Food Photography #1: Creating texture & depth 278

Hello all, my name is Lee and I am honored to guest-post tips on food photography for Renaissance Culinaire. We are going to try to make this a monthly feature, so send us feedback with questions or suggestions on what we should photograph next!

Avo-Tuna Cerviche ©2011 Spinwave Photo

Today's post focuses on the attention-sucking feature I like to call "black holes". While shadows are important to creating the illusion of depth, black spots with little-to-no detail will quickly suck a viewer's eye into its vortex of darkness (thus the nickname black hole). Here's how to identify and correct them:

Click to enlarge photo.

In addition to the black holes, the light flattened the texture of the tuna and avocado chunks. So we added a foam-core reflector close-in, camera-right:

Click to enlarge photo.

That filled in the large black hole in the center of the food, so you can see the green of the avocado and a bit of its texture. But I felt that we could get a little more texture in the food with another reflector positioned at the front of the lens and angled downward. The reflector was actually closer than illustrated below--it was actually resting on the lens hood. The result:

Click to enlarge photo.

The second reflector added some specular highlights (a.k.a. "shiny spots" or "shine"), which is the other component of creating the illusion of depth. The effect is less dramatic in the photo as the light was dissipating even faster now as we approached 5pm in the city. The waning light also left one black hole that we could not fill in without resorting to flash (a future post topic).

- Lee; Spinwave Photography

The Tools: 1. foam-core reflectors (available at Michael's craft stores in various sizes for around $5); 2. Canon 5D MkII used for the food photos, (but any camera with a Manual mode works great); 3. Canon G12 for set-up shots; final settings for food shots are f/2.8 @ 40, ISO 2000.

Special Thanks to: Heather of Heather Bayles Photography for assisting; Shigezo Portland for allowing us to photograph in their restaurant and for the wonderful Avo-Tuna Ceviche (Tuna, avocado, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, soy sauce & wasabi dressing).

Owning a Domestic Kitchen Bakery: Is Your Kitchen Not Right? 24

In April of this year, I had posted an article: Oregon: The Last Domestic Kitchen Frontier , which outlined having a bakery business in your own kitchen - which is officially termed Domestic Kitchen Bakery, here in Oregon. The article outlined the requirements of obtaining a Domestic Kitchen Bakery License, as well as some statistics and tips I have learned through my own research.

Manuel Mixer by Viola Ng

I received a reader comment left anonymously under the post:

Hi! Thanks for the great info. I used to have a very small bakery,then had to close for financial reasons. I have been really wanting to get my license for my home,but my kitchen is not enclosed. To put a door on it,would really mess up the home value. It would look horrible. I have a separate area that is two small rooms attached to the back of my house,but it takes me a world away from my kitchen,where I do all my baking! I don't know what to do. It is very discouraging.

I replied to this person, in the comments, but most people probably won't be following the comments of that particular post (especially new readers), I thought it would be something that would be of interest to all readers so I decided to post my reply in this post:

If you are serious about obtaining a Domestic Bakery license you should not worry about "baking away" from your kitchen.

The perks from having a separate space for your home business outweigh the emotional attachments you feel for your kitchen space.

One of many perks --- You will be able to reap the tax benefits of having a separate business space.

The downside to having a "Domestic Kitchen License" at home is that you can NOT use any commercial equipment, at ALL. So all appliances must be those you would normally use in a standard home kitchen.

These two rooms at the back of your house that you spoke of - are you able to add (2) 220 watt outlets - one for a standard oven , and another for a refrigerator, or upright freezer?

You can have the 220 watt outlets put in by an electrician - then to cut costs you can find used or free appliances (check your local craigslist.org free section, or post a wanted message on your local freecycle.org message board). And check salvage yards etc for old counter tops and cabinets to use as work spaces.

If you do not want your rooms plumbed with a sink, or paying a plumber or contractor would be too expensive - Check with your counties' individual regulations - You may be able to have a food grade tank filled daily with clean tap or bottled water, in the room, for you daily water usage (which you can calculate the usage based on your baking formulas, and have plenty of extra in case your formula doesn't bake off right). This water cannot become contaminated, so a water cooler stand might be a good solution.

