Final marketing showpieces from my junior class, after a lot of stress and aggravation the hard work pays off. Congratulations to all of the teams for a fantastic nine days you will all be missed and I hope that our paths will cross again. All the best to all of you young aspiring bakers.

Carpe Diem ~ Seize The Day!

I was nervous at the beginning of this lab. I had had Chef Hitz for my freshman viennoiserie class and I knew he was strict, but in a good way. My initial thoughts on the class have totally shifted. I really enjoyed making all of the pieces for each of the showpieces I made, in addition to seeing everyone else's pieces. Was it stressful at times? Yes. But was it worth it? Definitely.

At the beginning, you may hope that the class goes by fast. Don't! I wish we had more time. Enjoy each moment you have in the class because no other class is like this one. It really has become one of my favorite classes I've taken at JWU so far.

Although I already posted without images, I figured i'd repost with images for it to tie all together for us bloggers! Thanks for sharing with us Chef! It has been a great class and I will be sure to keep in touch.

As I was completing my homework project for BPA 3010, I was glad Chef Hitz decided to include photography of unique techniques that he has shown us or other classmates have demonstrated during the course of our time together in advanced decorative breads. Whether as its own section or throughout the project, I noticed, those techniques helped every single one of my classmates develop something brilliant with their work as well as my own. Personally I always remember the saying, "You learn something new every day." Believe it or not, it does happen every day whether you realize it or not.

Considering I am having some trouble with posting images to go along with my post, I am still going to share some techniques I thought were most helpful to me. Photos will be added later.

The usages of aluminum foil. I did not notice there were so many ways it could benefit a baker when creating a showpiece. It can help create movement in elements to become more realistic looking and line copper tubing to make a column for height purposes in the piece. 

Using texture mats are very cool also! They come in many different sizes, shapes, and patterns. I have come to realize that adding texture to a showpiece or anything you bake, it makes a huge difference to the eye. Texturizing just one piece can make it stand out from all the rest. For example, when creating my rooster for the rooster showpiece, I decided to add some design to the body of mine. I followed all of the guidelines chef had demonstrated, baked my rooster, and it was now time to build my piece. Before I knew it, the first thing my eye went to was the rooster. Even though it was the main focal point in the piece, I saw that the texture had made it stand out that much more! Like I said, "You learn something new every day." The simple half circle indent in the dead dough made my rooster look like it had real feathers on its body.

Now that BPA 3010 is one day short of completion and the start of a new class is in the near future, make it a point to try something new every day. If seen or shown, be aware of how it can better your knowledge and education. Always remember where that one thing came from and be sure to thank the person who welcomed it in your life.

  

When I googled dead dough, Chef Hitz was showcased in many of the pictures that came up with my search! It's cool to know that the chef teaching you has so much experience with what you are learning that he is googleable!

This is a really cool way to showcase a bread buffet! Who knew that our practice in decorative breads might come in handy when applying for a job some day!

Pain Rustique... Done Right

On Day 5 my group members and I were blessed with the task of recreating Chef's delicious recipe Pain Rustique (Pictured above).
Unfortunately this was our "every thing that can go wrong will go wrong" day of the week. 

The Right Way

1. Prepare your Poolish the day before mixing. (Flour, yeast, water - mix until smooth & ferment overnight) 
2. Properly scale all ingredients & autolyse the dough: mix together wet first, poolish next , & dry ingredients last (Holding back salt & yeast). 
3. Mix in 20 qt. mixer until ingredients just come together.
4. Autolyse 20-30 minutes. (Cover with bun-pan bag & let sit)

The Wrong Way

1. Prepare your Poolish the day before mixing. (Flour, yeast, water - mix until smooth & ferment overnight)
2. Properly scale all ingredients, add dry ingredients to bowl, wet ingredients, Poolish, & yeast (Holding back salt only)
3. Immediately realize mistake & proceed to freak out. 
4. Tell Chef.
5. Explain to Chef that you cannot simply scoop out the yeast off of the top of the dry ingredients because the dry ingredients are on the bottom of the bowl. 
6. Give group members dirty looks for 7 seconds then proceed to mix dough in the spiral mixer with salt (Skipping autolyse).
7. Mix on 1st speed 4 minutes & 2nd speed 1 minute.

