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 influence chewiness, flakiness, and crumb in various pastry types for better baking.
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 raising agents safe. Understand their shelf life, when they go bad like rancid, and spot easy signs of spoilage so your pastries remain tasty, uniform, and safe to eat every time.
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 different sugars act in pastry. Learn about their sweetness, how they crystallize, absorb moisture, and how icing sugar, granulated, brown, and invert sugars impact softness, colour, spread, and lasting freshness in baked treats.
Comparing granulated, brown, and confectioners’ sugarInvert sugar, glucose, and corn syrup functionsSugar’s role in tenderness, spread, and moistureCaramelization, Maillard browning, and colourSugar and crystallization control in candiesLesson 4Salt, acids, and flavorings: balancing taste and dough behaviourFind out how salt, acids, and flavourings shape your pastry. Learn to balance sweetness, manage gluten and browning, and build scents using extracts, citrus peels, spices, and infusions without ruining the structure or feel.
Salt’s role in flavour 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 in reading and tweaking pastry recipes. Practice understanding baker’s notes, working out yields, changing units, and adjusting ratios for pan 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 work. Learn about their fat amount, flexibility, melting point, 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 products and non-dairy options in pastry. Learn fat levels, proteins, and stabilizers, and how they affect whipping, thickening, browning, and mouthfeel in fillings, custards, and baked goods for tasty results.
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 accurate pastry mixing. Learn to show ingredients based on flour weight, scale recipes bigger or smaller, compare mixes, and fix texture by changing 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 main pastry ingredients and their key roles. Understand how flours, fats, sugars, eggs, dairy, and raising agents give structure, softness, moisture, and flavour so you can pick and swap them wisely.
Flour types, protein levels, and usesFats for tenderness, flakiness, and flavourSugars for sweetness, colour, 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 about setting, mixing fats and liquids, and foaming, and how stirring, 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, colour, and shine
