BAKING BREADS AND PASTRIES

Pizza Pizza Pizza

2012-01-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

The boys had fun yesterday baking pizza, and i had a blast too. Problem is, Carlo the oldest of my nephew (19 yrs old) is nursing a cough and a horrible cold (just to make it all the more perfect). Being a cancer survivor, just one sneeze even 2 meters away, as long as you are in my line of sight, mahahawa ako. 100% affirmative. When my niece who is 3 years old goes inside my room for a quick chat(meaning mangungulit lang), i will be coughing the whole night and the succeeding days thereafter.

The toppings were simple, you know kids, they hate stuff they do not know especially when the spelling does not compute. Carlo helped me with the mixing, he weighed everything and i greased the pans. I just think now that he is a lot older, he is more into it, or maybe it was his stomach making him oblige.?? When Angelica got wind of what we were doing outside, the caffeine in my coffee kicked in. She was the trigger. The quiet storm. And, just to make her stop bugging us, because she will repeat herself over and over anyway, i gave her some dough.

The 3 mini pizzas were hers, Carlo made the two large sized pizzas with their favorite Spam. I had a plain cheese and sauce with basil. Now, i know i should have just eaten two slices but i got carried away with all the fun. Luke, Mr. Birdie (because he is so obsessed with his Kalapatis (pigeons)i barely see him in the house joined the fun much later (lagi kasing wala sa bahay). Although we made two kilograms of dough, we finished much earlier maybe because we were just having that much fun, chatting, cracking jokes (mostly at Angelica's dough)etc., Natuto pa yung mga batang mag bake. Nagulat na lang ako marunong na si Angge mag round ng dough!!!

Below are more photos of the Pizzas the kids made.

Crisp on the outside and chewy inside. The pizzas were baked in a high 450 F oven. I used a sponge the create a more flavorful crust and also to speed up the mixing.

Last Session

2012-01-25T04:58:00.000-08:00

Breads proofing, Day 1 of my Hands on class which i call the Pandesal session. I decided to do some tweaking with the regular varieties i usually do with the students so since i have Ube Haleya left over from Christmas, i made some Ube Rolls.

Using 30 grams of the sweet yeast dough, we filled it up with pre made Ube, rolled it into a coil and placed them on cupcake liners into muffin pans.

See the Ube?

The same dough, no filling, 30 grams as well, but with toppings. That right there is one dough with two variations. The same dough can also be made into Special Pandesal if you so wish, depending on your mood which i suggest you do if you are a beginner. In fact, what i teach my class is that, it is part of a sound bakery management, a true test of your baking skill and business acumen to be able to create as many variations, basta bagay sa dough or masa. Something like, 1 sack of flour, 12 variations, but the dough you use to make Pandesal, Spanish Bread, Pan de coco, Soft Buns, etc., cannot be made into a Baguette or Ciabatta. Parang oa na, and besides the latter needs a different type of dough.

If you have kids in the house, this is the bestseller. Dunk it in sugar (c'mon, not going to be everyday anyway so why not?)after smearing it with margarine and voila. We used Spring because it tastes clean and sweetish. Kids (and even adults) will devour them in seconds, as long as the bread is soft and fluffy, and yummy.

The Pandesal dough, plain, with Corned Beef and Spanish Bread.
You can still take the hands on baking class scheduled on January 31, Feb 3 and 5, my last one before i leave for New York. Thank you to all my students, some of you are on my facebook so i get to see what is happening to you guys. May your business grow, may you find joy in honing your craft, and may your baking be merry.

Incidentally, i got home safe from renewing my passport today. I left at 8:30 am for an 11:30 am appointment and got there 11:15 am. No driver available so i almost took a bus going there, good thing i saw this cab and took one. Had i not boarded it, or even spent 15 minutes trying to get a ride, i would have been so late. I have no idea it was so far, like it was the end of the world. My fare was 450 pesos, gave him a 50 peso tip, seems fair enough i guess because he did not make me get off. I was just wondering, even with the appointment system, the lines are still way too long. Although it was not as worst as the time i waited for my medical to be released, (10 hours), i left the DFA building around 2 pm. Still i think there should be a satellite office somewhere in Quezon City and let those who live near Manila go to this one. One thing is for sure, i would never get an afternoon schedule. Taft avenue near MRT smells horrible, squalid, gutter ridden. Calling MMDA. I was fine with the idea of commuting for a change, may wifi ang bus, sosyal, and there was not too much traffic going home. I paid P64.00 from MRT to Sm Fairview, not bad, then took a cab home, another P80.00. That is less than $5.00. Still way much less than what i would spend if i am in New York. Huh. 1 1/2 km cab ride will cost you $16.00 back and forth. Hohum. My passport better arrive as promised.

Mother and daughter after the baking.

Holiday Bread

2012-01-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

Pineapple and Ham Coffeecake

I recycled the ham that Mayor Hagedorn gave my brother, the kids do not like it and i do not eat pork so i thought of cooking it with pineapples and brown sugar to serve as a filling to a sweet yeast dough.

Cook the pineapples, ham and brown sugar until the sugar becomes thick.

Roll the dough and place the filling. I used 15% whole wheat in the dough just to give it a slight healthy edge, they won't know it is there anyway. Cool the filling first before you roll the dough flat.

I gave these treats to my sister last Media Noche because i know my brother in law would love it. Pulled a couple of pieces for Manong Oca (her driver who always picks me up when i need a ride)to taste.

Baking and Decorating Schedule

2012-01-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

January schedule for Commercial Bread making is moved to 20 23 25
February is on 1 3 and 5 still. I am adding a cupcake class with decorating on January 22 29 and 31, only to give in to requests (i just hope they really mean it, because most often they don't)

Please, please bring your containers, a large 3-4 inch height rectangle or square any size, just not one of those mini tiny disposable plastic for left over foods. You are bringing breads you baked, you share them, you eat them while you go home tired and you take pictures of them. I don't understand some students who arrive without one even if they drive in cars, pretty easy to put them at the back of the seat, after all the promise of sharing your breads with your loved ones seems to me an irresistible proposition. ???

Christmas red Roses made with Royal Icing ( Day 2), the icing is old but i still managed to salvage this one, just not good to eat anymore.

Purple Buttercream (Italian Merengue)Day 1

The 260 something cupcakes i made last Dec. 26

Dinner Rolls ready for the oven.

Baked and waiting to be buttered.
This dough is basic, you can use this dough to make all kinds of breads from filling it up with Asado or Adobo, use it as Ensaimada, Donut, Pan de lito, soft buns and loaf bread. Just perfect the weighing, mixing and proofing, and you are good to go.

Same dough different make up.

I hope you can still make it to my class, i am going to miss it, the fun talking about breads, something that you love the most aside from the blue color is a privilege i am very grateful of. I was supposed to end the cupcake and decorating class but i still get inquiries so fine, let's have a few runs with it just before i leave. I just wish they would sell Tylose for the gumpaste because it is cheaper. I plan to scour the internet again for bargains of tools and gadgets for decorating and hopefully sell them when a student could not find one or two of these tools such as the plastic fondant rolling pin. I do not have that much space to store them so i will figure it out when i come back probably around September when the winter is due again in the East Coast. Dread the day.

cakes and pastries blog

Day 4 Sponge and Dough Method, Ciabatta.

2012-01-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

A SANDWICH I CAN EAT OVER AND OVER

Pronounced cha-ba-ta, is an Italian word for slippers because of it's flat and wide shape. We did this on our first day of the Sponge and Dough method, thanks to the girls, Liz Beth Lim, Cora and Grace King, students from my 3 day No time dough class who requested to take this special session.

They loved the Tuna filling i prepared for the bread, which was filled immediately after i fished the loaves out of the oven. We ate the sandwiches for lunch while the rest of the breads were being baked. Simple but very satisfying. Breads like these lifts your soul to a higher ground, you do not just bake breads, you make a meal in and around flour, water, yeast and salt.

Why do breads made from a sponge taste so much better? It is in the fermentation. Ask yourself why wine is better when fermented 10 years more. Same answer.

I was already almost in deep REM when i remember that i had to make the sponge for this class, so i got up and did my routine sponge making. It would have been a sorry sight not to have them on the day of the class, and come to think of it, i do get jolted out of deep sleep every time i needed a sponge. Almost like brushing your teeth, you always remember you have to do it because you just have to.

Love this bread!!! and i am glad the girls loved them too. I liked what one student said, "single best thing i did...."

Ciabatta proofing

Almost ready, they have to triple in size.

Baking the Ciabattas

Open texture, crisp crust, you can use the halves to make pizzas

YUM!!!

Christmas Cakes

2012-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

FRUITCAKE WITH A REQUESTED ICING FROM MY NIECE, SO ICING THERE IS!

