Baking and Pastry - Muffins, Danish Dough, Puff Pastry and Chef Bruno Neveu

Today was another fast paced, dough making day. I kinda got my doughs mixed up. Not a pun. I really did get then mixed up! After beginning the morning with a lecture on puff pastry and a demonstration on muffins we then went into the kitchen to make a Blitz pastry, which is a quick method of puff pastry, a Danish pastry, which I think is a type of puff pastry but I need to confirm that tomorrow, and a "sponge " or starter for our bread on Thursday. The one thing that is confusing is that we have these doughs for different recipes at various stages. Some need double turns, some need single turns, some need to be in the refrigerator and some need to be in the freezer. I was a little mixed up for awhile. All I know is that these doughs are working tonight while I'm sleeping, and if I was a real Pastry Chef I would never sleep.


Dennis and my muffins came out nice. (above picture) Too nice. When I went to leave today they were gone! Maybe it's because we chose to use real muffins tins instead of the "flexi-pans" they had in the kitchen, I couldn't believe the difference in the browning.


It is very interesting how puff pastry works. There is no yeast at all, The only leavening agent is butter. It is all in the technique on how you incorporate the butter into the dough that will give it it's rise. For the Blitz, the butter is mixed in with the flour briefly so the butter is in fairly big pieces. You chill the dough first then roll it out in a rectangle then give it a double turn as shown in the picture sequence.













The Danish Pastry is a bit different because you make a butter "block" with butter and flour then add that to your dough separately. You proceed the same with rolling, then a single turn. I think.
Like I said, I got confused. We finished all our turns. Three for the Danish and two for the Blitz.
We made our sponge, which is yeast water and flour, that will work overnight and be ready to use in the morning for our bread dough.



At 11:00 a guest chef began a demonstration.
I was so enthralled but unfortunately had to tear myself away at 1:00 because I had to leave for an appointment. I could have watched him cook and listened to his accent all day. A French Chef, named Bruno Neveu. He prepared some contemporary dishes that you would see in France today. He began with a carrot soup that looked like it was going to be better than wonderful. Then he moved on to a sole that was stuffed with a salmon mousse and cray fish. I had to leave before the whole dish came together so I'm hoping that my classmate stayed to get some final shots. I know that this final dish involved a crayfish fricassee and a parsley emulsion. I hated to leave. I got a few pictures before I tore myself away.
I love the way that PCI brings in these Master Chefs for us to experience. I need to start keeping my afternoons open! Thank you PCI and Thank you Chef Bruno.


Goodnight.