Holy Ovens!

Chef Belinda Brooks doesn’t mess around. She’s a straight-talking, matter-of-fact woman and she knows how to bake. Good thing she’s my chef instructor for Introduction to Baking and Pastry for my stint in Culinary School. I have been looking forward to this class more than any other.

The lecture started out with information on flour, sugar, fats and leaveners. All very interesting stuff, but I just couldn’t wait to get down to the pastry kitchen. My station (that’s right, my station; I do not have to share!) is equipped with a Kitchenaid mixer, an induction burner, large butcher block table top, drying racks below the counter, and cooking utensils and implements galore. I’m in heaven.

And man alive, would you take a look at the deck ovens. I’ve never seen such a glorious sight!

Surprising to say, but I had never made biscuits. They came together so easily, that I don’t know why I hadn’t made them before. The secret to buttery, flaky biscuits is to handle them as little as possible before rolling them out and getting them into the oven.

On to scones, a form of biscuit, but the recipe usually incorporates some sugar and fruit or nuts, or on the
savory side, perhaps some herbs and cheese. The scones turned out great, and I was everyone’s best friend at work the next day since I brought in the leftovers!

Sweet Cherry Scones
150g bread flour

150g pastry flour
37.5g sugar
3g salt
18g baking powder
120g butter – COLD
45g egg (about 1 egg)
135g milk
dried fruit
egg wash (whole egg and water)
pearl sugar

1 Scale ingredients.

2 Combine flours, sugar, salt and baking powder with paddle attachment.
3 Cut in butter and add wet ingredients (egg, milk) until just combined.
4 Mix in dried fruit.
5 Knead lightly by pressing it out and folding. Push into sprayed pie pan and mark into 8 pieces. Label.
6 Chill dough in pie pan for about 30 minutes.
7 Place wedges on labeled paper-lined sheet pan. Egg wash the tops, but do not let drip down sides.
8 Egg wash the tops, but do not let drip down sides. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.
9 Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

The kitchen was hot our first day, but Chef Brooks promised that it would only be getting hotter! Can’t wait to see what else comes out of these ovens!