The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

Mmmm.... sweets!

breadmonster's picture

Please help! My croissants are struggling!

April 15, 2021 - 11:07pm -- breadmonster
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Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

I need help! I've been trying the Dominique Ansel method for croissants, and am unable to solve the issue with the crumb that you can see in the above picture, specifically:

  1. Crumb layers aren't well defined and are quite thick
  2. A large hole in the top

I've followed all the advice I can find, including working with cold dough / butter, increasing hydration etc, but I'm still not getting the elusive honeycomb. Below is a photo of their exteriors. 

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Abelbreadgallery's picture

Mexican Conchas

April 11, 2021 - 4:39pm -- Abelbreadgallery
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Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

I was in Mexicali these days, helping a friend of mine that is opening a bakery only a few steps from Calexico. He asked me to make some mexican conchas, even I am not mexican. I think the result was quite good. Pretty awesome!

Conchas consist on two doughs. The main dough is a Pain Bioché dough (enriched bread or lean brioche), and the cover is a combination of white shortening, flour and icing sugar in equal parts. Then you add the colour and the flavour that you want. We made Cocoa conchas and Matcha Tea conchas. Brown and green like the Ninja Turtles.

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Natosha Jacobs's picture

Elements of an Ideal Pastry Kitchen

February 23, 2021 - 10:40pm -- Natosha Jacobs
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Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

I'm hoping my fellow baking enthusiasts will chime in here with some advice.

If you were to outfit a kitchen to be able to indulge the whims of a pastry enthusiast, what would you include? Interests encompass everything from bread and sourdough to French pastry and the occasional sugar work project.

(Granted, said kitchen also needs to be the family kitchen where dinner gets cooked, preserving happens, and lunches are packed)

Feel free to include specific brand/appliance suggestions, optimal surfaces, arrangements, heights and storage suggestions.

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Lemonie's picture

Hot Cross Buns tweak

February 21, 2021 - 12:43pm -- Lemonie
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Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

I have made some hot cross buns for the first time and am unsure which part of this recipe is making the buns a bit dense.

Adjusted from BBC Good Food recipe

 

300ml whole milk

50g butter 

500g bread flour

1 tsp salt

75g caster sugar

1Tbsp oil

7g yeast

1 egg, beaten

**20g malt extract - syrup form (addition)

**150g sultanas - pre-soaked (was 75g but that was no where near enough plus I pre-soaked them)

50g mixed peel

zest of 1 orange

**2 tsp mixed spice (doubled)

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fighter4sro's picture

How do I get a fine-pored castella?

February 12, 2021 - 12:51pm -- fighter4sro
Forums: 
Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

Hello my lovely Community,

I am new to this forum but I have the feeling that some of you could help me with my castella issue.
For the last few months I was trying to bake a castella cake but I am still not happy with the texture and smell.

The common sponge cake made in China is the Ranli Shougong. As you can see on the picture it has a very fine-pored texture and is a very fluffy and spongy cake.
Totally different than mine.

 

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The Roadside Pie King's picture

Morning Dim Sum

January 14, 2021 - 1:51pm -- The Roadside Pi...
Forums: 
Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries

Fun times. So I signed up for CSA farm share. One vegetable share, one meat share, and 1/2 of an egg share, (every other week.) Monday, I made candy cane beats and sauteed collard greens, not pie club suitable.  Today I made,

Morning Dim Sum Purple daikon radish & Hakurei turnup pastry! (Hand pies)

Look at the layers!

Looking up recipes is going to be a blast!

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