feuilletage – The Baker's Hands

Candy Cane Laminated Brioche

I chose laminated brioche for this pastry because of the addition of eggs, the layers become very defined and very flakey.

First I started by coloring two doughs, one red and one white.

The doughs rested in the freezer for 2 hours, then overnight in the fridge. The next morning I began laminating. I needed to alternated the colors so I used the white dough as the bottom layer, then placed the butter on it, then used the red dough as the top layer.

I gave the dough and double fold, immediately followed by a single fold. Then I rest the dough in the fridge for 1 hour.

After chilling the dough I sheeted it down to 1.5cm thick, and cut strips 25cm x 2cm. While cold, I quickly shaped knots and placed them in the freezer for 20 minutes.

The knots are then placed inside of a 4” x 2” ring for baking.

Proof for 2 hours at 78°F, 90% humidity. Bake at 320°F for 30 minutes

Once out of the oven, immediately brush with a simple syrup with peppermint extract. Fill with a white chocolate ganache with peppermint extract, and top with crushed candy canes.

Pumpkin Spiced Cruffin

Cruffin filled with a spiced pumpkin whipped cream and dusted with a pumpkin spiced sugar

Grand Moulins de Paris

Chignon, Croissant, Kouign Amann, and Pain au Chocolat

Paris based milling company, Grand Moulins de Paris, sent me some flour samples this past week and “WOW” is all I can say. The pastries above were made with Gruau Rouge T45 flour. The dough was silky smooth, and incredibly extensible. The crumb of the pastry was very open and flaky. The flavor was incredible. Check them out at Grand Moulins de Paris

Method:

In a mixer with a dough hook, mix on 1st speed for 2 minutes, incorporate butter on 2nd speed for 7 minutes. Reserve the 3.774kg detrempe in the freezer for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator over night.

Lock in 1.00 kg Extra Dry Butter (82%) and preform a double fold, then a single fold. Rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

For the final sheeting, roll the dough down to 3.5mm, trim edges, and cut desired pastries. Proof for 2 hours in 90% humidity at 75°F. Egg wash and bake at 360°F for 20 minutes.

Pain au Chocolat Revisited

To preface why I chose the bi color pain au chocolat, this is a pastry I made in 2016 at Terre Blanche Resort for Valrhona Chocolat corporate.

The pain au chocolat, much like the croissant, is a staple in French boulangeries. The pastry is made from the same dough as the croissant but it is filled with chocolate batons and rolled up like a log.

I have adopted the bi-color technique at Café Ficelle. The bi-color process involves laminating one detrempe (I preform a double fold and a single fold). Then I have a colored dough that I lay on top of the fully laminated detrempe like a blanket. I preform the final sheeting and cut the dough in to 3.5”x5.5” rectangles (12×8 cm). Then I I score the dough with a lame. This scoring technique gives the pastry a lattice appearance.

After I score the outer layer of chocolate dough, I roll the batons inside like a log. The pastry then proof for 2.5 hours at 75°F. I bake the pastry at 360°F for 20 minutes. For the final touch, I brush the baked chocolate layer with a simple syrup to make the chocolate color pop.

Café Ficelle Viennoiserie

Café Ficelle Viennoiserie

There are so many complex, creative boundaries to redefine in viennoiserie. The first hurdle is to master a smooth, unbroken lamination. The butter and the dough need to be rolled out and layered without the butter smearing into the dough, the butter hardening too much and then breaking, or the dough itself tearing. It’s a delicate process but the most basic technique in viennoiserie baking.