Lesson 1Hydration, gluten formation and how ingredients affect textureDiscover how water, milk, and other liquids mix with flour proteins and starches. Grasp gluten building, mixing ways, and how fats, sugars, and acids alter chewiness, flakiness, and crumb in various 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 proper storage for flours, fats, nuts, dairy, and raising agents. Know their shelf life, when they go rancid or lose strength, and spot easy spoilage signs to keep your pastries tasty, uniform, 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 rolesDive into how various sugars act in pastry. Understand sweetness, crystallisation, moisture pull, and how icing sugar, granulated, brown, and invert sugars impact softness, colour, spread, and keeping quality in bakes.
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 flavourings shape pastry. Learn to balance sweetness, manage gluten and browning, and build scents with extracts, citrus peels, spices, and brews without ruining structure or feel.
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 adjustmentsGain confidence reading and changing pastry recipes. Practice reading baker’s notes, working out yields, switching units, and adjusting ratios for tin size, height above sea level, and wanted texture while maintaining 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 fat levels, workability, melting points, and taste, and how handling temperature affects flakiness, airiness, spread, and mouthfeel in doughs and fillings.
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 items and non-dairy options in pastry. Learn fat amounts, proteins, and stabilisers, and how they affect whipping, thickening, browning, and mouthfeel in fillings, custards, and bakes.
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 for exact pastry mixing. Learn to list ingredients against flour, scale up or down, compare mixes, and fix texture by tweaking water, fat, and sugar amounts.
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, leavenersReview key pastry ingredients and their roles. Understand how flours, fats, sugars, eggs, dairy, and leaveners give structure, softness, moisture, and flavour so you pick and swap wisely.
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 foamingGrasp how whole eggs, yolks, and whites work in pastry. Learn setting, mixing fats and liquids, and foaming, and how mixing, heat, and sugar affect structure 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
