly 1 ounce at a time, to avoid over saturating your dough.]

Give the dough an intensive mix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix folding butter & remaining bread flour. flatten the folding butter into a square and reserve in the reach-in /refrigerator.

{When working w/ puff dough - it is critical, for the flakiness & layers to form, to NOT push the edges of your dough down (as if pie dough), you must handle the edges delicately, or it will hinder the steam from forming during bake-off (steam = proper puff & rise).}

Place the butter square (from reach-in) on top of your chilled dough, on the lower half of the dough. Fold the dough in half, completely covering the butter - preform these steps:

1. Roll out the dough until it's length is 3 times it's width.
2. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.
3. Rotate the dough 90° and roll out the dough until it's 4 times it's width. (Be sure to roll the dough perpendicular to the first turn.)
   
4. Wrap the dough n plastic wrap, place it into the reach-in /refrigerator for 45 minutes.

Remove the dough and repeat steps 1-5 as stated above . (roll dough : 1 x 3, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 4)

The dough is now ready to be used. This dough makes up great pastries - turnovers, palmiers, savory pastries - whatever you desire.

Related Posts:

Commercial Formulas Featured On Renaissance Culinaire

Formulas for Muffins, Scones and Pastries Featured On Renaissance Culinaire

shaping danish - Pinwheels 1

shaping danish - Pinwheels, originally uploaded by Amber*.

These are filled with Almond paste. Once proofed, they are egg washed, then the center is pushed down & fill with cherry filling.

The Story of The Croissant 0

My old instructor, originally from Denmark and a long line of Bakery heritage, would talk fondly about lessons he had learned. A smile would spread from ear to ear, his eyes brimmed with excitement as he talked of bakery times. On one such occasion my group in Laminated pastry station, were gathered around the 40 qt Hobart - waiting for a batch of croissant dough to reach full development.

Do you know the story of croissant dough? A long, long , long time ago The Turks were invading Vienna. Everyone retreated to hide. As there was constant strife - many normal practices were shut down, this included Bakeries --- baking was deemed forbidden. Forming alliances Bakers made deep underground "bakeries". The Turks, while seeking a strategic attack that would overwhelm The Viennese --- found out about the bakeries , troops were ordered to start tunneling toward these secret caves.

As the tunneling neared , Fighting the Turks off with everything they could , a lone baker was able to run and alert the king's guard, and The Turks were defeated. The King told these bakers " Since you have shown such loyalty and bravery, I declare, If you create a pastry, I will patent the formula and name it for you", so out came croissant dough. Although it had quite less layers or butter as modern dough does. It also contained a small amount of egg. In Europe it is widely called "Vienna Pastry". It's Formula still can be found made today.

I have learned that to find the story behind your formulas -- it can prove quite interesting.

Technique: Shaping Croissants 0

Dough taken out of the cooler should be re-sheeted to 4 1/2 mm. Flour sheeter & dough, with fold turned toward you.

[Production ]Plain:

(I don't have a photograph of this, I found this on the web. These croissants are very small! Not at all like the ones we make .)

You need to have a rectangle measuring 14 x 7 inches.

Cut in [increments of 7 inches] .



Take you pastry wheel /pizza cutter/pastry knife and cut triangles (7 inches to tip) (3-4 inches at widest part). Scaled these should way about 3 1/2 oz.

With clean bench scraper, score 1/2 inch cut , centered at the widest part of the triangle[base]

With your fingers , gently tug the corners [at the base] and pull until the scored cut seperates.

With the triangle point toward you, reach & fold the base edge toward you and under. (this roll should be tight)

One hand should now hold the triangle point. With the other hand - place palm down, centered on roll just created, pull down with a "sweeping motion". Roll until 3 cascading layers have been created in your rolled dough.

Fold thin sides inward -- The center side with the triangles thinnest part will be kept inside . Lightly press ends together.


Chez Jean Cluadet Pattisserie Picture od frozen croissant & final product. Lovely!


After proofing, brush with eggwash.



Eggwash

Egg
milk (enouph to add lighter color)
pinch of salt

beat with wire whisk. keep on ice if out for long periods.


Pan, no more than 12 on a sheet with parchment.

Baked when you feel flakiness. Bottom is browned. Croissant is stable.

Technique: Chocolate croissant 5

Chez Jean Claude pattisserie More beautiful illustrations.