The Right Way 

      5. Add salt & yeast and mix additional 1 minute on 1st speed, mix on 2nd speed until medium gluten is developed, approximately 1.5 minutes in a spiral mixer.
      6. Allow to ferment 60 minutes with 3 folds at 20 minute intervals.
      7. Allow to ferment additional 15 minutes.
      8. Thoroughly de-gas dough & divide into uniform small rolls (approx. 2" x 2") and place on floured couche.

The Wrong Way 

    8. Allow to ferment shorter period of time constantly checking with Chef to make sure it is okay because your dough may over ferment. Stretch periodically.
      9. De-gas dough, neglecting the center so that it is thicker than outer edges of dough. 
     10. Argue with group members over size of rolls. Someone says 3" x 3" & you disagree with them until they say 2.5" x 2.5" may be a more acceptable size. Feel as though it is still too large but continue to divide even as some group members give you dirty looks because they believe you are wrong.
    11. Realize partially through dividing that the dough was not evenly de-gased and that although you divided the shapes perfectly in theory they are now all different shapes & sizes. 
    12. Decide to place scrap pieces in with smaller pieces so your rolls will be slightly even. 
    13. Accidentally place rolls on couche seam-side down (scrap pieces on bottom).

The Right Way

    9. Proof for approximately 15 minutes.
  10. Place floured side up onto loaders. Score a straight line down center & load into a steamed deck oven.

  11.  Bake rolls for approx. 20-22 minutes.
  12. Cool & enjoy beautiful delicious rolls with a creamy colored, nutty flavored, porous crumb.               

(Similar to a baguette...but better).

The Wrong Way

 

  14. Proof for 15 minutes.

   15. Place rolls flour side up on loader.

   16. Realize your scrap pieces are now on the top of your loaves.

   17. Sigh over dramatically & proceed to tell Chef. 

   18. Score only the pieces with no scraps on top. 

   19. Bake rolls for 20 + minutes taking them all out at the same time.

   20. Cool & enjoy your misshapen, not uniform, slightly under baked or over baked rolls with a dense crumb and less than ideal taste.

In short, we screwed up. A lot. 

Tips for the future:

• Always be familiar with your formula before you begin.
• Effectively communicate with your group members before moving on to the next step.
• Do not be afraid to ask for help. Other groups have most likely made this product before so ask them for help, and when in doubt always ask Chef. You are paying him to teach you so annoy him as much as you feel necessary.  

 

 

STRESS STRESS STRESS

Although I touched on the topic of stress and whatnot in my previous entry, I just wanted to reiterate some facts and recap this class, BPA 3010 a little more thoroughly. 

Chef Hitz is one of few chefs/teachers/professors/whatnot that legitimately cares for each and every one of our educational lives. He's relatively "business" oriented, meaning that he's strict but in the best intentions to get us into shape, however has a sarcastic sense of humor. 

When it comes to asking questions, what my high school band teacher used to say, "think before you speak". Make sure you're not asking repetitive questions that will make everyone around you giggle (of course everyone has their "off" days), however if you do have a question make sure to ask your peers! 

In regards to communication, make sure every single one of your group members are in sync with each other. Period. No questions asked. 

As for cleaning...oh cleaning. I am not going to lie, I am very disappointed with myself as well as the rest of the class for slacking off so much. We are juniors for crying out loud in the P4 program. You would expect us to be the role models of the culinary world here, but apparently we're at first year status. I know I have not been a role model myself these past few weeks, however that should not be an excuse for such shameful behavior. Although we only have one day left in this particular class, I really hope our class can step it up to prove that we're not just slackers. 

To end on a more positive note, make sure you really take care of yourself. Get enough rest (LOL), eat healthyish foods, drink lots of water, and communicate with others. Of course, these things are easier said than done, but coming from experience, you really need to be on the top of your game if you want to succeed in this program, let alone this industry. 

Rooster Recap

Miraculously, my rooster showpiece came together in one presentable piece, however the journey to get there was not easy. Quite frankly, it was one of the hardest tasks I've ever had to complete. 

Now, let me give you a quick backstory for you readers who don't know me very well, I'm a transfer from another campus, who's facing a few hardships at the moment. I don't mean to scare off anyone, I'm just trying to help you learn from my mistakes! 

1. IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. Accept it and move on. Don't complain to others how yadda yadda yadda used to do it, you're not there anymore and suck it up. Learning more/new techniques is only going to enrich your knowledge. 
2. If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder/Depression/whatever in the cold gloomy months, talk to people in a professional manner and get help! For the love of all things holy, sitting around and doing nothing is not healthy, please do the right thing! 
3. Accept that you're not perfect. Yes, being apart of the P4 program is a 'heavy' task, however don't let it eat at you if you don't bring home the bacon in sense of an A. Do your best, and get the most out of the education you're paying for.

Okay, now we're back. As you can tell, this lab was not easy. As I mentioned before, this lab was probably the hardest lab I've had ever, quite frankly one of the hardest classes nonetheless, even if you're playing with adult play-doh. 

Coming up with the theme and sketch was relatively easy, however when it came down to actually making the pieces and sorting out the details, I wish I focused more on the rooster and made it more elaborate. In comparison to the dragon on the base, the focal point of the rooster was definitely lost. Another aspect I would change is the bamboo accents in the back. I was hoping they would add depth and height to the piece, however they seem to be I quote "Candyland-Dr. Seuss-esque" (thank you Chef Hitz :P). 

All an all, I'm happy that my showpiece was finished and I didn't give up, however I know what I would do differently in the future as well as gained some valuable knowledge about the program, course, and myself through this lab. 

A New Way of Seeing Things

For my fourth and final post as a member of BPA3010, I'm choosing to write an advisory note to all the students who are coming into the class, and who may or may not have some qualms about its content, structure, or execution. Coming into the class, I thought for sure that it would be a by the book sculpture artistry class with a different medium (dead dough in the place of a clay of sorts.) I've since learned that it is much more than that. This class forced me to think in a new way, to see things from another angle, and see transitions between usually unconnected things. 

My best advice for a student coming into the class would be to try not to be so literal, try not to take everything at face value. At first, I too stood strong in the face of the oppressive force of the abstract perspective being considered here. Once I rebooted the cold, aloof region of my brain that seemed to only understand logic, I started to see things in a new way. In this class the belly of Mycenaean Urn could become a bread oven in all its fortitude. Face value means nothing if you can't see beyond and make the connections between unlike things. If you can learn to abstract your view, you will learn to connect things in new ways that you'd never thought of before, and your showpieces will prosper. 

Although many people may think that its impossible to think this way, I urge all future students to try, as it will only help you to be free thinking in your showpiece design. Heck, for starters you could try looking at the picture below of a beautiful river valley running through the hills of Tuscany, the hillsides afire with the amber flames of wheat grain, and see what images you associate with said rustic scenery.      

Funny, those hills look an awful lot like ciabatta bread we made in class today...

All kidding aside, keep an open mind and always be ready for inspiration to strike anywhere!

A day in the life of a stressed baker.....

So coming into Day 8 and 9 practical Day I must say working in groups on a large marketing project is nowhere as stressful as working by yourself.  I actually feel more relaxed as I did at the very beginning of class.  Throughout this class I have learned a lot about myself and also about my classmates both good and bad.  This class has been like a roller coaster so to any future students taking this class be prepared to ride that roller coaster and try to stick it out even when it gets tough.

My Rooster Showpiece

Now to talk about cleaning, when we left class today we had plenty of time to double check the room to make sure everything was spotless, which I must add it was not.  As a Junior level class as chef has said we should know better and take more responsibility of our actions.  Due to the way we left the classroom today it is going to affect our practical sanitation grade, which for me means a lot and I bet it means the same to the rest of my class mates.  I know that we all want to just leave class after being there for 6 hours, I feel the same way, but I do not think Chef should have to look at a dirty classroom especially the way we left it today.  So my advice to you is always double check the room even if it is not your responsibility to do a certain job.  It can only help you and the class to leave the classroom 10 times cleaner than what it looked like when you got there.  Hope all this advice helps future students have an easier time in this class, so you have more time to learn new things, rather than waste time.
I know that coming to this class I wish I had viewed more videos of how to score baguettes, it has been a year plus since I even made a baguette.  So I know that this would help any future students or any one for that matter who wants to learn how to score baguettes. Since one of the key things to a baguette is the scoring marks.  In this video chef makes it look so easy even though it really is not.  Baguettes take practice just like anything else.  Practice always makes perfect. If only this video would post. So apparently no one gets to my video. 

