Lesson 1Hydration, gluten formation and how ingredients affect textureLearn how water, milk, and other liquids mix with flour proteins and starches. Understand how gluten grows, mixing ways, and how fats, sugars, and acids change chewiness, flakiness, and crumb in different pastry types.
Hydration levels and dough consistencyGluten formation and how to limit itAutolyse, resting, and dough relaxationEffects of fat, sugar, and eggs on glutenMixing methods: stirring, creaming, foldingLesson 2Ingredient storage, shelf life, and simple spoilage signsLearn how to keep flours, fats, nuts, dairy, and rising agents safe. Understand how long they last, when they go bad, and lose strength, and spot easy signs of spoilage so your pastries stay the same, tasty, and safe to eat.
Dry storage: flour, sugar, and leavenersRefrigeration and freezing best practicesProtecting fats and nuts from rancidityRecognizing off smells, colors, and texturesLabeling, dating, and rotation systemsLesson 3Sugar chemistry: confectioners, granulated, invert, and their rolesLook into how different sugars act in pastry. Learn sweetness amounts, how they form crystals, pull in moisture, and how confectioners, granulated, brown, and invert sugars affect softness, color, spread, and how long baked things last.
Comparing granulated, brown, and confectioners’ sugarInvert sugar, glucose, and corn syrup functionsSugar’s role in tenderness, spread, and moistureCaramelization, Maillard browning, and colorSugar and crystallization control in candiesLesson 4Salt, acids, and flavorings: balancing taste and dough behaviorFind out how salt, acids, and flavorings shape pastry. Learn to balance sweetness, control gluten and browning, and add smells using extracts, zests, spices, and infusions without making the structure or feel too strong.
Salt’s role in flavor and gluten controlAcids: buttermilk, yogurt, and citrus juicesVinegar and cream of tartar in doughsUsing extracts, zests, and whole spicesBalancing sweetness, richness, and acidityLesson 5Reading and adapting recipes: yield calculation, unit conversion, and ratio adjustmentsBuild trust in reading and changing pastry recipes. Practice understanding baker notes, calculating amounts, changing units, and adjusting parts for pan size, height, and wanted feel while keeping balance.
Decoding recipe structure and key cuesConverting between volume and weight unitsAdjusting yields and pan sizes safelyTweaking sugar, fat, and liquid ratiosAdapting recipes for altitude and ovensLesson 6Fat types and working temperatures: butter vs margarine vs shorteningCompare butter, margarine, and shortening in pastry. Learn about fat amount, bendability, melting point, and taste, and how working heat and handling affect flakiness, air, spread, and mouthfeel in doughs and creams.
Butter composition, grades, and water contentMargarine and shortening: pros and consPlasticity, melting point, and flakinessIdeal fat temperatures for mixing methodsPreventing greasy, dense, or oily texturesLesson 7Dairy and alternatives: milk vs cream, stabilizers, and fat content impactLook at dairy products and non-dairy choices in pastry. Learn fat parts, proteins, and stabilizers, and how they change whipping, thickening, browning, and mouthfeel in creams, custards, and baked goods.
Milk types, fat levels, and pastry usesCream types and whipping performanceEvaporated, condensed, and powdered milkNon-dairy milks and vegan cream optionsStabilizers, emulsifiers, and label readingLesson 8Principles of baker’s percentages and scaling recipesMaster baker’s percentages as a way for exact pastry making. Learn to show ingredients compared to flour, scale recipes big or small, compare mixes, and fix feel by changing water, fat, and sugar levels.
Defining baker’s percentages by flour weightConverting a recipe into baker’s percentagesScaling formulas for any batch sizeAdjusting hydration, fat, and sugar levelsUsing percentages to compare dough stylesLesson 9Properties and functions of common ingredients: flours, fats, sugars, eggs, dairy, leavenersLook over main pastry ingredients and what they do. Understand how flours, fats, sugars, eggs, dairy, and rising agents give shape, softness, wetness, and taste so you can pick and change them on purpose.
Flour types, protein levels, and usesFats for tenderness, flakiness, and flavorSugars for sweetness, color, and moistureEggs for structure, richness, and glossDairy and leaveners in crumb developmentLesson 10Egg science: whole eggs, yolks, whites — emulsification, structure, and foamingUnderstand how whole eggs, yolks, and whites act in pastry. Learn how they thicken, mix fats and water, and foam, and how mixing, heat, and sugar affect shape in cakes, custards, meringues, and rich doughs.
Egg composition: whites, yolks, and whole eggsCoagulation temperatures and curdling preventionEggs as emulsifiers in batters and custardsWhipping egg whites: stages and stabilityUsing eggs for richness, color, and shine