This is an expandable cutter.


Arctica Baking & catering equipment

Have a expandable cutter set at 3 1/2 , cut your rolled dough, steadily run the blades across.

Cut into squares. 4x4 rows.

add French chocolate bar to edge of squares. Roll until short & fat.

once proofed. Brush with egg wash.

Baked when bottom is browned & the pastry is stable.

Walnut croissant & French turn overs 5

Walnut croissant & French turn overs, originally uploaded by Amber*.

Some of the pastry I have been making. Tommorow is my groups last day in the laminated dough station. It is also a test day.

It is amazing how ones confidence can soar, once you get a little bench work in.

I have too many irons in the fire as of late, so my writing is suffering. I had tapped into a good vien there for a spell. Now writers block has bruised me, like one big hematoma, I cannot see past the cosmetic details.

My photography on the other hand has been unearthed. I carry my camera everywhere now. I have over 4,000 photos in my flickr account. Go figure....

Danish Bakeri : home of the Baker 1

Where does the quiet history of the baker reside? In the dilapidated ruins of ancient civilizations? Or in the failing masonry of eleventh century European buildings. If I were to lay my ear upon these stones, would I hear the soft murmurs of ancient oven doors, of an artisan bread song or the benching and rolling of laminated doughs?

I am now in the Laminated Pastry station. In class I was told today from a reliable source [a 4th generation Baker from Denmark], about Denmark and it's bakery history. We were making Kringles. Kringles are Danish pastries and are based from Danish pastry [Weinerbrod dough]. The demonstration was on the "Wisconsin Kringle". The Wisconsin Kringle varies immensely from traditional Danish Kringle, due to the Round or oval shape and 10 additional fillings. You can follow this link to learn a little history & the process of Wisconsin Kringles from a old world Danish bakery in Wisconsin .


The Danish are quite rigid in keeping with their traditional pastry standards. The traditional filling for the Danish Kringle is :

• a thin layer of Remonce [ mixture of butter, sugar,vanilla can contain : almond paste, white cake crumbs, honey] ;
• Pastry Cream [handmade custard];
• Finally a thin roll of Almond Filling [Paste : crushed almonds or apricot kernels,butter,sugar; Then mixed with egg whites and more sugar]

The Pastry before fill is carefully rolled out with a French rolling pin into long strips, and the width is no bigger than 3-4 inches. The 2 fillings are spread in a 2 inch stripe in the center of the pastry, then the roll of almond filling is centered onto the stripe. The edges are brought up and over the filling to form a seem. It is then rolled out slightly on the bench. Here a baker from Edgar's Bakeri [bakeri is bakery in Danish] is forming the traditional Danish shape :




From as far back into Danish history, the Kringle has been a symbol of bakery. In fact the Kringle symbol means "home of the baker". Buildings from the middle ages and stones in graveyards can be found with the Kringle symbol. In modern day Denmark, neon signs loom over the walk ways, beckoning foot traffic. So if you are ever in Denmark, look for home - home of the baker.

Formula/recipe: Croissant with a starter 4

[this is a small production formula (40qt mixer) - reduce for home use]


[Bakers %]: Starter
[100] 5# 8 oz. Organic bread flour
[60 ] 4# 5 oz. Ice water
[.25 ] -- ½ oz. Compressed yeast

Dissolve the yeast in water. Add flour and mix until incorporated. Desired dough temp. is 62° F. [DO NOT Develop the gluten)

Ferment overnight in the retarder.

Final Dough:

[100] 5# 8 oz. Organic bread flour
[47] 3#5½ oz. Water
[19] 1# 7 oz. Sugar
[4] --- 5 oz. Malt
[4] --- 5 oz. Milk powder

[4] --- 8 oz. Compressed yeast

[4] --- 5 oz. Salt

[126] ALL of The Starter

---- 1/8 tablet ascorbic acid(Par-C)

[7] --- 9 oz. Butter(soft)

Mixing:

Combine water & ascorbic acid in 40 qt bowl

• Dissolve yeast in liquid
• Stir dry ingredients by hand
• Add butter when dough starts to develop
• Short mix
• Fermentation: 1 hr, 30 minutes in the retarder
• Scale dough into 3 pieces at 7# 12 oz.