A Day In The Life Of... A Polish Baker...

For my rooster showpiece I decided to go with a Polish theme. Why?  Because I am a Polish girl from a small Polish town in New York.

Final Rooster Showpiece

As wonderfully exciting as the miche showpiece may have been, the rooster is that times 10 (plus twice the amount of stress & pressure). The cool thing about this project is that it is 100% your own sculpture/showpiece, you choose the theme, you make all the components, you decide what changes to make, and you determine the grade you will get.

I won't go too deep into evey single aspect of this showpiece but instead I will give a few helpful pointers.

• Choose a theme and love it. Don't do something you aren't passionate about or know very little of. 
• Again, get a lot of research. Know what works with your theme & what doesn't.
• Make a sketch. A detail sketch if you are artsy & have the time for it or a simple sketch if you still draw stick figures or work 30 plus hours a week. 

My Sketch (Detailed)

•  Pay attention to Chefs demo & write down a list for yourself. Do things the same way he did them: there are specific ways to put together certain pieces such as the rooster so be sure to have a picture for reference.
• Don't be afraid to take things home!!!! My entire doll and butter lamb I did in my living room while watching movies. Not only can you take your time & pay attention to detail but it saves you time in class & can actually be enjoyable (for people who less than love making showpieces). 
• Details are key, BUT do not lose the focal point of your showpiece! The rooster is the star of the show here so don't forget it. I made this mistake with my showpiece & put a lot more time & effort into my doll than my rooster. (This was slightly due to class time restrictions, but still).

  

  Rooster in Polish Folk Dress

Child's Doll in Polish Folk Dress

• Clearly I got a little carried away here and may have overdone the doll, I think she came out beautiful (as all Polish girls are) but she has a tendency to draw your eye away from the rooster.
• Use pieces to connect your base to your rooster (visually) Chef will show you this by placing a blank paper over each half of your showpiece. It is not supposed to look like two separate showpieces, it is one working piece. I used polish folk art themed flowers to connect the bottom half of my showpiece to the top so that things would flow together. 
• When doing multiple pieces of the same idea- keep it uniform. The first flowers I made were a little on the boring side (top right corner)  and the ones I made after were much more detailed & had different textures (bottom left corner). They are both nice to look at.. separately... but not so much together. 
• Don't be afraid to shy away from your sketch if things don't seem to look right after you build them. My initial sketch had only one bottom base, but after seeing how large my doll was I added tall spacers under my base and attached it to a larger base to give it a raised effect.
• Finally  You will screw up. Accept it and work with it, I glued my one of my bases upside down, glued spacers to a base that did not need them (ripped them off as carefully as possible), glued the egg to the dolls chest instead of resting it in her hand,  put my base facing the wrong direction and had to change the side my doll & lamb were on, as well as  countless other stupid little things.  But that is all they are stupid little things, chances are no one will notice these mistakes but you so don't get worked up about it. Improvise, it is not about how perfectly you can make things but about how well you can hide the imperfections.

With these tips I wish you all good luck on your future roosters or any other showpiece you may create.

- Erin Pawliczek

Baguettes: A Benchmark of Excellence?

One reality that we've all got to face as bakers is that each and every employer will have a different way of doing things, and while we may be attached to a certain way of doing things, sometimes you've got to simply accept the method of the man signing your paycheck. One thing that doesn't tend to change too drastically, however, is the ever-present baguette, the pride and joy of the French baker. 

A seemingly renowned and widely accepted standard of the bread-smith is the baguette, a notably long and thin shaped bread with trademark scores down the center, a milky crumb, and a crispy crust. It is a bread rich in history and tradition, and more than likely for helping foster the idea of a bakery standard for all potential bakers to aim for. It was not always so, as there was some controversy over the appropriate shape and weight of the baguette in the late 19th century, but eventually the government of France began to make regulations for the baguette.