Don't let emotional attachments get in the way of your baking - if you cannot get past this, maybe you are not yet ready to take on a domestic kitchen business in your home.

I recommend you do some research and really consider how far you are willing to be vested in this - not only as an idea but as a physical and mental and financial challenge that will really take a large percentage of your time. Just as your former commercial bakery business did.

If you are interesting in knowing more about running a Domestic Kitchen Bakery from your home - Please see this post: Oregon: The Last Domestic Kitchen Frontier

Tutorials 16

Here is a list of popular tutorials on Renaissance Culinaire. Here you can learn step-by-step instructions on a variety of foodie related things. This page will be updated as more tutorials are added.



Learn How TO:

Reverse Macro w/ A Digital Camera

Procedure For Tuile Stencil Cookies

Make A Simple Proofbox for Home Use

Use Greasemonkey Scripts for Culinary

Make Shortbread Tarts

Shape Croissants

Make Chocolate Croissants

Make Great Pate a Choux

Be A Successful Baker

Find The Sex of a Dungenous Crab

Maintian Your Rolling Pin

Sheet Croissant Dough

Eliminate "Black Holes" in Food Photography Pics

Make your own Praline Paste 

Beat Cooking Anxiety!

Beat hunger in America ~ Find a Food Pantry in your area!

Women: Learn how you can be awarded a photography scholarship of your dreams!

How to find Edible Mushrooms in Oregon

Get your face or company logo on M&Ms

How to get the best food shots with a basic digital camera

Groups to join if you love food or are a foodie

Turn your kitchen into a licensed home bakery Part #1, and Part #2

These tutorials are written by me and are original content. These tutorials may not be reproduced without my permission.

Book Review : How to Survive the Real World 2

Once the familiar feelings and memories of your college life have started to fade away, replaced with more pressing matters, and the feeling of accomplishment has toned down a bit after graduation - you may find yourself in a panic about leaving your comfort zone and getting out into the world.

.....New Grad?

How To Survive The Real World
honest
advice will school
you...

How To Survive The Real World by Hundreds of Heads is a collaboration of tips, stories and quotes by grads who did survive, they give advice on what they learned out in the real world.

Book Specs:

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Hundreds of Heads Books (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933512032
• ISBN-13: 978-1933512037
• 103 Tips on How to Win a Job and Impress Your New Boss
• 24 Ways to "Get Out and Get On With It"
• Info on Starting Down The Right Financial Path
• Advice on Office Dating
• Basic Survival Skill: Etiquette, Cooking and Buying a Car

I am always a little skeptical of guides like this. I never pick up those

"for dummies" books, Maybe it's a bit of a put off for me to purchase

a book that tries to teach you so condescendingly. But apparently these

books are helping some people - because thousands upon thousands

of "dummies" books have been sold.

How To Survive The Real World surprised me. When I picked it up and

started to read through the pages - I found it pretty enlightening and rather

humorous. It wasn't like reading from some boring manual penned by a

stuffy, elitist professional, such as allot of these types of books are, that are

geared towards grads.

How To Survive The Real World is like sitting down to chat with your
best friends - the ones you can pour your heart out to and that won't make you feel completely idiotic. The friends who you secretly admire for their guts and grittiness because they always seem to have no fear when it comes to tackling difficult situations , and who have the crazy stories to prove it. And it's these same friends who you always have the happiest and enthralling times with.


How would you like to have 774 friends like this? This book combines real, sometimes brash, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, advice from the grads who set out before you and I, to conquer their destinies - but surprise, their grand visions didn't always match their real life situation.

This book is full of really useful tips and advice for just about any situation the college grad might find themselves in. Here are just a few examples - a guide to stocking your first kitchen, resume dos & don't(s), email etiquette - this is great material to have at your disposal. I would highly recommend How To Survive The Real World.