Roll-in Technique:

• Roll-in butter(i.e Cremerie Classique or a European style butter with high fat content)
• For Each piece : 2 # 4oz. (Total = 6#, 12 oz. plus 6 oz. Extra for the bowl & paddle)
• Soften the roll-in butter in mixer.

To roll-in butter; Make a rectangle with your dough(make sure to even out edges)Run the side of your hand down the middle of the dough, to make a slight divide; now make a rectangle with the butter [2#4oz.] about 2-3 inches thick, and as wide as half of your dough rectangle [on bench]. Flatten the butter with your hands. Pick up the butter & put onto your dough. Make sure the butter fills out most of the area to the edges. Fold the 3 sides' dough edges up & over the butter. Fold the remaining dough half, over - to cover the butter filled side.

Feel around the edges. You should be able to feel the butter - all the way to the edge. If you can't, place the heel of your hand in the center of the dough, place your other hand on top[heel to thumb] Almost like you are giving CPR compressions. Firmly apply pressure toward the edges --You want to move the butter outward to the further most edges.

Desired dough temp: 62°F

Retard.

Sheeting:

• Roll dough 3X3
• Flour sheeter & dough [w/ out enouph flour sheeter will ruin & tear dough]
• Use rolling pin to roll dough to a thinner width[to fit through sheeter]
• [this is 1x] Sheet to 7-8 mm When you reach 8mm stop & sweep dough clean of flour. Fold left side toward center, stop at 2/3, fold right side over that.
• Flour again
• [this is 2x] Turn fold opening [always] toward you on sheeter. Continue until you reach 7-8 mm.
• Sweep flour.Fold from left to right.
• [3x] flour again.Turn fold opening toward you. Sheet to 8mm.Sweep flour. When done fold left to center, right should meet left in center. Then take both sides and close as you would a book.
• Put on sheet pan, covered, freeze or retard for future use.
  

Baking Theory: Notes on Bread Baking 2

Baking:

1. Oven Spring {created in 5-8 minutes in oven, accelerated fermentation process}

- Fermentation process

1. Once dough reaches 140°F {yeast dies}
2. Once dough reaches 165°F-175°F {gluten coagulates}
3. Considered Par-baked --> ["brown n' serve products"] can be pulled from oven.
4. Because products are Not caramelized--> causes quicker staling.
   

- Caramelization

1. Browning
2. Internal temperature of fully baked bread = 210°F
3. bread is sterile
   

Potato Bread shown here is rotated for even browning. Then baked until...

..It has caramelized. Potato Bread ready to cool.

Rule of thumb for Oven temps :

• LEAN products -

1. The lower in fat, sugar , eggs {examples are Baguette or Italian Bread};
2. also if Smaller units

• RICHER products

1. The Warmer, hotter oven
2. The higher in fat, sugar , eggs { i.e Danish or Croissant}
3. also if larger units
4. The cooler the oven

- Cooling, Slicing & Packaging

-{Once you have mold in an area - spores will spread. Use vinegar to kill both mold & spores}

DO NOT put in plastic bag & close before product is cool --> Mold will develope!

1. via Condensation

When to package:

1. 95°F - 100°F is optimal temp --> {cool}
2. Use back of hand to test for cool to touch

Baking theory notes : Salt & Yeast 0

Salt

Functions of salt:

- thickener
- Tightens up gluten.

- Retards Yeast
- Balances out/controls fermentation by killing yeast.

- Intensifies Flavor
- Brings out the flavors of other ingredients.



Yeast

Types of yeast:

Compressed Yeast

- Comes in 1lb. cubes

-73% moisture

- Alive

- Must be stored at 33° F - 45° F

Draw backs:

-- [less effective] Yeast easily becomes active & deteriorates quickly.
-- Average shelf life is 10 days.

Tips:
[From a cost standpoint this yeast is less effective due to the yeast easily becoming active & then deteriorating. If using in a scratch retail environment you need to have a inventory plan. The most cost effective plan entails purchasing enough Compressed yeast to last 1 week. By ordering weekly you eliminate both unnecessary inventory loss & cost.]


Bulk Yeast

- comes in 10lb bag lined in plastic.

Active Dry Yeast

- cooks mostly use this [not professional bakers as much, we prefer compressed]

-7.5 - 9% moisture content

- Shelf life 1-2 wks

Draw Backs :

--the yeast takes too long to develop
--not cost effective
--bakers are under time constraints.

