Becoming a Pastry Chef: From Student to Professional
Nowadays, there are a lot of television shows about cakes, pastries, and desserts. It can be easy to fall into fantasies about sparkling sweet confections, drizzled with chocolate and sculpted from fondant. However, becoming a pastry chef is hard work. You'll have to create a variety of pastries and gain experience using different pastry supplies. In addition, if you don’t receive a scholarship, there can be a heavy financial burden.
Before you take the leap into a new career, it’s a good idea to do some research first. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to attend baking and pastry school, the best way to get a sense of the experience is to talk with someone who’s lived it.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Kajal Narang, who graduated from the pastry program at L’Academie de Cuisine and is now working as a pastry chef at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Her journey from pastry student to pastry chef required a lot of hard work and dedication. Through this interview, she gave us an idea of what it’s really like to attend pastry school, and what advice becomes especially useful as you enter a career in this industry.
Pastry Chef FAQs
We asked Kajal some of the most common questions an aspiring pastry chef might have before enrolling in a culinary program. Here’s what she had to say.
Q: How long is pastry school?
A: The pastry program at my school was only 1 year long and 6 months of that year was at an externship at a hotel, restaurant, or catering company of your choice. 6 months will give you the foundation you need, but it won't make you an expert in all things pastry (or savory). Working on your skills outside of school will only help you succeed further in the industry.
Q: What hours do pastry chefs work?
A: Sometimes I have 15 hour days because as soon as I get out of school, I go to work at a bakery. By the time I get off work, my back hurts and my feet are aching, but I live for that feeling. I thrive off of the exhaustion and it feels like an adrenaline rush. It takes up most of my day so I don’t sit around all day watching Food Network, just dreaming of making those dishes.
Q: How much experience is required going into pastry school?
A: I know there are some of you out there who don’t know whether or not to choose culinary school because of your level of experience. While experience is probably one of the most important things in food service, it is called culinary school for a reason; if you knew everything, then you wouldn’t be there. I’m not very experienced myself, but I learn new things every single day. I firmly believe that if you are passionate about cooking or baking, then culinary school is definitely the way to go.
Going to culinary school has helped me get a basic understanding and knowledge of pastry. It laid out a foundation for me that has ultimately helped to shape my career into what it is today. I was provided with the tools and knowledge from some great instructors to kick-start my career in the industry. I feel that going to culinary school has helped me learn and understand the functions of ingredients and which flavor profiles work and don't work together.
Q: What is the best part of pastry school?
A: The one thing that I love about the food industry, other than the food itself, is the people. I’ve never been at a school where I see ages range so widely. Anyone can enter the food industry at any age. I encounter people of all different skill levels and different walks of life, and it’s great! I personally love meeting new people, so working with my classmates or eating lunch with the culinary students is always a blast. I love hearing others’ opinions about food and school, because everyone’s view is different.
Additional Tips for Success in Pastry School
- Arrive early and help out whenever or wherever you are needed.
- Develop relationships with instructors as well as classmates. These are the people that will help you and motivate you to succeed in the industry.
- Keep up with the notes and homework. Making delicious pastries is only one part of culinary school; writing recipes and maintaining your notebook is a big part of your grade.
- Work hard and stay humble. Graduating from culinary school doesn't automatically make you a chef. Know when to ask for help and realize that the chefs that you are working with or learning from have worked long and hard to get to where they are today; learn as much as you can from them.
As you can see, becoming a pastry chef requires a lot of dedication, hard work, and long hours. But if you truly have a passion for the craft and are willing to put in the time and effort, pastry school can be a rewarding experience. We are glad to hear that Kajal is enjoying her career and we wish her all the best for her future.
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What Is Sourdough Starter?
