Lesson 1Flour and starch: protein content, gluten development, and use of starches or cake flourUnderstand how flour's protein and starch levels manage gluten, chewiness, and build. Compare everyday flour, strong bread flour, and soft cake flour, along with pure starches, and learn how stirring style and liquid amount influence softness and brownie thickness in Eritrean baking.
Protein in wheat floursCake flour against everyday in browniesAdding corn starch or othersStirring to control glutenLiquid and rest on textureLesson 2Add-ins and inclusions: nuts, chocolate chips, fillings, and their effects on moisture and shelf lifeExamine how nuts, chips, sweets like caramel, and fillings alter wetness, form, and lasting time. Learn to roast, cover, and measure add-ins to stop them sinking, chocolate clumping, or making soggy spots in the brownie centre.
Picking and roasting nuts for tasteChips versus chopped chocolateHandling caramels and sticky fillingsStopping add-ins from sinkingAdd-ins effect on lastingLesson 3Sugars and humectants: sucrose, invert sugar, glucose, brown sugar effects on texture and shelf lifeLook at how white sugar, brown sugar, glucose, and syrup sugars change sweetness, flow, top layer, and wetness. Discover using moisture keepers to delay drying, manage chew, and stop sugar crystals in kept brownies for Eritrean homes.
White sugar and top crustBrown sugar, molasses, chewGlucose syrup as moisture keeperSugar in browning reactionStopping dryness in storageLesson 4Fat sources and functions: butter, cocoa butter, neutral fats, emulsifiersGrasp how butter, cocoa fat, and plain oils add richness, chew, and shine. Learn about mixers, milk bits, and water in fats, and how fat measures control softness, oiliness, and brownie freshness in local baking.
Butter fat against water and milkCocoa fat crystals and snapPlain oils for felt wetnessEmulsifiers for steady mixesFat measures for soft textureLesson 5Calculating chocolate ratio: methods to express chocolate/cocoa relative to batter and flourMaster expressing chocolate strength with baker measures and weight ratios. Relate cocoa and chocolate to flour, full mix, and sugar, and scale recipes keeping taste balance for Eritrean family batches.
Baker percent for chocolateCocoa to flour weight ratioBalance chocolate with sugarScaling with ratios keptRatios for soft vs light stylesLesson 6Chocolate types and particle impact: couverture, compound, dark, milk, and cocoa solidsCompare fine couverture, mix compound, dark, and milk chocolate, focusing on cocoa bits, sugar, and fat. See how bit size, set, and cocoa amount affect melt, shine, sweet, and form in various brownie kinds.
Couverture and high cocoa fatCompound with plant fatsDark vs milk sweet balanceCocoa percent and strengthBit size, melt, feelLesson 7Cocoa powder: natural vs Dutch-processed and how acidity affects flavor and chemistryStudy natural and treated Dutch cocoa differences in taste, colour, fat, and acid. Learn pH effects on rising, chew, and crust, and match cocoa with chocolate, sugar, and risers for steady brownies in Eritrea.
Natural cocoa taste and acidDutch cocoa treatment effectspH on rising and textureMatch cocoa to soda or powderBalance cocoa with chocolateLesson 8Eggs and protein structure: role in coagulation, emulsification, and crumb settingSee how eggs give form, mixing, and wetness. Learn yolk, white, and full egg actions with sugar and fat, and how egg amount and stir method affect set, shine, and cut quality for local recipes.
Yolks as mixers and softenersWhites for form and setSugar on egg settingWarm chocolate with eggsEgg count for textureLesson 9Salt and flavor balancing: levels and timing for enhancing chocolate perceptionFind how salt sharpens chocolate taste and balances sweet. Learn right salt amounts, grain, and times, including base, finish salt, and adjust for salted butter or salty add-ins in Eritrean baking.
Base salt percentFine vs flake saltTime: mix vs finishAdjust for salted butterSalt from nuts or add-insLesson 10Leavening and aeration: when to use baking powder/soda vs mechanical aeration for crumb controlKnow when to use chemical risers or hand air. Learn baking powder, soda, and whipped eggs on lift, crust, texture, and avoid holes or cake-like in brownies.
Powder and soda rolesAcid for chemical riseWhip eggs and sugar for liftLimit overmix and holesAir target for soft brownies