Recipe & Procedure : Tuile Cookies Curls 7

This is a formula adapted from Le Cordon Blue Professional Baking 3rd Edition. It bakes up to 90 cookies, so you may want to divide this recipe in half or maybe even thirds if making for your self. You can also make this formula ahead of time and store the batter in the fridge for up to a week before use.

TUILE COOKIE / Stencil Paste BATTER
I did mine in a kitchen aide mixer. Preheat oven for 350 F.

• 3 oz Butter
• 4 oz confectioners sugar (a.k.a powdered)
• 3 oz of egg whites
• 3.5 oz cake flour

Total batter weight equals 13 oz

To make the batter: Cream the butter and sugar until creamy, add sugar until mixed thoroughly. Whip in the egg whites. Sift in the flour, mix until blended. *Let the tuile batter set up for a few minutes before using.

I suggest baking the tuile on a sheet pan with parchment, or use a silipat (if you don't have one yet -- GET ONE. They rock).

You can use any sized or shaped stencil you want, just make sure the material of your stencil will hold up to the moisture from the batter.

To use your stencil : Position the stencil on the area of your sheet pan you want the cookie to bake. Use a small offset spatula, take a small tsp sized lump of batter, lay this at the foot of your stencil. Hold the stencil onto the pan - with the other hand use a forward motion - slide the side of your offset spatula the length of your stencil, use the stencil as a guide. What you are trying to achieve is a thin level layer of batter that fills up your stencil, as the excess is removed.

Once your stencil is full: Gently lift the stencil with an upward motion to release the stencil from the batter that will stick to the pan and form your specific stencil shape. What you want to achieve is a cookie that holds the stencil shape and forms equal and very evident sides once the stencil is removed - this will tell you whether you did the above procedure correctly.

Don't feel bad if your first tries end up with terrible results. Most people aren't used to stenciled cookies. Just keep reminding your self you are trying to create something yummy too. Make sure you work quickly, and if you need to halt baking for a period of time, refrigerate your batter.

Alternate method: You can spread the batter directly on the silipat and once baked you can cut into shapes. Let the shapes cool and harden, garnish away.

To Bake : You will need to stand and watch these cookies. Even more so the more batches you bake-off, as the oven temperature will increase the baking of your tuile cookies the further along you are. Bake your cookies for 5 minutes. Take them out when you just notice the very edges browning.


To Make "curls": After you have pulled the tuile cookies out of the oven, When they have been out of the oven for 30 seconds, quickly slide a spatula under them (while still warm) use a rounded stick (such as a dowel or even a thick wooden spoon handle) and wrap each softened cookie around the stick to your liking. Let it cool, and then remove the hardened cookie from the stick.

You can also bend them over a rolling pin or other round objects to achieve a special look.

Tuile Batter & Stencil

I made a simple stencil by cutting shapes out of sturdy cardboard (in this case a cake box) with an exacto knife.

Here is the finished product.

How To Make a Simple Proof Box for Your Home 2

If you have an area that is protected by drafts , where you can create a moist air with steam, then you can create a proof box.

What you will need:

• Get a standard shelf. [[Make sure it can fit a deep pan or bowl that you will use to proof your dough.]]
• Wide sheets of heavy plastic / or tarp. [[Allow the sheet width to accommodate the width and depth of your shelf - so that you can tape the plastic sheet sides together]]
• Heavy wide tape - such as duct tape or heavy packing tape.
• Good sharp scissors for removing excess plastic.

To Create your Proof Box:

1. With sheets of new / clean, heavy plastic or tarp, Drape a plastic sheet over both the front of the shelf and the back. Gather the top of theses plastic sheets together , centering where the top of the sheets meet above your shelving, allowing it to drape to the length of the shelf, all the way to the floor.
2. (Remove any excess plastic that is longer than your shelf length, or too wide on the sides.
3. Using duct tape or heavy packing tape - Create a sleeve of the plastic sheeting with a sealed top, and leave the bottom open(this is where your "steam" will be created) , that you can slide over the shelf when you need to proof something --- by taping the top and side edges together, to form an air tight seal.
   