Granular Yeast

-free flowing

-resists compacting

- reduces proof time.

Instant Dry Yeast

- Shelf life is 1 year

-vacuum packed

- high availability [even in grocery stores]

- first marketed during the 1980's in France

Draw Backs:

- costs more

Tips:

[If using a formula that calls for Compressed Yeast & you would like to supplement Instant Dry Yeast in it's place, use 1 ⁄ 3 of the amount yeast specified in the formula. ]

My first competency has come and gone... 0

Why was I so anxious? There is this thing I do when I really care about something. I become very nervous, So nervous you could freeze butter in my brain --- due to the frigid state I go to. My body screams "code red" & "all hands on deck".

I am so busy with the anxiety that I don't concentrate on what is happening around me in real time.

Ok.

- maybe that is a bit exaggerated (I luv the Seinfeld characters).

Well I had my competency. I had only been in class for 8 days, so I was thinking to myself that the whole thing would be interesting. It was.

We are assigned to groups, one of these members is a 2nd year management student. The others are 2nd quarter students and me. We rotate to different positions in the bakery. Mind you this is a real working production/retail bakery.

We all knew there was a test. And The head instructor , which is from Denmark & a 4th generation baker, is testing us.

Well we draw from scraps of paper what we will be tested on. We go to pull our doughs (we've made the day before) from the reach-in retarder. No danish dough! There are 4 croissant & 1 puff pastry dough.

We are not supposed to communicate with each other, only the instructor.

But with the dough missing we shoot perplexed glances at each other. Look in the walk-in retarder, the reach-in freezer....we find the danish dough, rock solid in the walk-in freezer.

I run to his office. HE comes in confirms this. Well now we must work with the croissant dough.

I draw "plain croissants" ,

Carl says:

"you know he's going to ream you if you don't do them perfectly --- croissants are his thing"

I didn't do too bad I just forgot to add flour to the top of the dough while sheeting...so we couldn't use all of the dough, because the flour is a lubricant. IF not used while sheeting, the sheeter will "eat" it. There were holes in places -- and you want croissant dough intact(for the layers)

I did make about 20 croissants. He said they weren't half bad. ( I am thanking god right then, because this was only my second time making them).

HE told me to help Suzie. She was scaling out ingredients for Danish dough with a starter. She had everything except the ice water. I got that. We put the fresh yeast and water, and the pieces of ascorbic acid into the 40qt mixing bowl and I hand whisked it, with a wire whisk. We added the dry ingredients. The Hobart was going at 1st speed. Oops , the mixer looked like cookie dough. Suzie forgot the starter, which had been fermenting in the walk-in retarder over night. We added the started but he mixer was too dry and it wasn't congealing, the first mixture was mixed into the starter in big chunks. There was no way to save the dough.We had to throw it out.

Turns out we all screwed up in some form or another. The Instructor even commented that :

"today when you woke up you guys should have went back to bed"

He was chuckling though.

When it was my turn to go into the office. He commented on my croissants. And they weren't that bad. He also said that right now I am along for the ride, by next quarter I will be in the groove of things.

SO after I walked out of there I realized I would do alright. I am no longer anxious, I just want to do well.

Quotes from a pastry master... 0

My Denmark born 4th generation Baker & Head Instructor.

"When you can make true croissants & perfect Baguettes
proficiently --- then you can call yourself a real baker"

baking 101 0

baking 101
Originally uploaded by abstract2concrete.
So now I am alive with pure joy, knowing I will be pursuing a degree I love.
And I have always thought that there was such a realness to all the people I have met in the Culinary industry.

I remember classes from 5 years ago {for my chef certification}I was 18 years old. - on one such occasion in the hot summer, all the windows open and the oven going.

Fellow students - Chad and someone else were making flat breads or was it rolls? Hmm.

Well on with the story. They were teasing me about being a "newbie" in the culinary class. Chad at one point exclaimed "You have much to learn, grasshopper" with a snicker.

Eventually I was taken into the normal routines of kitchen life, and I earned the respected role of old timer, to other new culinary students.

Well now I feel as though I am a grasshopper again. Today was rather laid back. Not much was expected of me -- being a new student. When I wasn't observing, I scaled out 2 croissant master recipes for tomorrow morning. Later my peers and I watched the ingredients for the dough forming and congealing as it was whisked back and forth with the dough hook, in the Hobart. I love the smell of bread dough.