Composed of fermented flour and water, a sourdough starter is a leavening agent that uses naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria to make baked goods rise. While it's most commonly used to make the type of bread we know as sourdough, you can use a sourdough starter instead of yeast or baking soda to make delicious pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, and cookies. Whether you’re starting a bakery or operating a restaurant, learning how to make a sourdough starter will set you above your competition. We explain the basics about sourdough starters, how to make them, and how to keep them alive and usable. Skip to the sourdough information that most interests you: How to Make Sourdough Starter Sourdough Starter Recipe How to Use Sourdough Starter How to Store Sourdough Starter How Do I Know If My Sourdough Starter Is Bad? Sourdough Starter FAQ How to Make Sourdough Starter Use the following video to learn how to make your own sourdough starter: <iframe itemprop="embedURL" width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U74OBHxaZac?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Sourdough Starter Recipe Bread leavened with a sourdough starter offers flavor complexity and digestive benefits from the fermentation process. Read on to learn how to make a sourdough starter. How Does Sourdough Starter Work? Sourdough starters begin working when you mix liquid and flour. Mixing liquid into flour activates the friendly bacteria and wild yeast living in both your flour and your surrounding environment. Once activated, these microorganisms produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which make your bread rise. Additionally, they generate flavor-rich lactic and acetic acids in your bread. Because it is an entirely natural process, sourdough starters take longer to leaven bread than store-bought yeasts. The extended fermentation time improves the flavor and texture of the bread. Additionally, bread leavened by a sourdough starter contains high volumes of folate, antioxidants, and comparatively lower phytate levels, which help the body absorb nutrients. What Special Equipment Do I Need? Non-Reactive Container - A non-reactive container is essential for storing your sourdough starter. We recommend using a non-reactive container made of see-through material so you can observe your sourdough starter’s progress. Select a minimum 1-quart capacity container to provide space for your sourdough starter to expand. Baker’s Portion Scale - You need a baker’s portion scale to ensure accurate ratios. Measuring cups leave too great a margin of error. Sourdough Starter Ingredients Whole grain flour contains wild yeast, which is vital for giving your sourdough starter life. There are many types of flour to choose from, so select the whole-grain flour that meets your flavor preference. Water between 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit creates a welcoming environment for good bacteria and wild yeast to live and grow. While some baking aficionados swear by distilled water, tap water will normally suffice. If your tap water has a chemical odor indicating heavy treatment, opt for distilled water. Sourdough Starter Directions Following a sourdough starter recipe is a lengthy, rather than complex, process. Since it is a living organism, cultivating a sourdough starter is much like growing a plant or caring for a pet; you have to feed and water it. Follow our step-by-step sourdough starter recipe instructions and cultivate a healthy and effective sourdough leavening agent. Day 1 To set up your sourdough starter, follow the steps below: Weigh 113 grams (just shy of 1 cup) of whole wheat flour and 113 grams (1/2 cup) of room temperature water. Combine flour and water in 1-quart capacity, see-through, non-reactive container. Stir until no dry flour remains. Loosely cover container. Leave mixture to rest for 24 hours. The room it occupies should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. What Should a Sourdough Starter Look Like on Day 1? On the first day, a sourdough starter should look like a wet dough with thoroughly incorporated flour. What Should a Sourdough Starter Smell Like on Day 1? On day one, the new sourdough starter will have a minimal aroma. It should smell like fresh, wholesome grains. Day 2 On the second day, follow these steps to continue developing your sourdough starter: Whether you begin to see bubbling or your starter is still dormant, discard 113 grams (approximately 1/2 cup). Add 113 grams worth of your chosen flour and 113 grams of water. Mix ingredients. Let rest at room temperature for 24 hours. What Should a Sourdough Starter Look Like on Day 2? Your sourdough starter may have slightly expanded or formed small bubbles by the second day, but it is perfectly normal for no activity to have occurred. What Should a Sourdough Starter Smell Like on Day 2? There should be no strong smells coming from your sourdough starter on day two. Day 3 <!