In today's baking community you'd be hard pressed to find a baker who doesn't know what a baguette is, and this reason is exactly why we are taught it here in just about every bread lab from freshman to junior year. The baguette is such a commonly known product that it acts as an equalizer for students, and provides a common starting point for those who have had prior experience, and those who may come into Uni with slightly more knowledge.

I've decided to share this video of Chef Hitz teaching my group-mate how to properly score a baguette because I feel if you would but take the time to read into the situation ever so slightly, you'd see learning this technique properly can mean the life and death of a loaf. Consider this situation and truly try to see the importance of the technique illustrated above. 

Its been approximately eighteen hours since you left your poolish to grow over night. After about five total minutes of mixing time and about two and a half hours of total folding, stretching, proofing, and fermentation, one step lies between you and the ever approaching finish line. This last step, is just as, if not more crucial than all the previous steps, although it consumes considerably less time. A few degrees off the correct angle could help your bread expand in a not so favorable way. Instead of a long thin uniform shape you might end up with an oblong, oddly shaped mass of dough that resembles a football that's recently undergone cosmetic surgery at the hands of a lawn-mower. 

I'd like to reiterate for future classes that I am certainly not the best at scoring baguettes, but watching videos like this help me to at least have a good idea of improving my technique and will be part of a "mental mise en place" for BPA 3010. 

Lauren Brown #3

 One point i would like to make with this photo is how terribly dark the onions are. My group made a mistake and attempted to caramelize our onions on a sheet pan in the oven, instead of in a pan on the stove. The oven over cooked our onions and then we still had to cook them even further while on top of the bread. Needless to say, they were over done. Something else that is crucial to keep in mind is do not lose control in your group. Try as hard as possible to remain calm and work as one. The minute you start to split, things will go wrong. Maintain communication and the flow of ideas, that way everyone will always be on the same page. The last few days can get very stressful and it helps a lot to have the support of those in your group. 

-Lauren Brown

Day 8 Evening Post

             As the course comes to an end and I sit here finishing my homework project, I cant help but be proud for the entire class. This lab has alot of work, both in and out of class! Being able to see everyone's finished rooster showpieces and the makings of the marketing showpieces, is inspiring. We came into this class with no previous experience and yet our pieces turned out wonderful! Great job!
            One thing I would like to point out is the interesting techniques that everyone used. Whether it was using a texture mat, an embosser, or an interesting way of creating a certain piece, we all watched each other and some even used that technique in their piece. We learn from each other.
             An issue that chef brought forward was the cleaning of the room. Carelessness seems to become in the forefront of our minds towards the end of the day, however we obviously need to still be responsible and professional...Soo for tomorrow and for other days in the future, we should clean better to portray ourselves as professionals.
             Have a great rest of the night and see you all at 5AM!

For my picture contribution I decided to include an image of my group's final model interpretation of our marketing showpiece.  I know personally when I was making and assembling my rooster it was a bit difficult to visualize how it would look in a three dimensional version rather than a sketch.  because of  this it took some time to figure out how big I should create some elements and figure out how they would fit together in the finished showpiece.  While this was less challenging in a relatively small design such as the rooster, a more defined plan must be made in creating anything bigger and that is where the 3D model comes in.  The model was vital in creating the design of the showpiece as it allowed us to not only view our ideas in a true to reality way, but also share them with chef in order to gain his input.  This then allowed us to manipulate the physical elements of the model in order to create a final version.  Going into the production of this showpiece I feel less stressed knowing exactly what has to be made and knowing its exact final placement on the piece.  This way we are sure that design has a focal point, good flow, and stability before working with the delicate and fragile dead dough pieces.  Going into the day of assembly I am slightly nervous but mostly excited to see how our final piece will turn out.

I decided to upload a picture of my finished rooster showpiece.  I really enjoyed designing and constructing this piece.  While assembling it in class this past Thursday it dawned on me how important a sound structure and base is to the overall success of a showpiece.  And so the glueing began... I started by glueing the red copula together to see how that would work.  My advice if trying to construct a structure like this is to glue the sides of the house together and the roof.  Do not glue the bottom of the copula until the roof has been secured, this will allow you to reach inside to secure the roof more easily.  If you are lucky enough to have petite hands then you can afford to make thus mistake, but it will be much more challenging.  While securing the all of the larger components into place was challenging, it is all worth it once you start placing the small detailed pieces on the showpiece.  This is when your vision truly comes to life, and showpiece you have been worrying, dreaming about, thinking about non stop finally takes shape.  Overall I am proud of my showpiece and am happy with the finished product. I learned the importance of planning in advance and visualizing the showpiece as a whole, not just separate components.  And so after lots of hard work and even more hot glue, my first ever dead dough showpiece is complete!