Steam can be created by :

1. Placing a bowl or pan you can add boiling water from a kettle to, at the bottom.
2. Put your dough to be proofed on the shelves (on a pan or in bowl), and zipper the cover tight / or slide your newly designed sleeve until it touches the floor snugly . [[If using a store bought green house shelf --- You might want to tape the seams of the zipper, to prevent drafts. ]]
3. Allow dough to rest for recipes specified proof time.

If you don't want to DIY (do it yourself):
**An indoor green house shelf unit (with a zippered plastic cover) that you buy for $20 .00 at Fred Meyers will work. Follow the "steam direction above.

***Or use your oven--- put your pan or bowl of dough, covered with a damp cloth, on the center wrack. Add a pan at the bottom and pour boiling water from a kettle into the pan. Proof as the recipe calls for.

My Foodie-sense Is Tingling : Greasemonkey for Culinary Pros? 1

What is Greasemonkey you might ask? Greasemonkey is a plugin for the Firefox web browser. Note: If you use Internet Explorer, you can use the IE7 Pro Compatibility add-in to permit some Greasemonkey scripts. If you use Safari, you may be able to run some scripts using the Creammonkey plugin. Opera is also known for being able to run a few scripts on their own.

Greasemonkey allows you to change how your favorite pages behave and look. There are many scripts that have already been written, and if you know javascript you can easily create your own.The Greasemonkey install on firefox is very easy .

You can find the Greasemonkey console,which shows all your scripts, under the "Tools" link on the browser menu bar. The scripts are editable. All you need to do is click on a script from the list and click on the edit button --- to access the script code, which allows for customization (in some cases) or bug fixes (if the script author is not keeping tabs on updating.)

Userscripts.org is a repository to download and install Greasemonkey scripts. You can find a script to pimp virtually anything ---blogger, flickr, gmail, craigslist ect. There is a tag function on userscripts.org for most scripts but unfortunately script authors do not always tag. So I actually scrolled through most of the 300 pages...yikes.

I can't believe I missed out on so many greasemonkey scripts lately. I LOVE firefox and Greasemonkey is icing on the geeky-optimizing-browser cake.

Speaking of cake, wouldn't it be great to create a greasemonkey script that would use specific formulas that apply to bakers or chefs or serious foodies?!

I am talking about calculators to compute formulations for : Specific gravity,Baker's percent, Turn-over rate of frying oil, Desired Dough Temp, Variances of Mixer per Qt = in F degrees , ect.

Even better --- have temp converters , and an editable interface to add special reference snippets that are pertinent to you (said foodie). I know there are alot of conversion widgets at Chef2chef.net ---It would be nice to see some of them hacked into the widget.

I think that the best way to showcase this widget would to code it to appear as a slide-in menu in the corner of your browser window. The calculators /converters would be linked via small icons, and would feature a link to your reference library (which would be text files, housed in a folder on your pc) There would be a link for "grab formula/ recipe", also.

This would be a great utility to edit formulas found on the web, on the fly. And the best part is that you can take firefox with you anywhere --- just copy it to a flash/thumb drive, and plug into a computer away from home. All your scripts / plug-ins /bookmarks are contained in the firefox interface, which you load via the thumb drive.

Oh, how utterly SWEET!

I will try to compose something out of code and see if I can get the ball - I mean the script rolling.

How exciting!

Run your tooltip over the screenshot to see what subject the screenshot covers. click on the screenshot to view it's pic page on flickr; or click "larger" link to view original.

Greasemonkey
Screen Shots




*1.)larger *2.)larger *3.)larger *4.)larger



*5.)larger *6.)larger *7.)larger

Baking Notes : On Proof Boxes, Hints for newbie Baker 2

Proof boxes aren't necessary for a bakery, especially a small one, over time you learn to "feel" the doughs textures --- from mixer to bench, from bench to board, from board to oven. This is the unspoken seventh sense those "one" with the dough possess.
Like everything, baking is akin to Star Wars. "Just as the path of a Jedi is often difficult, filled with conflict and pain". As is the path of the newbie baker.

