Lesson 1Dough and butter selection: fat types, block vs sheeted butter, water content and gluten strengthThis part explains how flour power, butter kind, softness, and water mix in layered doughs, guiding you to pick fats, butter shapes, and water levels for clean layers and smooth 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 characteristicsThis part teaches butter-to-dough ratios and layering maths, showing how fold steps make layer numbers and how choices affect rise, open crumb, taste, and output speed.
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 throughputThis part trains you to use sheeters and rollers safely and well, covering dough thickness goals, thinning steps, flour use, trimming, and straight scaling and dividing for steady big 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 distributionThis part explains half baking, cooling, wrapping, and quick freezing for layered items, plus storage, moving, and reheating steps that keep rise, flakiness, and taste in spread products.
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 stepsThis part lists usual layered pastry issues and links each to causes and fixes, helping you tweak dough, layering, proofing, and baking to quickly get back steady quality.
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 migrationThis part focuses on base dough recipe and chilling, explaining mix building, dough heat, rest times, and cooling ways that manage gluten power and stop butter moving 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 timingThis part covers baking settings for layered pastry, including deck and fan ovens, air flow, steam handling, heat plans, 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 testingThis part sets quality stops for layered pastry, including layer count, butter spread, leaks, moisture, and feel, using cuts, weights, and taste checks to keep 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 developmentThis part details rest and proof plans that guard layers, covering dough relax, heat and wet ranges, proof times, and balancing gas make, butter firmness, and final 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 croissantsThis part compares single and double turns, book and letter folds, and sets best fold numbers for shop croissants, balancing layer clearness, butter hold, dough power, and speed in big lines.
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
