Kitchen Academy Blog

Week 15, Day 1-4: Life of Pie

This week we journeyed into the world of pies. We made a few basic pie forms, starting with an all-American apple pie. Different pies seem to utilize various dough types; some are made from flour while others consist of such things as graham cracker. The apple pie was one such recipe that called for the latter, resulting in a classically flaky texture. Earlier in the week our school was hosting an event and our pie-making skills were put to the test. We baked a small assortment of pies for all their guests. This included, in addition to apple pie, chocolate cream pie (with graham cracker crust), and lemon meringue. I haven’t historically been a huge fan of lemon-tinged goods but lately it has crept into my palate in a major way. Meringue is also extremely fun to make, especially the blowtorching segment at the end…

We also learned to make cobblers and crisps. Peach cobbler is basically like an upside down cake, with a layer of dough on top of the fruit. The crisp has a similar dough/fruit gravitational relationship. It’s topping consisted of old-fashioned rolled oats mixed in with flour, brown sugar, and walnuts. It has a very cinnamon-y taste to it. All the fruit that we used in these creations (except for the apples) were “individually quick frozen,” or “I.Q.F.” What this means is that after the fruit is cut and peeled, each individual piece is frozen separately. This way they don’t stick to each other in the freezer and create a icy brick…

So the first three days of this week were solely concerned with pies. It was really fun, and I’ve learned some key tidbits of knowledge. Today and tomorrow are our finals, so there isn’t too much to report on that end. I can say that today was really tough. We had to make challah, blueberry muffins, ciabatta dough, croissants, and dinner rolls. We were not allowed to present our work after 10am and I was narrowly able to get mine in only seconds before the cutoff! I did pretty well! Though I did have some trouble with my dinner rolls. I’m still trying to grasp the whole process of fermentation; getting familiar with yeast and how the dough needs to look and feel before baking. For some reason the yeast in my dinner rolls didn’t activate well and they didn’t cook well. I wasn’t too happy with that! Next week we’ll be starting on pastries…

Week 14, Day 3-5: Want and Knead

So this week felt like we were getting into some kind of a groove, in terms of baking. We’ve been spending quite some time preparing lots of different kinds of dough for future baking sessions. One particularly notable creation was making pastry and puff dough, also known as “laminated dough.” This refers to a process where a block of butter gets tucked inside the dough and repeatedly rolled out. Eventually the dough becomes laminated with the butter and the two elements are intertwined. The process is actually quite lengthy! I’m not exactly sure what we’ll be using the dough for as that secret has yet to be revealed. Though traditionally they are often seen in Napoleon cakes. One thing I do know for sure is that we made dough for Danishes and croissants. These, along with the laminated dough will be experimented with on Monday. And although they all have different shapes and purposes, one element remains a heavy common bond: the excessive use of butter…

It is incredible how much butter the school goes through every day. I’m going to be thinking twice next time I have a croissant. To put it plainly, the amount of butter used is horrifying. Though once in a while its okay to indulge ourselves and concede to the sinful pleasures that butter can offer…

Earlier this week we finished some more bread recipes including whole wheat, rye, dinner rolls, pretzels, bagels, and yesterday we made a date-walnut rye bread. It was really interesting to see how all the various types of flour behave. The reaction of the gluten in each of them is very different; it determines whether breads are more fluffy or dense. I also feel like my body is getting used to being around wheat all day. I’m still congested and stuffy but its alright, not as bad as it was the first week…

Next week we are getting into the world of pies, which I’m looking forward to. Hopefully we’ll be making one of my favorites, coconut-cream pie. We are still sort of figuring out the curriculum as we go. There have been instances where there has been extra time to pursue side projects. The other day Chef Kim gave me a recipe for coconut macaroons right out of his own personal recipe book. All his measurements were in grams, which was a different and welcomed variation on our typical system, one of multiple conversions. Working in grams is so much more precise and easier to work with. The macaroons had a very simple recipe- butter, eggs, sugar and coconuts, all mixed together at specific stages. I will be serving them this weekend at a cocktail party!

I’ll have to say I really love this baking class. I’m developing a good feel for the whole process and am a lot more comfortable making bread than killing lobster!

Week 14, Day 1-2: Experience the Dough

This week we continue on our bread-making expedition! This naturally finds us in a daily routine of prepping various dough recipes and baking. I probably won’t be documenting every day of this segment as to avoid repetition, despite the extensive and varied list of items on our production schedule. Today we concentrated on a few internationally inspired flavors. We made Mexican sopapillas (nicknamed “sofa pillows,” fried dough covered in cinnamon and sugar), Armenian lavash bread, sourdough baguettes, and breadsticks. We also prepped dough for pretzels and bagels that we’ll be making tomorrow…

An interesting thing that I’m finding out as we travel through this course is that I’m becoming more and more intuitive with dough. I’m able to really feel how it’s shape, consistency, and texture will affect the final product. This is something that you can’t really derive from a book; it takes direct interaction. You really have to experience the dough a number of times before this sense gets internalized. After all, it really is a living organism! The live yeast helping the dough to reach it’s predetermined (and potentially delicious) fate…