More posts at my tumblr

Sponge and Dough Class

2011-12-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

There will be a Sponge and Dough class on December 29 and 30 for those who want to learn this technique, something indispensable for professional bakers to start mastering if you really want to be up there in the baking industry.

Lessons will include sweet and savory breads such as

Ciabatta
Bacon and Scallion bread
Ear of wheat
Parsley and Garlic Foccacia
Special Pandesal, you loved the Pandesal we did in class, wait till you taste how the sponge improves the quality and flavor of your Special Pandesal.

Ube Haleya Bread, Apple and Cinnamon Bread
Honey Oatmeal, Sweet Camote Rolls
Fruit and Nut Rolls

You will learn Old dough technique, Levain, Making A starter (feeding and taking care of a starter), and the traditional sponge and dough method(different permutations).

Fee: P5,000.00, NO time limit, whole day session so please pack a light lunch or eat a heavy breakfast because work will be continuous, non stop until all the doughs have been made up. :) Lot of hard work i know, yesterday's class ended at around 5 pm. I didn't even notice it because we all had fun and made friends in the process.

The Ube haleya will be cooked in class so it will be a loooong day, because we need to cool it up before using it for filling. We will also cook the apples for the filling.

email or text me at 09293145463 if you want to attend.

Mixing is easier when you use any of the sponges mentioned above. Proofing is also faster, volume of breads is larger and shelf life is extended. The flavor is superior to that of the breads you buy in your local bakery of course, plus it elevates your craft, your skill as a bread maker. No longer is the curious baker that is you before, the serious baker will definitely emerge once you try this method.

PAN DE LIMON, PAN DE LITO, SOFT BUNS,

2011-12-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

I decided to make just mini soft buns for sliders this week, enough of the large regular sizes for awhile and make them tiny for a change. I used just one pan, crammed them together so when they bake, they will snug each other and form a set of 4s and sixes when cut.

I used several toppings, oats, poppy seeds, sesame, flax for color. Your timing has to be on spot, loading in the oven should be precise or you won't get the results you want.

Most students sometimes think you can get away with learning how to bake breads without reading anything. That is something i think you cannot skip nor ignore if you really want to learn the professional way of baking breads. Like trying to find out the what and why of the yeast, sugar, salt, fats etc., Don't tell me you are not curious at all to know what these ingredients do? What are the types of yeasts, what methods are out there when you make breads, what is straight dough, what is a sponge? All of these i also read in the web way back early 90s when i was painfully trying to perfect my baguettes. What is a baguette? Thousands of websites, not just mine offer a glimpse and basic vocabulary in the art of baking breads that i think you should be browsing over and over. Laziness is just pulling you back and not being helpful at all. I am pleased and flattered when students quote what i wrote on my website, they are not exactly the best out there to put it humbly, but they were good enough for a BEGINNING BAKER.

Inside the oven, the "ovenspring" characterizes the sudden expansion of the dough once it hits the heat of the oven. Which one offers a much better ovenspring? A dough made with a NO TIME DOUGH METHOD or one with a SPONGE AND DOUGH METHOD? Why should i use one more than the other?

Baked exactly to my specifications, this tray should be cooled on a rack immediately. Never turn it over.

To my students, i know you are reading this, remember what i told you in class? 3 days of baking session is different from 5 days. It is different from 7 days, and way much different from 2 weeks. 3 days of hands on gave you a chance to work with the dough which is better than 2 weeks of demo, but i wrote the ebook as a supplement to your lesson, so please read it. Over and over. You will have this feeling that i am talking in front of you like we are still in class. That's what the others say at least. A student who have given his best to read and study it after our baking class, will definitely have a huge edge over someone who does not care reading it at all. Remember,you have not baked before, you have no idea what yeast dough baking is all about. That's exactly why i wrote the ebook on breads to serve as your crutch, your mentor, your OBI WAN KANOBI, except that this one has photos.

Last call on my baking classes, January and February na lang po. I only accept 7-8 students, first to reserve gets a spot, those who get left behind will be on a waiting list, if i get at least 3 extra on this list, then i will open another session for both January and February. Hope i can come back again, my brother who is flying back with me on February 19 is only staying in New York for a month,(he hopes he can do so). I will definitely be posting when my classes will open again.

www.breadmakinglessons.com

Worth Reading

2011-12-06T17:06:00.000-08:00

Read this blog from my tumblr account.

http://www.tumblr.com/dashboard

Day 2 Commercial Bread Making Hands On Class

2011-12-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

Took some samples off the second day session to make a platter of some sorts, a bread tray of day 2,Soft Buns which would be the base for Hamburger Buns or Pan de Limon, Pan de Lito, Hotdog Buns, Pan De coco etc., Pizza from the Lean dough formula, which can be made also into French Breads, Ciabatta, Foccacia, Cinnamon Rolls.

Schedule of Baking Classes for December is on the 9th, 12, 14.
January 10, 13 15
February 1 3 5, my last one before i go back to New York. When i will be back to Manila again, i have no idea, it depends on what America gives.

You can still catch up the Cake decorating lessons, there will be no baking this time just pure decorating because time does not allow it, you can have the baking pre scheduled ahead of time if you want to, i need at least 3 students to do the session.

I made two batches of the Red Velvet Cupcake, topped with prepared sugar flowers (Royal Icing) and Cream Cheese Frosting with Coffee flavoring.

The Red Velvet Cake ready to be loaded into the oven. If you browse the internet, you will find at least 12 different Red Velvet Cake recipes, oil based, butter based, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, others with more cocoa, with or without milk, leavened with baking soda plus vinegar, or baking powder etc., It's up to you to pick which is the best and in here, there is no lack for people to taste test the baked goods. Unlike in New York where i have to wait for my sister to visit from Manhattan before i could bake for testing, here, i get to bake anytime i want.

Just send the cupcakes off to my sister's house or give away to anyone who visits. I am thinking of selling one of these days, maybe when i come back next time. I would need to buy another mixer perhaps, maybe a 20 quart just like the one i have in New York. I already checked how much it would cost me to ship it, and it is a whopping thousand dollars, at least. It's like buying a new unit over here so forget it. Too bad, because the Omcan brand is pretty excellent compared to the one i have here in Fairview. :(

Back to the cupcakes.

I will be posting the recipe plus more of the images in my tumblr account maybe this week, it will be a very busy, busy month so i apologize for not updating my blogs. :)

www.breadmakinglessons.com

Cupcake and Gumpaste with Fondant

2011-11-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

I will have a CUPCAKE AND FONDANT/GUMPASTE class on November 25 and 30, seems like there is a lot of interest with these now that Christmas is coming. Text me if you are interested at 09293145463, i will accept only 7 students, class starts at 9 am. No time limit.

Fee is P2700.00 inclusive of the cupcakes, but you need to bring ingredients for your own gumpaste and fondant which you will bring home with you so you can practice making the flowers below. No need to bring the cutters and modelling tools yet, you can buy them later after the class if you like. If you already have them, the better but it is optional.

Ingredients for the gumpaste and fondant includes,

confectioner's sugar, 4 lbs (you will have plenty of leftovers,plus this will make a lot of flowers already)
powdered gelatine
glucose
glycerine
Tylose** cheaper than gum tragacanth, you can all purchase these items at Sweetcraft, 373 Boni Avenue, i saw smaller packs of Tylose here which you need in small amounts to make your gumpaste.

1 pound of gumpaste can make a whole set of Roses such as the ones seen on the photo set. Hope to see you in my class. Email me if you have questions.

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/bakingbreads

Kitchen Aid and Breads

2011-11-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

Whole Wheat Pandesal made using Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Quart Model.

Kitchen Aid and Breads are not really that too friendly with each other. If you have tried using yours to make batch after batch of breads, you know what i mean. Not gonna work. My first Kitchen Aid experience was way back when, still in college, google eyed and obsessed with making my own Pandesal and well to say the least was not a happy one. Cakes. Check. Icing. Check. Cookies. Check also. Breads. Forget about it.

But i found a way to make it work with less fun fare, meaning, mess and stress in the kitchen. I am just making breads, how come my kitchen looks like a tornado zone? That's what happens when you try to make it work and have no idea how to. Ha ha ha. So finally, after i think about 5 trials, i figured out how to, such a light bulb moment, i feel incredibly pysched, at last, my Kitchen Aid will deliver. More.

One of the perks i reward my students with since i brought this 5 quart Pro Model is that i tell them how i do it, just an afterthought that maybe they need to learn this too, also giving them new techniques and methods to make their lives easier as a bread maker.

Nah, sorry Kitchen Aid, i don't buy it. Still not going to work with my formula, or Filipino recipes. Can you imagine mixing a stiff Siopao or Hard Monay dough in it?

JUST ASKING....

