Lesson 1Dough and butter selection: fat types, block vs sheeted butter, water content and gluten strengthThis part explains how flour power, butter kind, bend, and water mix in layered doughs, guiding you to pick fats, butter shapes, and water levels for clean layers and good 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 amounts and layer math, showing how fold steps make layer numbers and how choices change lift, open inside, eat feel, and make 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 teaches you to run sheeters and rollers safe and good, covering dough thick goals, thin steps, flour dust, trim, and straight scaling and split 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, covering, and fast freeze for layered items, plus store, move, and reheat ways that keep lift, flake, and eat good in sent 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 problems and links each to main causes and fixes, helping adjust dough, layering, proof, and bake to quick bring back steady product 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 mix and cooling, explaining mix build, dough heat, rest times, and cool plans that handle gluten power and stop butter move in 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 bake settings for layered pastry, with deck and fan ovens, air flow, steam handle, heat paths, and times for full lift, even colour, and crisp soft inside.
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, with layer count, butter spread, leak spot, wet, and feel, using cut tests, weigh, and taste check to keep steady marks.
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 balance gas make, butter hard, and last oven lift.
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 double turns, book letter folds, and sets best fold numbers for shop croissants, balancing layer clear, butter good, dough power, and make 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