"To become a Jedi requires the deepest commitment and most serious mind. It is not a venture to be undertaken lightly. As such, Jedi instruction is rigidly structured and codified to enforce discipline and hinder transgression... A Jedi who fails in his training can be a very serious threat. The dark side of the Force beckons to the impatient, and students in the past have been lured to its call with devastating consequences."

In The Empire Strikes back, Young Luke Sky walker, motivated by the spirit of Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi , ventures out into Dagobah swamp ( of the Dagobah Systems) inhabited by Yoda , Jedi Master. While in Dagobah swamp, Luke Skywalker learns the "ways of the Force" from Yoda, and to hone his Jedi abilities.

And just as Luke Skywalker before you --- Newbie Baker, You too will learn to harness your "baking" abilities.

Every baker --- whether novice or master, all venture into the unknown realm of chemical activity, the eclectic rhythms guiding hands and thoughts into a carbohydrate fueled symphony. With each turn of dough, each shaping of a round, your mind will develop a map of sensory memories. If you are new to this baking realm, don't just make mental notes, make visual and textural ones as well . If you follow this simple plan, the "baking" force will become strong within you.


A.K.A "Proofer" , "steam box" ,"Steam Cell"

Proof Box Advantages:

• Control temp. & humidity
• Proofs at same humidity & temp. , regardless of weather.

Capacity

• If oven is full at all times, you have gained proper efficiency.

Larger proof box vs. small oven:

• [2 : 1] or [3 : 1] ratio {2-3 pans proof to every 1 pan bake in oven}
• 1 hr proof : 20 min of baking time = more profit / cost effective

Why Invest in a Hydrometer:

• Measures exact humidity in air

Proof boxes are notorious for being unbalanced in humidity.


TYPES:

Cabinet Proofer
Characteristics to Look For:

• Corrugated Steel ledges to hold sheet pans:

If you can't purchase a proofer with wire supports. Solid steel doesn't work as well, when the ledge makes contact with the sheet pan, it will block steam which rises from the bottom of the Cabinet Proofer (the bottom is where the controls are housed). This will affect your proof.

• Walk-in Cabinet Proofer

These proofers have better ventilation and are much sturdier.

• Wire holders/supports for sheet pans

Supports (i.e solid steel / corrugated) tend to break off. Or need to be readjusted. Purchasing wire supports will cut down repeated maintenance.


Rack Proofer
Advantages:

• Best Performance
• All sizes, to meet space requirements/ production yields
• Good for production

Retarder Proofer
Advantages:

• Has variable temps (frozen to thaw --> to proof) timer.

Shelf Type Proofer
Features:

• Removable shelves
• Frozen bake-off operations (Main use)
• Proofer is stacked on top of oven

Disadvantage:

• Not ergonomically designed

Formula :Lemon curd , Lemon Tarts , Authentic Scottish shortbread. 5

Perhaps that most enlightening thing about fresh lemon curd is the way it pleasures the palate. Lemon flavor that is not sickenly tart, just a mellowed, yet tangy citrus. The mouth feel is gentle but still has substance. Lemon curd makes me crave summers of my childhood, the fields ablaze with bronze and brass hues; the skies deepening atmospheric blues that cried out for a good chasing. This same sky which engulfed my small piece of earth seemed to be never ending.

In this post I will outline formulas for :


Candied Lemon slices [can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 months; suspended in lemon simple syrup]
Authentic Scottish shortbread {NOT the americanized version}

Fresh lemon curd

You will enjoy these....

Please note ( # = lb) These formulas are in small production batches. Please convert to 1/3 for home use.


Candied Lemon Slices :


If assembling the lemon curd tarts ---make this at least 4 hours ahead of time.

Have a plastic container w/ lid handy. These can be preserved for up to 1-2 months if properly covered and refrigerated.