When my MSI notebook crashed, i brought it to the Service Center with just the notebook itself, they did not take the charger. When i brought my Toshiba to the Toshiba Center, the driver had to ask me for the charger so he can bring it to them. That is pretty telling, don't they have the chargers in their shop? Isn't that the reason why you are a service center? Just asking. It has been two weeks, MSI took less than that. Nokia fixed my cellphone for less than 5 days.

Also just asking, the Maguindanao massacre is a real nerve buster, had a glimpse of the special by PCIJ last night over at News TV Channel 11 and i lost my zen real quick. Disgusting how these people can live in mansions while the whole expanse is covered in poverty, about 80 lawyers total in between 34 accused??? Can't we match gunfire with more gunfire? What i mean is, if they have 80 lawyers, how about asking and appealing to the other private lawyers who have a heart to jump in and help out?

Another turtle speed court proceeding in the making will be the Ramgen Revilla case for sure. The mother's camp will drag it to high heavens, and that super uber Golden Globe Best Actress Mara Revilla will never be found, or worst, will never face justice. A few days before his murder, he even texted Mara asking her that they patch things up. He was begging for his allowance, and the day before this carnage happened, he even texted his sister Gale telling him that he knew that the hatred towards him was because of the car that his brother, Ram Joseph sold. Pity.

To think that his family conspired to have him liquidated, that they failed 3 times before and still went on with it, that he was not even the one holding the monthly allowance anymore and still died for it, is sickening. You can tell when a person is guilty when the mother keeps on quoting the Bible, quoting G-d like they were on eye to eye speaking terms, the typical Sanchez Bible trotting holier than thou facade. Seen that. Heard that. I watch Cold Case Files, not the series with the blond botox actress but the real cold case files, and when they interview parents and families of murder victims, they STILL CRY AFTER 30 S0ME YEARS.

There she was, Genelyn Magsaysay, smiling in front of Jessica Soho, a week after her son's death, that she even managed to mention his name without shedding a tear is beyond the speed of light. So calm and so nonchalant, you would think she was promoting her movie. Disgusting. She knew about it, she probably even was a part of the planning, because i cannot imagine how an 18 and 22 year old can plan and have the guts to do it in their own house. Where was she when it happened anyway? Gosh. Talk to your children. Or better yet, please don't make 75 children in your lifetime.

Whole Wheat Asado Buns

2011-11-14T01:43:00.000-08:00

Just had this urge to eat Whole Wheat Chicken Asado this week and at the same time serve them up for guests coming over a meal. I sent away 3 dozen of this to friends and left only some for me. It was worth it though, i liked the crunch of the cracked wheat, nutty and hearty but my nephew thought it has Malunggay leaves, ha ha ha. I know how to cook just a tad bit and my niece like the filling, but not the healthy bun outside. I know, she likes a sweeter, and whiter version but i have 4 kilograms of cracked wheat in my freezer so i have to use them before they expire.

I always tell my students that i am a sticky kind of person when it comes to mixing doughs, you will know this when you attend my class, because i will make you mix a sticky, slightly sticky, slightly stiff etc., dough.

Some panaderos will shun away from sticky doughs like this but not me, part of the challenge and it makes a softer bread in the end, not too many bread makers know that.

It was getting dark, i started around 3 pm when i found out guests are coming so i have to hurry. I hate working under the light, and i don't want to miss TV Patrol as well. When i do special recipes such as this, i don't ask for help. I do everything from the mixing to make-up, scaling and filling, greasing pans etc., It's like i am in a trance, this is my moment, reflecting while my fingers do much of the work so i want to keep my square footage to myself as much as possible. I sent my helper home early, no need to wait up for me.

Finally done and in the proofer, it was 5 pm roundabout, it will take at least an hour and a half to proof these lovely doughs, i used a sponge so it will proof much faster than regular doughs for sure. Cleaning up my space, one of the cardinal rules in baking and cooking, CLEAN AS YOU GO and even if we have helpers to do the cleaning, you still need to scrub that table and tidy up the tools you used.

I think i ate two pieces even before they had a change to cool down and 2 more when i woke up. At least they are made from Whole Wheat so i don't feel that much guilty. The recipe i used is just an ordinary regular dough, i just added 25% cracked wheat, molasses and 17% dark brown sugar. No hanky panky there.

My Cupcake Class

2011-11-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

Getting inquiries on cupcake and decorating lessons so maybe it is worth opening a class or two, squeeze it in between my regular baking classes before i leave for New York on February. If you ask me, i would rather work here forever, winter in the Northeast is punishing especially to someone like me who has a weak bone due to my radiation therapy. I can actually feel the cold burrowing through my bones when we go out, then you step in the mall and it is warm like a proofing cabinet.

Below are the cupcakes done by my students ( Day 1), which will later on be covered and decorated with Italian Merengue Buttercream, that super yummy icing perfect for everything even Ensaimadas and Macarons. You just need to learn the basic creaming and mixing and you are done. I can actually load my 5 quart Kitchen Aid with 3 batches of my favorite butter cupcake recipe, lots of time covered there in a whirl so i love it.

My only beef with the new Kitchen Aid Professional Series is the switch setting knob which is so difficult to turn and that is a problem when you make an icing with a very hot sugar syrup such as the Italian Merengue Icing. I figured out a way to go around the method so my icing was not ruined, i worry about those who are about to make their first icing using this machine. Don't they test these machines before putting them on sale????

There are hundreds of recipes in the internet, but my favorite source is www.joyofbaking.com because almost all of the recipes i got from this site is perfect just like this one. It's a simple banana cupcake, great to eat with or without icing.

You can still avail of my Cupcake and Decorating Lessons if you have a group of at least 3, i prefer doing the sessions at my place so i won't have to bring my tools with me. www.breadmakinglessons.com

Royal Icing Drop flowers using tip 2D.

The Drop flowers on top of Butter Cupcakes and Pink Italian Merengue Buttercream

The top icing is flavored with Coffee because the celebrant likes coffee but her daughters hide the coffee jar from her, "bawal" so i sneaked it in her icing. It took me only 3 hours to do all these, had the flowers all ready so i just made the cake and the icing and assembled them all in one night. Not much extravagant decorations, i just finished a baking class so my back was really in pain at this point, good thing i have my Royal icing flowers as back up.

It gave me an idea to always pipe away flowers and stuff when i have extra time because in cases such as this, you get a phone call and someone tells you "Remember the cake you promised?" Ah, hello yeah, did i? Oh yeah, right i did and uh oh, you have a baking class and you know what it was like after right?

Oh well, you did make a promise although you never thought the party will push through because they were miles away and the person you talked to was in the Northern part of the hemisphere, ha ha ha.

You see, that is our role, those who make food for others are blessed with this gift to make other people happy without dishing out thousands of pesos out of their own pockets. I like that. Makes me feel important for once.

So did they like it? I heard the cupcakes were gone in 60 minutes, and the cake never made it to the birthday party as well. Hey, not mine anymore so fine with me.

tumblr posts

2011-11-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

FUTURE POSTINGS ON TUMBLR ABOVE..

If you still haven't checked it out, although i do not post stuff there as often as others do, it is still worth seeing when you are into baking. To avoid confusion and creating a hodge podge blog, i separated my cakes and pastries blog from the bread making stuff, but i do post photos of some specialty breads over there for a twist. Just photos, not much texts.

Check out my tumblr y'all.

Malunggay Pandesal

2011-11-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

Just got a call 'again' from GMA 7, probably one of their researchers if i could do a videotaped demo on Malunggay Pandesal with a couple of their GMA KID talents. I had to beg off on this one, for the second time and i could not think of anyone to recommend really. Anyone who is interested to be ON TV, feel free to drop me a message so i can give him your name.

The first time i was asked to do a video on Malunggay Pandesal was about 2008 i guess, i got a visit from one of Jessica Soho's researcher and we talked about the videotaping thing but i cancelled it when they did not arrive as planned. I am a fan of Jessica Soho among the many other magazine shows i watch from both rival channels so i was surprised when they aired the story on Malunggay Pandesal that weekend itself. So fast huh, i thought they can or store and preserve shows in the studio but it was impressive that they can do the feature show in just a week.

Anyway, my nephew wanted me to do the video, i had to pass this one to whoever has the guts to be on national tv, so i told him nah, your tita is just way too shy, i don't even have a photo of myself on my facebook account. Pity.

So again, anyone who knows how to make Malunggay Pandesal and has the pleasing winning personality to be on tv, send me a message. I have no idea if you will get paid for it, i did not bother asking the researcher, i was too busy saying i can't.

The Case of the Missing Pandesal

2011-11-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

These are the latest images from my October session. I took photos of the second day only, the first day went like a whirlwind, i did not even notice it ended but i had fun watching them knead towards the last part of the session.

French Bread, part of what the students kneaded on the first day. Half of which we made into pizzas and foccacias for their snacks. I still have a slice of the baguette, 3rd day after i made one slice into a sandwich, more or less giving you the idea that a retarded dough has a longer shelf life than the No time dough or Straight Dough method.

