Lesson 1Dough and butter selection: fat types, block vs sheeted butter, water content and gluten strengthExplains how flour power, butter kinds, pliability, and moisture play together in layered doughs. Guides you on picking fats, butter shapes, and water levels for sharp layers and easy rolling.
Flour protein level and gluten strengthEuropean vs American style buttersBlock butter vs sheeted butter handlingWater content, plasticity, and chill pointAlternative fats and flavor considerationsLesson 2Butter-to-dough ratio, lamination math and desired lift characteristicsTeaches fat-to-dough ratios and layering calculations, showing how folds build layers and affect rise, crumb openness, taste, and efficiency.
Typical butter-to-dough ratios by productCalculating layers from fold sequencesBalancing lift, richness, and costAdjusting ratios for line constraintsDocumenting formulas for repeatabilityLesson 3Sheeter and rolling equipment use, dough handling, and inline scaling/dividing for high throughputTrains safe, efficient use of sheeters and rollers, covering thickness goals, reduction stages, dusting, trimming, and on-line scaling for steady high output.
Sheeter setup, safety, and sanitationStepwise reduction and thickness targetsManaging dough tension and shrinkageFlouring, dust removal, and scrap useInline cutting, scaling, and portion controlLesson 4Enrobbing and freezing: partial bake, blast freezing, and reheating protocols for distributionCovers partial baking, cooling, coating, and quick-freezing for layered goods, plus storage, shipping, and warming steps to keep rise, flake, and flavour in distributed items.
Par-bake parameters for frozen productsCooling and moisture equilibration stepsBlast freezing curves and core targetsPackaging, storage, and transport rulesRebake and reheat instructions for clientsLesson 5Common faults for laminated pastry and targeted corrective stepsLists usual layered pastry issues, tying each to causes and fixes, so you can tweak dough, layering, proofing, and baking to restore quality fast.
Poor lift and dense internal crumbButter blowouts and side leakageIrregular or collapsed layer structureGreasy mouthfeel and oily bottomsUneven color, blistering, and spottingLesson 6Detrempe formulation and chilling schedule to control gluten and butter migrationFocuses on base dough recipes and cooling plans, covering mix build, temp control, rests, and strategies to manage gluten and stop butter creep during layering.
Target dough temperature at mixer exitMixing time and gluten development levelSalt, sugar, and fat effects in detrempeChill schedule between lamination turnsPreventing butter smearing and greasingLesson 7Baking for laminated pastry: oven types, convection effects, steam or dry bake, temperature profiles and bake timingDetails baking settings for layered pastries, including deck/convection ovens, air flow, steam or dry, heat curves, and times for full rise, even colour, and crisp-tender crumb.
Deck vs rack and convection oven behaviorLoading patterns and airflow managementSteam quantity, timing, and ventingTemperature curves for different sizesColor, internal set, and bake-out testsLesson 8Quality checks: layer count verification, butter distribution, leakage detection, moisture and texture testingDefines checks for layered pastry quality like layer numbers, butter spread, leaks, moisture, texture using cuts, weights, and taste tests for steady standards.
Counting and verifying layer structureChecking butter distribution and voidsDetecting butter leakage and greasingMeasuring moisture and water activityTexture, flakiness, and bite assessmentLesson 9Resting and proofing: temperature and humidity control to optimize oven spring and layer developmentDetails rest and proof plans that safeguard layers, covering dough relax, temp/humidity ranges, times, balancing gas, butter firmness, and oven rise.
Bench rest after mixing and laminationRetarder and retarder-proofer settingsTarget proof temperature and humidityVisual and tactile proofing indicatorsPreventing butter melt and layer collapseLesson 10Lamination techniques: single vs double turns, book vs letter fold, number of folds for commercial croissantsCompares single/double turns, book/letter folds, and best fold numbers for shop croissants, balancing layers, butter hold, dough strength, and line speed.
Single turn method and layer outcomeDouble turn method and layer outcomeBook vs letter fold: when to choose eachFold count targets for croissant linesAvoiding over-lamination and tough crumb
