Lesson 1Dough and butter selection: fat types, block vs sheeted butter, water content and gluten strengthThis lesson explains flour strength, butter kinds, plasticity, and water levels in laminated doughs, helping you pick fats, butter forms, and hydration for sharp layers and easy sheeting.
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 lesson covers butter-to-dough ratios and lamination calculations, illustrating how fold patterns build layers and affect lift, 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 throughputThis lesson trains you on safe, efficient sheeter and roller operation, including thickness goals, reduction stages, flouring, trimming, and inline scaling for steady high-volume results.
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 lesson details partial baking, cooling, enrobing, and blast freezing for laminated goods, plus storage, transport, and reheating to retain lift, flakiness, and quality in supply chains.
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 lesson lists typical laminated pastry issues, linking them to causes and remedies, so you can tweak dough, lamination, proofing, and baking for quick quality recovery.
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 lesson stresses detrempe mixes and chilling, covering mix development, dough temp, rests, and cooling to manage gluten and curb butter movement in lamination.
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 lesson addresses baking for laminated pastry, covering deck/convection ovens, airflow, steam, temp curves, and timing for full lift, 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 lesson sets quality checks for laminated pastry like layer count, butter spread, leaks, moisture, and texture via cuts, weights, and senses 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 optimise oven spring and layer developmentThis lesson details resting and proofing to safeguard lamination, covering relaxation, temp-humidity ranges, times, and balancing gas, butter firmness, and oven spring.
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 lesson compares single/double turns, book/letter folds, and optimal folds for commercial croissants, balancing layers, butter, strength, and speed in high-volume setups.
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