After kneading, i froze the individual doughs with their names on each plastic and thawed them for our second day session. Only 1 student managed to finish the dough in under 30 minutes, and was the only one to fully develop the gluten.

To each his own. She started with a very sticky dough and used her whole upper body to knead which was the ideal way of doing it. So you see, it is not the heft and the gender, the technique brings the dough to a slick smooth mass and this is the reason why she finished way ahead of the 5 boys. Way to go Christine, reminds me of this other girl who is only 23 yrs old, lean and so frail but managed to knead her dough in 25 minutes.

The Cinnamon Rolls and the Raisin breads or mini loaves with the baguettes.

By the end of the session, i was happy to know that this batch REALLY LOVED the breads we made, AND I MEAN REALLY REALLY LOVED THEM to the point where even when i divided the breads, one piece managed to get lost somehow on the third and last day. Ha ha ha, i will not get over this because first, it has never happened before, and second, i have never seen guys and not the girls as eager as this with their breads. I used the word eager for lack of a better term and i am laughing while i am writing this. It was so funny my helper and i still talk about it, the case of the missing whole wheat asado pandesal.

Wait just a minute, i think i know how to count two. So there i was, putting aside two each of the whole wheat asado pandesal, one round and one oblong, but when it was time to put them in each of their containers, one piece was missing!

At the end of the day, it was a blast, a huge compliment to me because it means the breads are really that good and i kinda agree. Especially THE MONAY, RIGHT GUYS? Good luck, i hope the same passion you have with the breads we made translate into a productive curious anxiety that you have to replicate the exact breads we made. Be inspired. Be glued to the whole idea of putting all the breads into your staples. Get your elbows dirty deep into the flour and just bake good breads.

Only way to have them is to make them yourselves. Thanks a bunch!

Baking Images

2011-10-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Another batch from my baking class. Although i teach the same basic breads and variations, sometimes it would be the variations that would inspire another variation. A whole wheat pandesal with malunggay, which i had blogged about 4 years ago? and now has sprung up everywhere?

For those living in the province, i know it is a huge sacrifice to come here to Manila especially in Fairview, but judging from what i hear lately, i deeply encourage you to take the risks and make a bit of a sacrifice which i did too when i started. Just the other day, i went to my sister's house to teach her and her helpers how to make cupcakes and icing, then basic decorating and we sort of reminisced how she took me to Maya Culinary Arts in Paseo (is it still there?) way back when i don't know when, i think i was only 18, my first year of college, around summer time. It was a disaster, i did not know anything about pre heating, about the oven thermometer, about creaming, none of the things i saw and heard really registered and made an imprint.

You do not know just where to go, that is a fact. You hand in that precious pesos of yours and it is sad when you do not get something back in return, such a sad state of affairs. I have had calls from would be students inquiring over the phone and the worst was this 100/class one hour Pandesal course she once attended somewhere in Quezon City. (won't say where, but i will maybe in class). 100 students? Wow. It is a clear money making deal of a lifetime sort of thing huh. But was it worth it? Did the students learn? My student said she did somehow because she already know the basic. But woe to the ones she saw just chatting at the back because they could not see what was going on up front. :( See what i mean?

The most important thing, students handling the dough. Forget about the recipe, once you know the procedures, how to troubleshoot, what the dough should be like, feel like, smell like, tastes like after baking...and so on, you will learn how to make your own recipes. Fun di ba?

Here's to more baking days in the future.

I love this girl, already eating the ensaimada her grandma has made.

My favorite, Putok or Hard Monay. Sweet and chewy, and i managed to finish 3 of these in one sitting. Did i tell you i love to eat them too?

Malunggay in the Pandesal, not to hard i have a Malunggay tree in front of my window.

My bread making class for November is on 13, 20 and 27, all Sunday class for the working people, my only Sunday class.

www.breadmakinglessons.com

I feel sad for one of my students, she paid good money to have her baker trained here, and well, he was gone. Good thing her niece was in the class too so at least she can pass on what she learned to another baker. I knew it, had a bad feeling hearing him talk when Doris was not around. Imagine one time he told us in class that he broke two mixers because he forgot to put the butter and so added it in the mixing dough, eventually overheating and taxing the motor. Duh! Also, when he turns bad cookies, he mixes them up with the good ones, hiding the pieces inside the jar, passing them up as good ones. I think it was a good decision to let him go, who knows what else he would have done after like 2 or 3 months. Lumaki ang ulo niya kasi pina train siya? Like maybe he thinks he is such a loss if he quits, so he turns up drunk and late for work? Amazing how people can change their turncoats in just a wink. I put so much time teaching him too, making him knead doughs so he will perfect the mixing stage, explaining to him the procedures in TAGALOG, having really a hard time translating some of the baking terms just so he would understand them.

Know what, i think my student will have more showers of blessing in the future, not her loss. Doris can always train a new one because she knows how to bake too, and know the principles by heart.

Not A kOSHER Thing To Do

2011-10-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

My Royal Icing class will learn how to do make their own sugar flowers, hopefully through practice they will make these lovely flowers after two weeks of constant piping at home after class.

I squeeze the said lessons only in between my private and group commercial bread making lessons, i am happy to know that more and more people are now getting into the food business. Kudos to you all, go for it, pursue that dream, that long time lingering thoughts of opening your small bakery could be a reality only if you make a small sacrifice. No pain, no gain. So true. So to all those who dared it, battling wind and rain to attend baking lessons anywhere, i wish you all the luck in the world.

There is only 1 thing though that i hope you would allow me to say here, NEVER START SOMETHING YOU NEVER WANT TO IN THE FIRST PLACE. If you think you can psyche yourself into liking bread making maybe after getting a couple of bites into that sweet cinnamon rolls, you are mistaken. I would like to compare breadmaking as demanding as raising a child, you never let your eyes off that child even when you are doing something else. Yes, sure, you can train someone to work on the bakery, but never abandon it, nor give your baker the idea you are.

Secondly, you really, as in really LOVE TO EAT BREADS, OR LOVE BAKING BREADS to start taking on that dream. If it is just a dream because you want to EARN MONEY, i think you should just sell lotto tickets or open a sari-sari store. Not a bakery. THIS CRAFT IS ALSO AN ART. An art that you get to share with the mass, something you have to be creatively be passionate about. That brings me to my point which is...

A. Please think carefully when you are deciding on taking on the adventure of learning how to bake breads and eventually selling them afterwards. Do i really like doing this or do i just love to eat breads? There is a difference there. Huge difference. I may love to eat breads, but i hate to work my hands deep in the dough, so nah, i don't think so. Leave it to the bakers. Then, right there, maybe you should not. Even if you are just taking the class so you can teach your bakers, YOU STILL HAVE TO BAKE AND LEARN THE WHOLE THING, not on morse code, BUT BAKE FOR REAL. The whole works.

It pains me to be in front of someone who does not want to eat breads, and worst,someone who does not want to bake breads at all. OMG. Me, the baker in me is screaming foul, but of course i cannot say a word. Hush.

My goal is to teach you how to bake, that is what i am here for, the best way i can, rain or shine. I love it when we talk about breads, when we share ideas and cross reference experience of our past failures and me telling you why you failed and how to make it right. How you can make it right the next time you bake. That is me. What you pay me for. Why i love doing this.

You will go home with lots of bread samples, breads that i am pretty confident will be different from the ones you normally eat since you learned that the earth is round. When i open the oven to unload the first batch of breads on Day 1, i get a burst of energy in me because i know you will like them. That is how good they are, not just from my heart, but from what my students tell me.

Pretty sad, and a waste don't you think when someone just does not want to do what you expect them to do during class. And you are here because? I feel like banging my head to the wall, coaxing someone to like this because? We all have our own personal motivations to start baking breads. I started out because..... I JUST LOVE TO EAT THEM! I don't care about rice, just give me good quality, preservative free breads and we will be the best of friends.

It is not a KOSHER thing to do, not at all. I am shaking my head right now.

Secondly, anothing UNKOSHER thing to do, please, please. I have already fanned my brain to make myself type this today. I don't think it is fair to ask me to teach you how to make "inipit" on;

A. the day you tell me you want to learn how to make one
B. when you are attending a breadmaking class, not a pastry or cake class. You cannot request for a pastry lesson right off the bat because it crossed your mind while you were sleeping the night before, very funny (at least i am now laughing at it)
C. not what we agreed upon, without me having the proper time to prepare for it, and not included in the cost of your lesson.

Not fair to me, not fair to you because you will be disappointed that i did not teach you how to make "inipit" or "chocolate mousse" when it was not part of the deal and totally not my fault. I am not superwoman, i cannot just make my assistant go to the shop and buy new ingredients, nor scour pages after pages of my recipes looking for the one you want. The day itself?