After completing day 8 my group mates have made the 3 bases and the major components of the marketing showpiece and round one of the donuts.  Learning the lesson the hard way I found out there is no such thing as enough research.   Meeting outside of class my group planning, sketch and are executing the donut showpiece now.  Having a concrete idea, plan, sketch and model makes the transition so much easier, and when you have four people working together, the entire process becomes easier.  Also being a group that communicates efficiently and works well to together some of the stress we felt has dissipated for our individual rooster from day 7.  Hopefully I feel less stressed and more confident throughout the day tomorrow as we complete our marketing showpiece. 

Here are a few pictures I think future students should see and learn from. The first picture may not look like much but it could make your life a lot easier if you get into this habit. If you know you are going to need a bunch of tools and materials, always prep a tray with everything before you begin your tasks for the day. This will be a lot of help because you will not be wasting time trying to find the tools you need or run around the lab in search of something you could of already had set aside beforehand. This is something I could have been better at doing. I felt like I wasted a lot of time trying to find the things I needed and running around the lab. This lost time could have been used to perfect details for my showpiece and not rush the pieces I had to make. The next picture is key to scoring your baguettes perfectly. Baguettes may seem simple but to be ideal they must be mixed, fermented, shaped, proofed, scored, and baked properly. Now scoring may not sound so difficult but it may make or break your baguette if not done properly. Those two black lines on the baguette in the picture are guidelines to creating the perfect score mark width. The statement practice makes perfect is no joke when it comes to scoring. I have not mastered the perfect score marks yet and still have a lot of learning to do after three years. The last picture seems random but I chose this picture because, yes chef is just giving a demo, but the student in the photo is doing what every student should do. TAKING NOTES. Always always always takes notes!! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you may only learn this technique once. Plus it helps to have notes to be able to look back on when it comes time for you to recreate that item. We are spending all this money on school and shouldn't you be able to take everything you can away from it? YES. Detailed notes and photographs are ideal because someday you may need to make this item for a boss or job interview. I always take notes and write down as much information as possible because I do not just want to get an education but remember what I learned and be able to recreate it years down the road. So, future students, read this and remember to always prep what you can ahead of time, do not worry if your baguettes do not come out perfectly the first time just keep that guideline in your head and you will get better, and lastly take notes because it will only help you in the long run. 

One last thing...

Feeling rusty on your shaping skills? Before beginning this lab segment I would recommend to look back on your notes and review from previous classes. This lab is not just about the decorative dough. Here is a video that will help. Although I am now a junior and have taken all of my required bread labs for my bachelors degree, I find I need to relearn the techniques. Shaping bread may seem straight forward, but its like anything in life…the more you practice the more you refine your skill. It covers everything from weighing, to dividing, proofing, preshaping and final shaping. Every step of bread baking matters. There is a specific order of sequence for a reason. For example, the way you divide the bread determines how much product you produce. If you divide carefully and split the extra dough between the pieces you will have less to no waste. Or if you are dividing rolls and half are a different size than the other half, the bread becomes a product you could no longer sell due to uneven sizes and unfair quantities for the customers. Remember, things like this will help you succeed throughout production. If I had viewed a video like this prior to this lab I would have avoided some of the mistakes my group and I had made, however, by making those mistakes I will be less likely to repeat them in the future. Hopefully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgqPli_sLLM

Although I have not completed much from last post due to the weekend, I have some final tips. When creating your decorations for your showpieces, make double of everything. That is, if its not too time consuming. I had made a few of my decorations for my rooster at home and one of them broke before I got to class. Luckily, I had made another, which saved me time in lab. On the day of assembly don’t save too much to do. Gluing the structural pieces together as well as placing the decorations takes more time than you may think. Limiting your time while assembling could increase your chance of mistakes.  And one last thing…have fun:)

Goodluck future bread bakers.