Simple syrup:

4 # cold water

2 # 1/3 sugar

juice of 5 lemons

To make the simple syrup: Combine the water, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

While this is happening Thinly slice 4-5 additional lemons. You are looking for a round that is complete , Discard the ends or any pieces that are broken inside. Gently Remove seeds with the point of a paring knife.



Once the syrup has reached a rolling boil , turn down to low heat and add your lemon slices, lightly push into syrup with heat resistant spatula. Allow slices to simmer in syrup for up to 10 minutes --- this allows absorption of syrup into the citrus membrane / peel . The lemons slices will appear translucent, and the white membrane will look moist.



Remove from heat. Let cool. Gently remove the slices, laying them on a paper towel. Pour the syrup into a plastic container --- then carefully lay slices into the container, make sure the upper layers are under syrup. Put lid on and refrigerate.





Lemon Curd :


This lemon curd formula is very good. It was passed down from an English grandmother. It takes some preparation but it is worth it! I would prepare it the day before use.




Please not this is also a small production formula -- please convert to 1/3 .

[# = lb.]



Ingredients:


-- 12.5 oz Egg Yolk
1 # 4.5 oz Sugar
1 # .25 oz fresh squeezed Lemon Juice [ commercial lemon juice concentrate can be used for part of the amount , better to use all fresh]
-- 10 oz Butter
-- -- 3 Tbs, plus additional 1 Tb of lemon Zest

In non-corrosive saucepan , beat egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Add remaining ingredients except for zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly , until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.
DO NOT BOIL. If mixture begins to steam, pull from heat and continue to stir.

When finished, put immediately through a fine sieve, pressing with a spatula.
Discard all residues. Stir zest into curd, pour into an air tight container, cover and refrigerate.


English Shortbread:

Many shortbread formulas today are Americanized , with added shortening or lot's of sugar. This formula is authentic or what is also Called "true shortbread".

I have adjusted the ingredients for home use :

AP flour 8 oz.
Sugar 2 oz.
Butter 6 0z [COLD]

Below are ingredients for a small production batch. Use 20 qt w/ paddle.

[# = lb]

2# AP flour
-- 8 oz Granulated Sugar
1# 8 oz. Butter [COLD]

Put flour and sugar into mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to mixing bowl. Mix in 1st speed until it forms a ball.

Block dough into a rectangle .Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for atleast 30 minutes.

To work, let warm up slightly before rolling out. Generously flour your work table. Flour top of dough . Apply pressure and pin in the center of your dough block, apply force while rocking the pin back & forth. The friction will cause the butter in the dough to soften.

Assembling Lemon Tarts :



Roll out your English shortbread dough to 1/4 of an inch, try to make it as circular as possible --- this will allow you to fill more tart shells. Place your tart shell bottom down on the shortbread. Using a paring knife cut out a circle 1/2 inch larger than the shell.






Lift your circle away from the main piece of dough press lightly into your tart shell --- rotating with one hand press dough into shell with your other hand.





After filling your tart shells, hold a shell in your hand - taking a paring knife in the other run the knife outward away from you, parallel with the edge of the shell rotating as you trim off the extra dough. Place prepped shells onto a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes.



Blind bake tart shells for 15-20 minutes. They will be golden and slightly browned on the edges.
Fill baked tart shells with lemon curd. Take out one candied lemon slice , per tart [4 inch] more for 8", and drain on paper towel. Center the candied lemon over the lemon curd on each tart.




Bake for 8 additional minutes, or until set. Let the baked off tarts cool. To remove from metal shell --- take small offset spatula and firmly grip it while you run it around the edge of the shell. This should loosen it. Push the bottom upward and set aside the ring. Run your spatula using the same method in an even motion -- be careful not to thrust your spatula upward and break your tart into bits.






Mmm. The 4 inch tarts are suitable for 2 people, or if you want to be gluttonous --- one for you alone. Makes for an easy flavorful treat.

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.