I have stopped baking most of these pastry recipes because i am doing cakes and breads, if you tell me ahead of time, i will make sure that i will bake and rebake that one recipe you requested, until i get the correct adjustment to the NEWER BRAND OF INGREDIENTS, FLOUR AND BUTTER, ETC.

To give you an example, the ganache that i love to make in New York was abysmally an epic failure when i used ALASKA cream to make one two weeks ago. I added gelatine to thicken it, but it did not work. Same with the chocolates that i used (because my niece ate the chocolates i brought for this purpose). I now have to find a good quality chocolate that is not too pricey, cream that will do the consistency i am looking for. It would probably take me 2-3 trials to get there, so for me to make a caramel mousse without cream in my pantry because you suddenly wanted one is impossible. ; Inipit needs boiled mashed potatoes. Do you honestly think i have a ready made mashed potatoes in my pantry? Or, boxes of cheese for the cheese cupcake?( Makes me feel sad, it makes you think i am holding back which is not. Had i prepared the ingredients and printed the recipe for you, AHEAD OF TIME, we will both be happier.

Geraldine, my niece also liked the Red Velvet Cake, i tested the shelf life and the cakes we baked last Sept 26 lasted for 10 days in the refrigerator. Amazing. I sandwiched the red velvet in between a layer of the chocolate cake and added the weeping mousse that never thickened. Everyone liked it, so never mind. :)

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Using the same dough for regular sized Cinnamon Rolls, i made both my private baking class and group students create minis for a petite size version. Takes a lot of hard work but it was definitely much more fun to eat. When my nephew Luke was only 7 years old he told me it tasted better than the large rolls, and wanted more. Judging from what happens to them when i place them on the table, the mini petite rolls disappear faster than the bigger cousins.

Try baking them at 350 F to golden brown crispy to get the sugar thick and gooey or the paler light brown at 325 F for a softer texture. I prefer the first one because the sugar and syrup sort of turns taffy like although this one will definitely have to be eaten the day itself or the next day.

We used a sweet yeast dough, do not put cinnamon on the baking pans and use the best maple syrup (ours is from Vermont in Canada).

This is the one made by the girls as show below;

I show how to do the first one and the rest is done by the students.

Bread making class schedule for October is on the 23rd, 26th and 28th.

November is an all Sunday class, so if you are working, this is the only weekend class i have, limited slot so make your reservation early.

www.breadmakinglessons.com

Breads, Breads

2011-09-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Group class, divvying up the dough and other stages of bread making.. I tell them what to do and the students work on them.

They made regular size and mini Cinnamon Rolls.

Letting the Hard Monay proof just a tad bit.

I have to say, this is the simplest dough i have in the lesson but quite so many students love this plain Tasty Loaf Bread.

The September Girls

Putok or Hard Monay

Ciabatta or Flatbread, dough taken from the French Bread. This is what i use to make sandwiches or Paninis.

Just showing you the Siopao after steaming. I was thinking, pwede kaya akong magdala ng All Purpose flour sa New York? Ang itim ng all purpose flour sa US. Only for my baking lessons, and for the Siopaos, other than that, i am fine with the regular APF there. Just thinking. Hindi kaya ako madeport? What about the dough conditioners or softeners? They are pure white like cocaine or heroin? Can i bring this? Anyone?

More September Baking Photos

2011-09-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the photos taken from my baking class this September, i will try to put them out here as soon as possible while i nurse my aching feet from standing for long hours during sessions. Ouch! Anyway, i think i forgot to tell you about the visit i had from a friend of a former student way back 3 years ago, i think.

So this lady, (if you read this, please visit me again and hopefully you make it to my class as well), and i talked about her short stint taking a class somewhere in Fairview and was totally taken aback because there was no food costing in the lesson. If the class is about bakery business, there must be right?

Anyway, it was a very interesting conversation on a quiet afternoon while i was preparing for Doris' private class, much of which centered on her baking snafus, trying out one formula after another hoping to perfect her Pandesal until she finally just had it, bought my ebook and polished her breads at least.

She still wanted to attend my baking classes but couldn't because she was taking her nursing board review, and we ended up our chat with this sad note that says, if only she had taken the classes with me. If only she waited, if only she had not tried to save on the fee (mine cost more kasi)etc etc., Basing on what she had told me for about an hour, i think she started on the wrong foot, she took the lessons and was not given the whole picture, that was why she couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong. :( I just feel for her, i hope she finally gets it, somehow.

Rule number one, never sell anything without the confidence that what you are selling is the better one out there. Your customers are not your recipe developer, they cannot always critique you every time you bring them products. Make sure that once your breads leave your kitchen, that it is not going back, that it is not your second best, but your best.

The Cakes and Cupcakes Session

Creaming method
The whole objective of which is to incorporate air into the sugar and fat, to create a light, fluffy cake.

Loading the Kababayan in small muffin pans.

Ready for baking, i try to put baking pans of the same sizes together as much as possible.

Some of the cakes baked and cooling.

Just showing basic cupcakery to newbies.

Covering a cake with buttercream. Same buttercream can be used to ice the special ensaimada on our Day 3 session, (group class).

This is Melvin, one of my students, Doris' baker finishing up the cake. Ha! I told you i will post your picture..

I love the purple color, it is a pressure piping scroll using just an ordinary star tip. I thought i can only do this on a number 43 PME tip, great!

Next post is about breads...My all girl group class for September. I just had an ensaimada for breakfast this morning with as usual, my coffee and tea with cream concoction that can send a zombie walk faster than a turtle. Had to finish working on my fondant cake, hope it does not rain. Please.

More Baking Days

2011-09-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Day 3 and 4 of our special private class, lucky these two are. If someone pays for my training, i will be in church every Sunday for sure. I am so happy that my student is pleased that her breads are getting great reviews, hmmm, could it be that they are free? Hope not, these two worked hard to get the shapes right sweating and standing for hours.

Mongo breads, and pizza, whole grain garlic and rosemary foccacia. If you do not like the breads too brown, all you need is to reduce the baking time and lessen the eggwash on top. Not all students like the maputla or pale versions, i too prefer my breads golden brown.

Everyone's favorite, Hard Monay, actually this is the only bread i eat from the white bread varieties, i go for whole grain but i will not pass this one out. My helper just asked me if this was the same star bread, and yes it is the same.

Day 4 Special Ensaimadas, topped with floss, if the students prefer a particular shape, i allow them freely, this one was just rounded instead of the coiled.

I left 1/3 of this bread for me, used it to serve my group class for lunch with just plain tuna filling and some condiments and the bread was divinely soft and crusty outside when re-heated. I was surprised that when the bread cooled down, it was still soft, not dry and hard. Amazing.

Ensaimada dough on the rise.

All wrapped up and ready for the Congress. My student brings the breads over to her work place and i was ecstatic to hear that even some Congressmen had a bite of all the breads we made. Breads spreading good tidings this soon. She got 200 orders of this pastry that day itself. Wow.

The students also had this for lunch, they made the dough of course.

The mongo pull apart bread, i am sure someone will copy this and claim it is theirs originally. Same thing when i did the Malunggay Pandesal years ago, now they are selling it i heard. Not bad, but i think i was the first one who blogged about making one. Okay lang, as long as you make money out of it and help create jobs for others, why not?

Siopao is also part of the lesson, finally the white siopao that had eluded me for 18 nonths. No bleached All Purpose in the US, maybe if i search the internet, but most of the APF in the supermarket are unbleached so my Siopaos are all dirty off white in color.:( Not pleasing to look at.

THEM THAT WORK IT. One thing when you bake a lot of breads, you need all the tables you can use to put stuff on, make up the dough etc.,

More to come...Day 5 and 6 includes Cinnamon Rolls, Pan de coco,etc.,

Thank you to my group class students, i had a blast. I woke up this morning thinking i still have another session day with the girls, wala na pala, tapos na (it's over) and so i felt sad.:(
To Kat, JO, Joy, Eden, and Cheryl.. give me a buzz what happens next to your baking ventures...and once again, muchos gracias!!!!

Baking Class Photos

2011-09-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

What the dough likes, warm, warmer, warmest (hot!) searing temperatures! Dough ready..

Day 1 breads

This is a private class so i have only 3 students, adding water needs tlc!

Still on Day 1, Baguettes which Melvin kneaded manually. Watch out girls! I will make you knead for sure. :)

Cut Pandesal up close.

The baked baguette slices.
Most of the photos are in my other camera, too bad i have no time to upload them all, it takes like forever to do it, so please bear with me.. This laptop does not support the Sony PMB yet, gotta install Windows 2010 still. Will post more of Day 2, 3 and so on...

Location, Sketch

2011-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

To my students who are coming over for the Bread Making Class on September 18, 20 21 (still 3 slots left) and Cakes and Cupcakes, Buttercream Class ( 3 slots left), please make sure you know the directions on how to get here.