I’m also starting to realize that a lot of the bread recipes are following the same basic 12 steps. It’s virtually the same process across the board, only with different measurements and proportions. I want to get to a stage where I can just look at the ingredients of any bread and know how to bake it without looking at a recipe. I feel like I’m getting there pretty quickly…

Top Kitchen Theatre: Shaping Pizza Dough

Week 13, Day 3-4: Baker in the Rye

So yesterday was one of the most insane days that we've had since I've started here at the Kitchen Academy. Our class was chosen to be the test species for a new curriculum, complete with brand new textbook and course outline. Unfortunately the day ended up getting overloaded with too many things to complete and it resulted in absolute chaos in the classroom. This was characterized by making about 6 different recipes with enough breads and doughs to fill a landmine. The disorder pushed us overtime about an hour, which was really frustrating. I wasn't extremely happy with the way the chefs handled the day in general. We were sort of thrown into it with not many demonstrations of what it was we were aiming for. Rookie firefighters pushed into a towering inferno. The important thing is that we pulled through, despite
the palpable disarray. Today on the other hand was a much more relaxed day. The flow was better and the energy more centered...

We worked on making some pizzas, both in thin and thick crusts. I also got a chance to complete a couple recipes from the day before; foccacia, ciabatta, and olive breads. Overall I really enjoyed the bread making process though its been a little torturous not being able to indulge myself with a taste. My self imposed wheat-ban finds me practicing a lot of restraint. Its been challenging, though I've still been suffering from allergies in the classroom because of all the wheat in the air. With 30 people working with wheat all day, its unavoidable that you would breathe it in...

Baking is definitely a science, and I like how exact it can be. At the same I'm really enjoying getting to learn all the intuitive techniques that come into play. Its a interesting balance that produces delicious results...

Week 13, Day 2: Beauty and the Yeast

Today we learned some more bread making techniques as well as how to work with yeast. Two different types of yeast were revealed to us. The one we worked with today is referred to as “fresh or compressed yeast.” Another variation is called “active dry yeast.” The former is a moist mass of yeast that’s been allowed to develop under controlled conditions. It is compressed to remove all the water from it. It get it’s “fresh” tag because it must be used really quickly after the package is opened. Active dry yeast has been pressed to remove all the moisture and then dried. This process actually kills a lot of the yeast cells. So working with yeast is inextricably linked to getting acquainted with the fermentation process…

The fermentation process is when the yeast is exposed to moisture, warm temperatures, and flour. The yeast basically feeds on the sugars that are present in the flour and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Different breads take different amounts of yeast in them. In preparation for this important step of the bread-making process, we tapped into the pre-fermentation process…

The first thing we made is called a biga, an Italian baking term that means “sourdough starter.” We also made a poolish, which is a more liquidy mixture of elements. This leads to a nuttier flavor. Lastly, we made a pate fermentee, a French name for a firm pre-fermentation that is usually created for ciabatta bread. Chef Kim demoed the making of the starter for us. The way he works with dough and flour is just spectacular. He makes it look so easy, just like when chef Jones made cutting up a lamb seem effortless and artful…

The whole fermentation process didn’t take too much of the class time. We were pretty much done by 8am. And since we had some extra time, I was able to catch up on a recipe that I didn’t get to yesterday- orange cranberry scones. They turned out absolutely divine! Scones have to be some of my favorite things ever. Tomorrow we are making some basic white bread, semolina bread, and foccacia…

Week 13, Day 1: Let the Baking Begin!

I am happy to report a successful return to cooking school after a weeklong break! We all arrived at the usual early hour to a brand new kitchen. The student reunion was brazenly sweet, making it seem as though we had been absent for much longer. We all really missed each other! A comforting re-entry. So, our new classroom is much smaller than what we had previously…

Its probably about half the size of our room from the last term. There are no gas burners, and the only ovens that are available are in the back of the class; a couple of brick ones for pizza and other baking ovens. The class is split up into 3 main islands that hold about 12 students. The days of pairing off with a partner are now traded in for a much different orientation. This is a divergence that I’m definitely interested in seeing unfold. Our two new Chefs are Chef Kim and Chef Otto…

They are both renowned pastry chefs with tons of experience. Chef Otto recently relocated here from San Francisco. She is quite lovely. We actually sort of became buddies over the last couple of terms just by running into each other in the hallways. Chef Kim, who is also really awesome, started the day off by giving us an overview of the kitchen and going over some rules. Then we had our official first demo, which was a wonderful banana nut loaf!

I had such a great time baking. It is nice to change things up since the last 12 weeks have been focused on savory dishes and meats. All of a sudden we’ve been thrust into a whole new world and I can’t help but feel excited. Today we had 5 things to make, which was quite a lot to cram into the short amount of class time that was leftover. Other than the banana loaf we made buttermilk biscuits, blueberry muffins, scones, and marble cake. All were successful in their own right. The nut bread was thick and yummy. The muffins turned out beautiful and fluffy….

It was such a hectic day! The activity didn’t stop for even a moment. I think it was the first time that we spilled over in class time. I think this had a lot to do with the fact that we were in a new kitchen, new tools and configurations to adapt to. Overall it was a really fun day and I loved it! I’m really looking forward to recognizing some of the science and nuance behind baking. The first 3 weeks of the term will be focused on baking while the last will be all about pastries!