Bakeshop Formulas and Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Chapter 5 Mise en Place

2. Formulas and Recipes • Mise en place, or “put in place,” means having everything in place necessary for the successful preparation of the meal. • Bakeshop formulas must be followed carefully and completely. • Proper planning, reading a formula carefully before cooking, preparing equipment all ensure the best results.

3. Methods for Measuring • Measuring ingredients is extremely important and is done in three ways: • By weight also called scaling • By volume, considered less accurate than scaling except when measuring water • By count

4. Measurement Systems • Can be U.S. or metric

5. Formula Conversions • Yield is the amount produced by a formula expressed in total weight, volume or number of units. • Scale up or down increases (decreases) a recipe or formula mathematically.

6. Converting Total Yield • Two step process New Yield Old Yield = Conversion Factor (C.F.) Old Quantity x C.F. = New Quantity

7. Example of Converting Total Yield

8. Converting Portion Size • Find a common denominator for the new and old formula; ounces, grams, cups or servings can be used No. of Portions x Portion Size = Total (old) Yield Desired Portions x Desired portions size = Total (new) Yield New Yield Old Yield = Conversion Factor (C.F.) Multiply each ingredient quantity by C.F.

9. Conversion Considerations • Additional problems can arise when making changes to yield. Keep in mind the following: • Equipment should be considered when scaling. • Evaporation may not be the same Formula errors may be exaggerated when a formula is scaled. • All things being equal, cooking times will not change when making a larger batch.

10. Baker’s Percentage • A system for measuring ingredients in a formula by expressing them as a percentage of the total weight of the flour • At a glance, baker can compare formulas • Flour (or a total of the weight of all flours in the formula) equals 100%

11. Sample Baker’s Percentage Formula

12. Converting with Baker’s Percentage

13. Knife Skills • Basic knife skills are the backbone of techniques in a professional kitchen • Focus on the task at hand • Use the correct knife • Cut away from yourself • Cut on a cutting board • Keep knives sharp • Hold point down, parallel and close to the leg • Don’t attempt to catch a falling knife • Never leave a knife in a sink of water

14. Preparing Ingredients • Removing water and salt clarifies butter and renders it more stable with a longer shelf life. • Toasting nuts and spices before using them brings out flavor, browns the food, makes it crispier and crunchier. • Blanching nuts removes bitter skins • Finely ground nuts can be substituted for some or all of the wheat flour in recipes.

15. Preparing to Bake • Ingredients are often flavored before use in the bakeshop. • Steeping soaks dry ingredients in a liquid to infuse its flavor in the liquid • Dry fruits remain tender if soaked overnight before use, known as conditioning

16. Preparing to Bake • Blanching, or parcooking, is immersion in boiling salted water and removes bitterness, preserves color, softens and shortens final cook time. • Ice baths, consisting of ice and water, quickly cool food for safe, sanitary storage under refrigeration.