I have updated the instructions on the Map of Location link in my website, www.breadmakinglessons.com you can print it out or copy and study where you will be taking the ride and where you will get off if you are commuting (way much easier) and for those with cars, let me know so i can free up the parking space in front.

Please do not park on our neighbors front, you can park on the side leading up to the basketball court or near the basketball court, our front just not on our
neighbors' (both left and right). We have occasions where they knock on our gate to have the cars removed from their front and it was uncomfortable.

***Another thing, please BRING YOUR CONTAINERS, especially if you are commuting, at least 2 9 by 13 rectangular or boxed style plastic containers, not Ziploc so you can bring home your breads IN STYLE AND NOT ALL MUSHED UP.

If you are not clear about the location, please call me at 9383639, i find it hard to explain them all in text, sorry.

10 Quart Mixer

2011-09-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

If you ask me, a 10-quart mixer this size looked very heavy and so i thought when i first tried this way back 1998. Not anymore. I mixed some dough the other day and i was surprised to find the bowls sooooo light like a feather compared to my 20 quart bowl. I used to complain about how heavy it was before and i would even wait for my helper to show up before i make a batch of rolls. Or ask my sister if her helper can come over so she can help me out, you know how those helpers are, they disappear as fast as your cellphone load. Anyway, it looked like the heavy lifting did me some good so i am not going to be dragged down by the weight of the bowl anymore, good for everyone, there will always be breads on the table. This batch is 1 kilogram, a sweet yeast dough where half was used for the cinnamon rolls and half for plain dinner rolls. The recipe has 18% sugar, 15% eggyolks, 15% butter, and 2% yeast. Other than these, the rest of the formula is pretty much the same like your ordinary dinner roll or Pandesal.

Dough is proofing, i used a sponge for this recipe so i don't have to wait for hours for them to rise. This is probably the first time i used WELLINGTON to make a Sweet Yeast Dough, always use Purefood's for this recipe, but i was happy with the results. Without the sponge, with this formula, it would be a disaster.

Notice how puffy and the dough has risen, that is the effect of the sponge in the dough.

Changing the pans halfway through the baking time to even the color of the crust.

Can't wait to eat a couple with Eden Cheese!!!

My brother's request, cinnamon rolls in a 9 by 12 baking pan, need to turn this over.

Soft and fluffy, not overly sweet this recipe is a regular guest in my baking class, always a surefire winner. I would have students requesting for more to bring home. 09293145463 sherqv17@gmail.com cakesandpetals for cakes and cake decorating articles.

2 kilograms of Whole Wheat Pandesal

2011-08-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

SOME OF THE DOUGH PROOFING INSIDE THE OVEN WITH THE PILOT LIGHT ON.

Got to use some of the this Whole Wheat Flour i got from the Pennsylvannia Amish Store in New Jersey last March so i took it upon myself to tell my friend Anabelle that we would be making half a kilogram of Pandesal on her visit.

Half a kilogram gone in just half a day, my nephews were asking if there were some more left the following day but i had to send Anabelle home with about 7 pieces, upon my insistence of course (nobody goes home from our house without a bag of bread if we have some). She ate 5 on the spot while the breads were still warm with coco jam my mother just brought from the Philippines. It was fun, she came over to look at the mixer although i felt sad thinking she would somehow like it eventually and buy the mixer altogether.:(

Anyway i promised the boys and my Mother i will make them 2 kilograms of the same bread formula before i leave for Manila, and so i did, videotaping the whole thing with Marc my nephew. I was even surprised hearing from Marc that he wanted me to teach him how to, with John (who already knows some basic baking) helping out as well. Hey, if these guys are out to help me, i am up for it anytime...

I would sorely miss this mixer if Anabelle decides to buy it, it kinda grew on me after spending heavy lifting times with the huge bowl (so big i think i could fit my tiny body in it). Some of this bread will go to my sister to Manhattan, the rest will be frozen of course.

Dough almost done, at this stage i will remove them from the oven, preheat it at 325 F for about 15 minutes and bake them until golden brown. This dough is made with brown sugar so it will naturally darken fast.

I want to show you what happens when you prick the dough when it is fully proofed, the dough collapses and deflates naturally. My thumb caught the corner dough because i was busy chatting with my mother while i was pulling the trays off the oven.

See the photo below to compare what it would look like when it is baked, still incredibly edible of course but a tad bit different from its neighbors.

Just like a true show and tell, the front corner bread is smaller than its cousins, no visible signs of torture but you can see the slightly rough top crust. Who cares right?

Baking the first two trays. Boy, was i glad i shipped some plancha (baking sheets) through Johnny Air when i left, they came very handy when you make big batches such as this one.

Using my baker's rack to cool them a bit, although you should use a rack to stop the steam from collecting at the bottom, i already stored mine at the basement so i will probably flip this bread, that's bread clearly not bird.

Below is a photo of the inside crumb, nice and fluffy, slightly nutty and sweet from the brown sugar, there is such a thing as heaven on earth and if this wasn't that, what is?

Got any questions for me, shoot!

Not a week warm, i have been asked by my niece, two nephews and a brother the ubiquitous question, "when are you going to bake"? uugh. Still reeling from the bad airplane food (wonder if i could bring my own), i was not consciously looking forward to it yet, but had to after the 15th and still counting.. I swear my niece is probably pre-programmed to ask me that question. Fine, let's get to it then.

Perks of being a baker, you will be sorely missed and not be "kulang sa pansin" :)

Next post will be about the latest prices of baking supplies from my favorite local supplier, will write down the list of the basic ingredients so you will have an idea at the least. I am pleasantly surprised to find some ingredients staying cheap still. Not bad at all.

back in manila

2011-08-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here's my cellphone number 09293145463 you can now text me at this number if you have any questions regarding my baking and cake decorating classes. Nice to hear that even corporate people are interested to go into the cupcake business these days,thank you to those who sent in their questions through email.

My Cake Decorating Classes

2011-08-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Roses and Lilies

For more images, please go to cakesandpetals

For those who made reservations, you can pay your reservation fee now if you want, please email me so i can give you the details. It will be a bank deposit of only P500.00 for each course, the rest of the fee will be paid on the first day of class.

Please bring the deposit slip.

You can also pay through Western Union, pay to Shirley Villafranca
Block 5 Lot 13 Guijo Street North Ridge Park Subdivision
Sta. Monica Novaliches 1117, although i think there is a charging fee for this so maybe the bank will cost you less.

Once you made the payment, please email me the CONTROL NUMBER, WHERE YOU SENT IT AND WHO FILLED UP THE FORM.

Thanks!

The Unusually Dark Siopao (dumpling)

2011-08-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

I can now confirm it. Gold Medal in the US, and i can show you the proof here, is so much different from our Gold Medal back home in the Philippines. Mixing time is different. Proofing time is different. I can take that. I have a 20 quart heavy duty mixer. This guy can take it. Yeah, he is my friend so he deserves a different persona.

But wait till you get a look at the dough. It freaked me out. I tried at least 3 kinds of all purpose flours before, usually the ones my brother from Canada brings me and this was the darkest Siopao i have ever made, bar none.

It's like using oxidized water or something, it is not yellowish, it is grayish yellow. Ugly.
See for yourself. The only explanation i have is that New York or the US being so concerned about the health implications of BLEACHING with chlorine has banned it outright. Maybe so. Bleaching strengthens the dough, it improves machineability, dough tolerance, increases shelf life etc., but it is a chemical process. They banned trans fat here remember? Just my analysis.

The finished Siopao therefore will keep the purists heart at ease of course, still soft and fluffy, just forget about the pristine white dumplings we normally eat at Kowloon,Goldilock's or Mamon Luk.

Mixing the dough

Make up time

Filling and Sealing the buns

Our steamer is quite small, so i placed them on plates and used the oven to proof the buns, about 1 and half hours.

The recipe is in my website so do check it out. Everyone had some noodles after seeing the Siopao done, it's like Mamon Luk time, my mother said. Back in their days, it was the popular Mami house, Siopao buns and noodles, and i think i remember my parents bringing me into one of those noodle and bun houses. It is funny because i can still remember my father peeling off the skin from the bun like it happened yesterday. I picked it up from his plate and played with it thinking it was paper. I placed it in my mouth, and chewed on it, (i was 5 years old guys)at the same time thinking, "wow, ang galing, papel na pwedeng kainin". "wow, paper that you can eat".

To this day, i peel the skin off and eat it, just a habit of mine and i think i know why.

The color is not too obvious in the photos but compare it with the ones you see in the archives here and you will see the difference.