--- <div class="right"> <img src="//cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/uploads/blog/2020/7/sourdough-starter-recipe.jpg" alt="Sourdough starter rising over time" style="max-width:250px"> </div> ---> By day three, it's time to increase the sourdough starter’s feeding schedule to twice daily and optimize its feeding method. Before each feeding, stir thoroughly. Once stirred, reserve 113 grams of starter and discard remainder. Mix 113 grams of flour and 113 grams of water into 113 grams of remaining sourdough starter. Cover mixture and leave it to rest for 12 hours at room temperature before repeating. What Should a Sourdough Starter Look Like on Day 3? A sourdough starter should start showing visible signs of activation such as bubbling or expansion on day three. What Should a Sourdough Starter Smell Like on Day 3? A sourdough starter should omit a fresh, fruity aroma on the third day. Days 4, 5, and 6 The steps for activating your sourdough starter on days four, five, and six are to repeat the steps from day three. What Should a Sourdough Starter Look Like on Days 4, 5, and 6? By day five, the sourdough starter should have at least doubled in volume. Look for signs of activation such as multiple bubbles and small pools of surface water containing tiny bubbles. What Should a Sourdough Starter Smell Like on Days 4, 5, and 6? The sourdough starter should release acidic essences that are tangy but not overpowering by days 4, 5, and 6. Day 7 Evaluate your sourdough starter to determine your next steps. If your sourdough starter contains few bubbles and has barely expanded, repeat the steps from days 3-6 until your starter is bubbly and ready for use. Don’t be discouraged if it takes several weeks for your starter to activate completely. Remember, sourdough starters are dependent on the natural bacteria in your environment. If you live in an arid climate, expect your starter to take longer to activate than if you live in a humid or foggy location. Back to Top How to Use Sourdough Starter Here are the steps you need to take before you bake with your ripe sourdough starter: Feed your starter its normal diet of 113 grams of flour and 113 grams of water. Allow your sourdough starter to come to an active, bubbling state by leaving it to rest at room temperature for six to eight hours after you feed it. Bubbles should still be breaking the surface when you incorporate your sourdough starter into your recipe. The bubbles allow your sourdough starter to act as a fermented, natural leavening agent. How Do I Know When My Sourdough Starter Is Ready to Use? In baker's terms, a sourdough starter that is ready for use is considered “ripe”. Your sourdough starter is ripe when it doubles in size six to eight hours after being fed. To easily track your starter's expansion, place a rubber band around its container at the fill line. Then, feed your sourdough starter. Six hours later, check to see if the rubber band is now marking your sourdough starter’s midpoint. If it is, your sourdough starter is ripe and ready for use. How to Store Sourdough Starter With the proper storage and a little maintenance, your sourdough starter will live for decades. You can store your ripe sourdough starter at room temperature or in your fridge. Regardless of where you store your sourdough starter, you’ll need to continue feeding it. While your sourdough starter will usually revive even if it is left unfed in the back of your refrigerator for months, it will take time and care to bring it back to a ripe state. Discover the feeding schedule for each storage method below so you can maintain your sourdough starter. How to Store Sourdough Starter in Fridge To store a sourdough starter in the fridge, place it in a nonreactive jar with a tight sealing lid and follow a weekly feeding schedule. The sourdough starter should rest on the counter for 1 to 2 hours after being fed so it can begin to bubble before it is returned to the fridge. How to Store Sourdough Starter on Counter To store a sourdough starter on the counter, cover the nonreactive container with fabric and a rubber band or with parchment paper and the screw ring of a jar. Sourdough starters stored at room temperature remain highly active and require feeding every 12 hours. Since it is harder to keep unrefrigerated sourdough starters active, we recommend refrigerating your sourdough starter unless you are using it too frequently to maintain refrigeration. How to Feed Sourdough Starter If you want to keep your sourdough starter in a ready-to-use state, follow the appropriate feeding schedule for your storage method. Here are the simple steps for feeding a sourdough starter: First, measure 113 grams of the starter and separate it from the rest. Discard or bake with the remaining sourdough starter. Feed the 113 grams of sourdough starter by thoroughly mixing in 113 grams of water and 113 grams of flour. How Do I Know If My Sourdough Starter Is Bad? Similar to the kombucha fermentation process, cultivating healthy bacteria can sometimes give rise to bad ones. Here is how you can tell if your sourdough starter is bad: Smell: If your sourdough starter smells like acetone, it has likely gone bad. While your sourdough should smell sour it should be a clean sour smell that is strong but not unpleasant. Appearance: If your sourdough starter is visibly moldy or tinted with orange and/or pink, then it has gone bad. Note: If your sourdough starter is left unfed, the liquid layer on top of your starter will turn from clear to dark. This doesn’t mean your starter is bad, it’s just hungry! Give your sourdough starter a meal, and the liquid will return to a clear state. Sourdough Starter FAQ Developing a sourdough starter is a great way to set your restaurant or bakery apart. Because sourdough starters depend on local strains of yeast and bacteria, no two sourdough starters are exactly alike. Your sourdough starter will carry the unique flavor of both your region's flora and fauna and your restaurant’s specific microculture, resulting in bread that is truly your own. We've created a guide explaining the terms used in sourdough baking to help you get started. What Is Leavening? Commonly referred to as a leavening agent, leavening is the ingredient that makes baked goods rise. Leavening agents exist in both chemical and natural forms. Baking soda and baking powder are examples of chemical leavening agents. They are best suited to bakers’ confectionery such as cakes, doughnuts, and cookies. Yeast and sourdough starters are natural leavening agents used in loaves of bread, dinner rolls, and bagels. What Does Sourdough Bread Taste Like? Sourdough bread has a characteristically "sour" taste because sourdough starters are acidic. Bread leavened with a sourdough starter will have a complex flavor and porous texture that is simultaneously airy and chewy. Much like a fine wine, a sourdough starter only improves with age and will deliver more flavorfully robust and texturally light loaves over time. While all sourdough-leavened loaves of bread have similar textures and carry an acidic flavor, there isn't one kind of sourdough-leavened bread. Sourdough is famously associated with San Francisco's unbleached flour sourdough loaves, but you can use your sourdough starter to make a wide variety of bread types such as pumpernickel, wholewheat, or barely. Preferment Definition Preferment is a generic term used to describe the process of individually fermenting a portion of a bread loaf’s ingredients before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Some varieties of preferments, such as pate fermentee, biga, and poolish, still use a commercial yeast strand to help leaven bread. In contrast, sourdough and levain are preferments that use an entirely natural leavening process. Sourdough Starter vs Yeast Both sourdough starters and yeast are used to leaven baked goods, but they are not the same substance and offer different benefits. The yeast used in baking is called saccharomyces cerevisiae, a Latinized Greek word meaning "sugar-fungus" because it eats sugar and converts it into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide baking yeast releases gives baked goods light and doughy textures. A sourdough starter is a natural fermentation mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and bacteria from the environment. Unlike baking yeast, which provides a quick rise, a sourdough starter requires a longer fermentation process, resulting in a more complex and tangy taste. Additionally, sourdough starters enhance the nutritional value of bread by breaking down gluten and making it easier to digest. Back to Top While the steps may seem lengthy, cultivating a sourdough starter is a long-term investment that will pay off for years if properly maintained. Use your sourdough starter to make everything from sourdough bagels to tangy donuts. Since each sourdough starter is unique, you'll offer guests a flavor they truly can't get anywhere else.
How to Start a Home Bakery
If you want to start a baking business but owning a storefront isn't for you, operating a home bakery can be a great alternative. Starting a home bakery is also a good option for those looking to get started in the restaurant industry, and bakers at home due to coronavirus. Usually smaller in scale than retail or wholesale bakeries, home bakeries allow bakers to sell products that are made in their own homes. But there is more to starting a home baking business than just making bulk batches of cookies in your personal kitchen. To learn more about what it takes to open a home bakery, keep reading. Shop All Bakery Supplies How to Start a Bakery Business from Home Before you open your home bakery, there are some key factors that you need to consider. In this guide, we'll walk you through your first steps, beginning with researching legalities and ending with home bakery marketing strategies. Use the following links to navigate and learn more about a specific aspect of opening a home bakery: Home Bakery Laws Home Bakery Market Research Certifications, Licenses, and Health Requirements Marketing Your Home Bakery Costs: Initial and Ongoing Expenses Home Bakery Laws The most important step before opening a home-based bakery is to make sure that home bakeries are legal in your area. The laws surrounding home bakeries vary greatly from state to state, so you must do your research before investing in your home baking business. Before you begin, be sure to visit your state’s Department of Health website to see what is legal under laws that are often referred to as "cottage food laws." What Are Cottage Food Laws? Cottage food laws regulate