I will post some videos in my twitpic, for those who will attend the bread making classes, ebook buyers, you will get access to the baking videos in my flickr account.
www.breadmakinglessons.com

A Bakery Story

2011-08-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

I just updated my website with an article about 2005 (under Baking Consultant), my second private session outside my place in Makati. Going on site is a blast, you get to see a different place other than your own but it could be a hassle as well. Here in the US, such arrangement is compounded by the fact that you have to travel by air (which i totally 100 % hate), not because you have to ride the plane itself, (taking off is exhilarating) but the whole business of taking one's shoes, checking bags, lining up, waiting and more waiting.

I am used to just telling our driver, "Manong, i am going to this and that" and done. Here, you have to make travel arrangements, pack your bags and everything else possibly annoying. But, the allure of being able to teach, and see a different place of course, since it is my job makes it all worth it. I just wish that with all these computer geeks running amuck hacking computers of big time banks even the Pentagon, they can invent a TRAVELLING MACHINE. Hello? Please. That way, i can just press a button and i will be in Chicago or Los Angeles. Which reminds me, i never liked travelling at all, even when i was in college or working in Greenhills.

Anyway, being gone for such a long time (in my dictionary it is long), away from my country, you can't help but reminisce the past and i just thought of rendering some anecdotes to this blog for once, i promise it is about baking still.

I got a call for a meet up in UP Diliman April 2005, my teacher from OB Montessori asked me to come and hear out a friend of hers who was having some problems with their Pandesal. I arrived with a couple of bags of Pandesal for her (like i always did) and Ding Mercado (New Minstrels) came with his. Without tasting it, i knew something was off. The rolls were wrinkled, and when i opened one to taste, it was full of air. You know it was over proofed. Deliciously creamy and really more yellowish in color compared to mine. Hmmm. I think i know why. Lips sealed. No need to be tactless.

Midway through the meeting, we agreed on a schedule. Private classes in their commissary and so on. Apparently it was not just the bread that drove him to take the classes, it was the attitude of the bakers. Threatening your bosses to boycott production just because he missed signing one of your overtime slips is appalling, especially when you are treated like the Kings of Pastry. Free clogs, free meal, free bunk beds so you can sleep if you are tired, hello? I have never seen a bakery commissary with a sleeping quarter. And oh, i have to mention this, their salary were enormously like in dollars. Not in dollars per se, but really if your kitchen helper/assistant gets ten thousand a month how much more do you give the other two senior bakers? That is how generous Dona Isabella Suntay and Ding were to their bakers and you throw a tantrum on a production day?

Please. As if your bread is flawless. Now,how can three fresh off Le Coeur young bakers commit such an error. You have your combi ovens with a proofing rack built in thermostat. How can you miss it? I never did get a chance to talk to the bakers, both owners did not tell them why they were baking night shift, but i can pretty much guess why.

The whole reasoning behind attaching a built in proofer in these combi ovens is for the baker to control the proofing dough. No way you can squiggle out of this mess. I proof with none of this, and my Pandesal never for once looked like theirs. It makes me laugh to come up with a silly analogy that THEY WERE CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT, coming up with an overproof, (oh dear) batch of Pandesal day after day. It was hilarious and at the same time maddeningly irritating. If i were the owner, and you show up with two batches of wrinkled, (like when you sat in a pool for hours and your fingers looked like prunes) Pandesal, you will most likely get a pink slip.

Another day of this and i will give you your last pay check. You obviously do not know how to bake. Surprisingly, when i was there, orders still come in, by the hundreds. I turned into my hawk eye mode and inspected the corners, and under the you know what storage (only chefs know) i discovered ANCHOR BUTTER AND EVAPORATED MILK. Lesson number 1. Do your food costing before you even put your breads in the market.

So not only where these Pandesals overproofed, they were under priced. For P2.75 each, at 29 grams, with Anchor butter, and evaporated milk (no wonder Chiz Escudero's mother told me it tasted better than the one i brought in UP) they looked like they were losing money. Oh my word. I can still remember their faces when i told them this. Ding does not have the recipe. Nobody else does except the bakers. This is how they do it, it's like part of their fraternity's by laws, nobody is giving the owners the recipes. It was not only in this case, but i have heard this from bakery owners who attend my sessions. No recipe, no food costing. No food costing, no profit in sight. No profit, no bakery.

It was a memorable bit of my tiny world ( being i am really so tiny) because i also learned a lot from this experience. Because they were held at gun point, literally by the neck they could not do anything. Once Ding learned though, he became confident enough to challenge the master baker's request to take a leave. Too bad because he was never allowed to come back. Excuse me, threatening the nicest people on earth to boycott production for a late signature on your overnight slip is not an excuse to misbehave. Not if you have a sleeping quarters tucked inside the commissary so you can lie down when you are tired. Great job.

When i met up with Ding and Mrs Suntay weeks after, problem solved, there was a new Master Baker, his name was Ding of course, new bakers, less pay with better attitude. I told him to go for it, not worth putting up with bad attitudes and a wrinkled Pandesal. They added more products, and judging from his voice over the phone months after, i knew he was happy + er.

New York Back To Manila

2011-08-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Just thought i would type in a few words 2 weeks before i depart for Manila.

18 months.Impressed, Turbulent, sad, not just cold but very cold, confused, bewildered, amazed,grateful, discovery etc., etc.,

I have so many whys to leave behind, hopefully and planning to ditch them in the trash. They won't make it to my luggage. I have a third invisible luggage with me though, my Cake Decorating knowledge and getting to know a brother i have not seen since 1992. Canada must have been good to him. He was and still is the best brother one can ever have. For that alone, this New York trip makes it all worth it. My intangibles.

Yes, America is a great country, beautiful and almost perfect. But....

"It's this city that makes you go bad" suspect, Law and Order, SVU Episode

Depends i guess. You cannot blame a city for turning into the worst in you. You cannot lose who you are, because if you do, then what you have become of will wreak havoc. Heaven forbid it happens to me.

We all have God given talents to rise above misfortunes and trials. First time immigrants do not have a stamp of "immunity to persecution", it is up to us to swim or sink. I am glad that i met new friends, i might have lost some along the way, but i will cherish the ones i found.

New York,the best. Did not turn out the way i expected it to be, not your fault but mine. Still, i was glad to have been here, whether i come back is no longer the point, it's whether i stay. Only God knows.

In the meantime, back to Manila. Fairview, let's go baking. See yah!

PUNCHING THE DOUGH

SCALING

PORTIONING

GLAZED AND DREDGED WITH SUGAR

PROOFING

BAKING

www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com

Whole Wheat Spanish Bread

2011-07-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

I would love for you guys to view some clips of this Kitchen Aid mixing version, small batch but comes out the same way. I was in the mood for a Whole Wheat version (of course i didn't tell the boys) of Spanish Bread. Nephew coming from Canada and this is the only bread he likes to nibble on.

Now because it is Kitchen Aid, you know you cannot overtax the motor. I mixed the dough for a good 10 minutes and covered it until the motor cooled down.

Finish mixing for about 3 more 7 minute runs.
After mixing, divide the dough into logs, cut into 30 gram portions.
Flatten them out after rounding and relax them before filling.

Put the filling, (cake crumbs, sugar and butter)and roll, sealing the edges tightly. If you are like me who end up with a lot of cake trimmings, you know Spanish Bread is the next best thing. No wastage!

Roll in breadcrumbs,and place the rolls seal side down on greased or lined baking sheets.

I used the oven, with the pilot light on as a proofer. Since it is a warm summer time in New York, it took only about an hour and a half to proof this batch.

I breathe a huge sigh of relief when they get to this size in just under two hours. 2 hours and no activity at all will ruin my day. This one gladly did not do just that.
Proofing the oven at this stage, 325 F only because my dough has 18% brown sugar, and i used butter instead of the usual shortening.

Baking, baking, baking.:)

I shifted the baking pans halfway through the baking time, 15 minutes total.

Done, and absolutely a delight to have with coffee in the morning. Sorry, not having too much juice in the brain to write these days, busy...

Recipe:
Baker's Percentage

Bread Flour 90%
Whole wheat flour 10
Yeast 1.5
Brown Sugar 18
Salt 1.8
Milk powder 4
Butter 10
Water 55++ Variable

Mix all ingredients until gluten development. Make-up by dividing into 30 gram portions and fill with cake crumb filling. Seal and dredge in breadcrumbs. Proof until almost double in size.
Bake at a preheated 325 F oven.

Cake Crumb Filling

Cake crumbs 250 grams
Sugar 50
Butter 50

Mix everything together and set aside.

www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com

cakesandpetals

Making Variety Breads

2011-07-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Learn how to make the most basic of all doughs, lean, semi rich, sweet yeast doughs, and you will end up making breads you have never imagined yourself doing. Below is a sweet yeast dough turned into loaves, with brown sugar and butter filling, i sometimes use apples and cinnamon in this basic loaf bread for zpecial occasions. My former teacher at OB Montessori once held a party for some close friends in her office in UP and so i sent her 3 of these loaves. They couldn't wait to slice the coffeecakes as she told me later.