whether or not you can produce low-risk foods in your home for sale. Often, these foods include certain baked goods, candies, pickled products, dry goods, and canned foods. Cottage food laws are designed for very small businesses, with many states putting a cap on how many thousands of dollars in revenue your business can make while still considered legal. Not only do these laws limit your sales and what kinds of foods you can make, but they also limit where you can sell your products. Many states specify legal venues, which may include farmer’s markets, events, roadside stands, online, or even your home. This being said, some states have strict limitations on these venues. For instance, what may be legal to sell at a farmer’s market in one county may not be legal in a neighboring county. Each time you sell your goods at a new venue, be sure to research whether or not it is prohibited first. Additionally, home bakeries may be restricted in certain jurisdictions even within states where they are legal. It is imperative to check your local zoning laws so that you are not fined or shut down for opening a baking business in an area that is zoned for residences. Certifications, Licenses, and Health Requirements Once you know that your state and jurisdiction will allow you to open a home bakery, you must look into what kinds of certifications, licenses, and health precautions are required. Some states do not require licenses for small-scale businesses under cottage food laws, but some states do mandate that you acquire certification and a business license. Changes to Your Kitchen Layout Depending on your home kitchen's current layout, you may need to make adjustments before your bakery can be opened for operation. Check with your state’s laws to see if any changes are mandatory, which may include the following: Installing additional sinks Creating separate food storage and food preparation areas from your personal kitchen area Adding a sprinkler system Updating your ventilation system or hoods Health Inspection Considerations Your state may also require owners of home bakeries to pass health inspections. These visits from Health Officers could assess everything from the equipment you use and your means of storage to employment practices and sanitation methods. Inspectors may also be on the lookout for prepared goods and ingredients being stored or served at proper temperatures. Food Safety Certification Another certification you may be required to obtain is a food safety certificate. There are many state-approved food safety courses available that educate you in proper food handling, storage, and preparation techniques to avoid the risk of cross-contamination and foodborne illness. While many states have numerous laws surrounding home bakeries, with the proper research and qualifications, you can open a safe and legal operation. Costs: Initial and Ongoing Expenses The next step in opening your home bakery is to come up with a thorough business plan. As you write this plan, you’ll have to consider your startup costs as well as your financial projections. Below, we list some expenses that you can expect as you prepare to open your bakery: Home Bakery Startup Costs Renovations Kitchen equipment License fees Insurance Beginning inventory or ingredients But just because there is a lot of required cost for starting your small business, that doesn't mean you can't follow a few tips to help save and cut down your spending. Here are some helpful pointers for saving your new business some money: Purchase smallwares, hand tools, and other bakery supplies in bulk online to save money. Buy your ingredients in bulk from farmer’s markets or wholesale retailers rather than from grocery stores. Take note of how much gas you're using. Try to limit your trips to replenish ingredients and supplies, and if you're planning to deliver goods, decide how large of a radius you’d like to serve. Start with crowd-pleasing recipes to make your first sales. As time goes on, experiment with more unique products to keep your customer base intrigued. After you've tallied your startup costs, apply them to your financial projections. To make financial projections for your bakery business plan, you must outline your ongoing costs and compare them to the success you expect as a result of your market research. Below, we explain how to find the target market for your home bakery. Home Bakery Market Research Your target market, or the population you are catering to, is one of the most important aspects of your business plan. With various types of bakeries to choose from, you have to find your niche while also complying with the product and venue restrictions that your state has in place. Here are some example target markets and suggestions for best capturing their business. Before you try to sell to these markets, be sure to check that they are legal venues within your home bakery’s jurisdiction. Offices or Corporate Buildings This market may like to serve food at their frequent meetings in the morning and afternoon hours. For these customers, you can deliver your baked goods on serving trays for easy sharing. Products for the Office or Corporate Building Market Assorted muffins Small pastries Bagels Doughnuts Schools From fundraiser events to PTA meetings and class parties, schools often have gatherings where your products could be served. Products for the School Market Assorted cookies Brownies Decorated cupcakes Restaurants If you live in a town full of family-style diners or other busy restaurants, then these establishments could be a great target market for you. Many restaurants want to serve dessert options, but they may not have the time or space to produce them. Products for the Restaurant Market Cakes Cheesecakes Pies Nut Breads Seasonal specials Regional desserts: cannoli, tiramisu, baklava Health-Conscious Customers Perhaps you live in a young, active, up-and-coming neighborhood. Your target customers may have gluten-free diets or want low-calorie treats to suit their busy lifestyle, and so this market is the perfect opportunity for you to offer unique dessert alternatives. Products for the Health-Conscious Market Granola Flourless cakes Nut breads Trail mixes Be sure to clearly label any allergens that may be present in your baked goods. Additionally, it may be a good idea to label items that are vegan-friendly. Marketing Your Home Bakery To get your bakery business off the ground, you need to make sure that your market knows you’re open for operation. Here are some ways you can market your home baking business. Word of Mouth By actively engaging yourself within your residential community, you not only market yourself, but you build relationships with customers. If these customers are satisfied with the consistent quality of your baked goods, they will return for more business and spread the word of your bakery. Online Marketing and Social Media Develop a website or create a Facebook page for your bakery. Tweet about upcoming specials and post pictures on Instagram of your products to gain followers who could become your customers. Sell at Local Events or Venues In this case, the quality of your products will speak for itself. The more that you make your quality baked goods visible at your venues of sale, the more you’ll build a customer base who may contact you for special orders. If you want to start a home baking business, there are several rules and regulations that you need to research before you begin investing. Check with your state and local governments to see if home bakeries are legal in your area, and then find out what kind of licenses are required. Once you have all legal matters sorted out, it's important to do market research and choose your business's niche. As you start your new home bakery, refer to this article for guidance through the opening process. <aside class="pquote"> <blockquote> The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details. </blockquote> </aside>
Batter vs Dough
Batter and dough are to a commercial kitchen what liquor and seltzer are to a cocktail lounge—essential. Whether you operate a bakery, pizzeria, or Japanese restaurant, you use a variety of batters and doughs each day. While you may know you should whisk batter and proof dough, you may not understand exactly what dough and batter are or how they’re unique. We’ll explain the differences between batters and doughs, what dough and batter are, and break down the main dough and batter categories. Use the links below to skip ahead learn more about batters and doughs: What Makes Doughs and Batters Unique? Batter Definition Dough Definition Leavening Explained Laminated Dough Definition Difference Between Batter and Dough The difference between batter and dough is batters are thin and contain eggs, and doughs are thick and don't have to contain eggs. Because of their different consistencies and ingredients, you will mix and prepare batters and doughs differently. We break down all the differences between batters and doughs below. Batter vs Dough: Egg Content Batters must have eggs. Doughs don’t have to contain eggs. Batter vs Dough: Mixing Doughs are dense enough for working (kneading/rolling). You combine batter ingredients by whisking them. Batter vs Dough: Working With Each You can shape doughs into pastries, pasta, and pie crust. You pour or use a spoon to drop batters onto griddles and baking dishes. You can also use batters as a pre-fry coating. What Is Batter? A batter is a thin blend of flour, egg, and liquid that you cannot knead. Derived from the French word battre, meaning ‘to beat’, you make batters by beating/whisking their ingredients together. Culinary professionals break batters into three categories: drop batter, pour batter, and coating batter based on how they use them. Drop Batter Drop batters can be dropped from a spoon without running. A drop batter is normally made from a two-parts flour to one-part liquid ratio. Drop Batter Examples: Muffins Cakes Drop Biscuits Cake Doughnuts Hush Puppies Dumplings If you want to start a donut shop, you must create both batters and doughs to craft yeasted and cake doughnuts, respectively. Pour Batter Pour batters have a fluid consistency and are pourable. Unlike a drop batter, pour batters run when dropped from a spoon. Typically, pour batters have a one-to-one liquid-to-flour ratio. Pour Batter Examples: Pancakes Waffles Crepes Funnel Cakes Coating Batter A coating batter is a wet food coating used to prepare items for shallow frying, deep-frying, or flat top grill quick cooking. At their most basic, coating batters are a mixture of liquid and flour/meal, but chefs often add eggs and seasonings to increase their coating batter’s flavor. From English beer-battered cod and Southern cornmeal battered catfish to Japanese tempura vegetables and all-American onion rings, battering is a popular food preparation method in a variety of settings. Coating Batter Examples: Beer Batter Tempura Batter Cornmeal Batter Plain Batter What Is Dough? At its most basic, dough is a mixture of flour/meal and a liquid. You can use any type of flour or meal to make dough. The most common liquids for dough making are milk and water. Doughs have pliable consistencies, perfect for rolling and kneading. While dough should always hold a form, you can make a soft or stiff dough by adjusting your fluid to flour/meal ratio. Discover the ratios for soft and stiff doughs below. Stiff Dough 1 Cup of Liquid to 4 Cups of Flour/Meal Stiff dough should feel compact but remain easy to knead and roll on a lightly floured surface. Stiff Dough Examples: Scones Pizza Crusts Cookies Soft Dough 1 Cup of Liquid to 3 Cups of Flour/Meal While they still hold forms, soft doughs are pliable and easy to handle. Soft Dough Examples: Rolls Biscuits Yeasted Doughnuts Back to Top Unleavened vs Leavened There are many types of dough, but we can broadly categorize them as either a leavened or an unleavened dough. Leavened Definition The term leavened describes baked goods made with a leavening (raising) agent. There are both natural and chemical leavening agents. Fermented yeasts and sourdough starters are natural leavening agents that provide rich flavors but are time- and labor-intensive. Baking soda and baking powder are common chemical leavening agents. We call breads leavened with chemical leavening agents “quick breads” because they require less time and labor than raising dough with a natural leavening agent. Unleavened Definition Unleavened describes baked goods that don’t use a leavening (raising) agent. Subsequently, unleavened doughs will not rise when baked. Doughs that don’t require a leavening agent include tortillas, pasta, crackers, and flatbreads. Perhaps the broadest category of unleavened sweet dough is short dough. In baking, the word “short” or “shortening” is used to describe fat content, so short doughs are doughs that have more fat than flour. The desired short dough consistency is dense and soft, so they’re usually unleavened (unraised). However, not all high-fat doughs are short doughs. Buttery but yeasted brioche doughs are not considered short doughs, and high-fat laminated doughs aren't classified as short dough either. What Is Laminated Dough? Laminated dough has thin alternating layers of butter and dough. Lamination is the process of rolling and folding layers of butter and dough together, developing the flour's gluten. It requires skilled hands because the alternating layers of dough and fat must be very thin. Unlike dense short doughs, which have large quantities of butter mixed into their dough, laminated doughs are airy. Laminated dough’s alternating layers of butter and dough trap evaporating steam during the baking process, causing the layers to rise. Baked laminated doughs have hundreds of flaky layers. While laminated doughs don’t require a leavening agent to rise, you can create a chewy texture in your laminated baked goods by adding a leavening agent to your laminated dough. Discover the top three laminated doughs below: 1. Croissant Dough laminated flour yeast milk salt sugar 2. Danish Pastry Dough laminated flour water salt yeast eggs 3. Puff Pastry Dough laminated flour water salt How to Make Laminated Dough: Follow these basic steps to make laminated dough: Roll your dough into the shape of a large rectangle. Apply a layer of butter. Fold your dough onto itself, encasing the butter layer inside your dough. *You should now have a three-layered rectangle with a butter layer sandwiched between two layers of dough. Roll out your three-layered rectangle and fold it into thirds. Repeat the last step twice more. Form your laminated dough into pastries Non-Laminated Dough Non-laminated doughs have fat creamed or rubbed into their flour rather than layered on top of it. You will not fold a nonlaminated dough on top of itself, and it won’t be flaky. There are both leavened and unleavened non-laminated doughs. Common non-laminated doughs include pie crust doughs, Choux pastry doughs, and short doughs. Popular uses for choux pastry dough are churros, eclairs, beignets, and cream puffs, and pastry chefs typically use short dough to make shortbread biscuits and cookies as well as tarts, quiches, and pies. Back to Top Batters and doughs share the same heritage of flour and liquid, but they diverge in their egg content and consistencies. We categorize batters by how we use them. In contrast, we categorize doughs by their use of yeast and other leavening agents. Understanding the differences between batters and doughs will help you achieve the right consistency and apply the correct preparation method for each.