The next one is an UBE BREAD, from another sweet yeast, semi rich dough that i did for our Christmas dinner. I make a lot because my brother in law loves these breads for desserts.

Making cuts on the coffeecake to help in the rising and to create a decorative effect once baked

Same dough, there is a fruit and nut filling inside, then sprinkled some brown sugar on top. I will later on brush this with butter once baked.

I spread a few of the ube on top halfway through the proofing.

Baking the breads now...

Yum! I remember bringing these breads on their hot pans to my sister's place, what a delight.

Of course there is the Malunggay Pandesal featured somewhere here last year (please see archives). I have a large Malunggay tree in front of my window and i know the antioxidant quality of this vegetable is so i gave it a try. My nephews did not even notice it.

These cinnamon rolls also uses the same basic sweet yeast dough but i add a few more yolks to create a softer bread base. This image was taken when i went to Canada for my Cake Decorating lessons at Golda's Kitchen. One day after, they were gone.

Got to have my breads and so i made some for myself, a lean dough French bread type but i added some oatmeal and seeds into it to give it some form of roughage. Good for you sort of bread.

Corned Beef Pandesal, the Pandesal dough from class filled with Purefood's Corned beef, miss ko na itong brand na ito, every month we would have this recipe on our first day of class and most students have them for lunch. Fresh off the oven, 3 of this can fill you up for sure.

This is a batch of Pan de coco made by the students, the lighting makes the filling almost invisible so i apologize. The dough we used is the Soft Bun Dough.

Raisin loaves or breads with a twist, and Mongo bread in ensaimada molds.

Cooling the Mongo Rolls

Vanilla and Chocolate filled rolls, i used the Soft Bun dough again, but you can use any basic dough such as the Pandesal dough, Dinner roll, or Sweet Yeast dough. More to come....

***Please call me around August 24 at 9383639 to make reservations for my baking/cake decorating classes. I will require a P500.00 reservation fee once i made a confirmation just to insure your attendance since i will only accept 7-8 students per session.

You can still use your reservation fee if you cannot make it to the class as soon as you inform me days before.

www.breadmakinglessons.com

Changes in the Schedule

2011-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

I apologize for making a few changes in the schedule below, i made way for some private one on one sessions so i nicked off the last dates of these lessons, first day did not change though.

Breads Hands On

September 18, 20 and 21***

Buttercream Class

September 27 and 28

Royal Icing and Gumpaste/Fondant

September 9,12 14

Thank you and sorry again, i hope this does not put a damper on your schedule.

See my most recent post of CUPCAKES ON STAND, in my cakesandpetals site.

Cookie Recipe

2011-07-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Cookie recipes if you are in the mood for making a batch this week.

CAKESANDPETALS

Whole Wheat Flour and Cracked Wheat

2011-07-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

I want to show you the difference between the Whole Wheat Flour i use and the Wheat Bran, both good for making your hearty and healthier versions of Pandesal and loaf breads. Below is the Wheat Bran, which you cannot use 100% of course, a cup of this to your regular recipe will go a long way. Now, grab your favorite Whole Wheat Bread from the grocery aisle and peek through the crumb and count the flecks of whole wheat visible to your minus double lens eye. Find any?

Chances are you will not find A LOT, and this could mean two things. First, they did not use the wheat bran below, what we call back home as cracked wheat. Because if you do, you will be amazed at how very little of this can totally change the dough structure, from a smooth gliding dough to a brown speckled mass. So if you see your Whole Wheat Bread having very little tiny brown colored dots, chances are they use just a small percentage of wheat bran or cracked wheat (which can be very expensive) or that,

they use whole wheat flour...puede rin, but then again, like i said this is one expensive ingredient.

This is the Whole Wheat flour, very fine, dark colored and way much finer than the whole wheat flour sold by Purefood's. I got this one from the Bulk Barn in Canada, the wheat bran was from an Amish Pennsylvannia store in New Jersey, just before Princeton.

You scoop the ingredients straight off the bins, label it with a piece of paper they have and write the number and pay. So cool.

So let me show you just how speckled this Whole Wheat Bran based dough will look like once i mix the dough and see for yourself the big difference. I suspect that the ones you buy, barely has this much wheat bran. Below are images from Whole Wheat Pandesal, i used my 20 Quart mixer, this is a 1 kilogram batch.

Now that, is what a Whole Wheat based dough should look like. I always show this to my students, make sure you know what your dough looks like, ALL THE TIME.

I used a sponge on this one, see how the dough expands inside this jurassic oven? Amazing. I am still at awe with how the process of fermentation gives out such an incredible job, wonderful.

Pandesal that does not deflate, the shape stays on and the sweet, nutty flavor of the bran lingers to your mouth after. I tweeted a while back that this batch lasted on a warm 72 F kitchen for 6 days, with out any preservatives.

Next time you buy your whole wheat bread, be a Poirot and think about it. Is it or is it not?

For baking class inquiries, please go to my website, www.breadmakinglessons.com to see the schedule, the lessons, fee and all.

Yes, i do give one on one baking classes, if you wish to take the lessons alone, you are free to do so. The minimum fee is that you should pay for at least two students, which is P5000.00, on site or in my place. If you wish the classes held on site, an extra student would have to pay (meaning a third student), but the fourth one does not have to. If you have a group who wants to take the lessons, the fee will cost you only what 3 students would pay, so if there is like 6 of you, you can chip in and divide the fee among yourselves. Pretty neat i must say. I wish i had taken such class when i was still brow beating myself trying to learn how to bake Pandesal, instead i ended up taking a two year Culinary Course yet failed to learn it still :( P1,000/unit lang naman. Parang Ateneo during that time, what was i thinking?

Anyway, hands on sessions with no time limit increases your chances of learning how to bake breads by a mile high. There is nothing out there that can teach you more than dipping yourself elbow deep into the flour bin so to speak. You have to "feel the dough" and take the steps in real time. No other way. You can buy 10 baking books, attend demos here and there, but unless someone gives you the opportunity to make the breads yourself and find out the whats and whys, you are just wasting money. I should know. It happened to me.

PS
Love it when families sign up, mother and daughter, mother and son with girlfriend, or husband and wife with daughter etc., Must be fun to take a class with your family, i am sure it is.

tumblr Cake decorating posts

BAKING BREADS AND PASTRIES: Baking and Cake Decorating Classes and Little Caylee

2011-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

BAKING BREADS AND PASTRIES: Baking and Cake Decorating Classes and Little Caylee

Baking and Cake Decorating Classes and Little Caylee

2011-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am reposting the schedule here just in case you missed the previous post for the upcoming baking and cake decorating lessons in September. I will be arriving in Manila on August 22 so please call me after if you have any questions and to make reservations. The requirements and fees are in my website, www.breadmakinglessons.com and you can also email me at sherqv17@gmail.com for any baking questions under the sun.
Again, the Royal Icing and Gumpaste class will be for 3 days, no need to buy your gumpaste tools if you have no time or if you cannot find them, i will allow the students to use my tools.

ROYAL ICING SCROLLS AND ROYAL ICING FLOWER ON FONDANT CAKE

Just recently there is an issue regarding All Purpose Flour. Yes, you can make breads with it, practically all kinds of breads but there will be a big difference in terms of volume, oven spring, proofing time, hydration level, etc., When i first arrived here in the US, i had a hard time adjusting to the 100% All Purpose Flour Pandesal, something i never did back home i must say. After a while i got used to it, 14 months of US flour, bouncing from one brand to another whatever is available, on sale etc., For example, when i was in LA, i used Pendleton and Smart and Final and Con Agra Hard wheat flour. In California, i used the store brand bread flour, forgot the name of the grocery near Corona. In Canada, Bulk Barn has at least 3 types of Hard Wheat Flour, but you gravitate towards using the All Purpose because they are cheaper than the bread flour. In the Philippines, it is a case in reverse, bread flour is way cheaper than all purpose and cake flour. Bottom line is, reduce the water when you use all purpose flour in yeast dough breads, but you can do almost anything with it, do not restrict yourself.

Lastly, the just recently concluded infamous trial of Casey Anthony just ended and i would like to say a few of my two cents in this space. Almost all of the radios, internet, cable and major channels in the US are running stories of how this sort of like "mock" trial ended in a bizarre and twisted fashion. To me it is bizarre, and sick. I almost vomitted and my heart felt like exploding from disbelief as i read one "not guilty" after another. What a way to start the week, no? Hindi na ba nag isip itong mga jury na ito?

First off, how do you get off with even the manslaughter or child abuse charges when A. you were with the child, as the primary caretaker of poor Caylee, when she apparently just disappeared. One mother said that she just held her son's arm tight one time he was acting up and she was locked up in jail for child abuse! This girl, not only did she not report her to the police, but granting she did give her to someone else and she died eventually, makes her negligent somehow right? The baby was your responsibility, she died under your care even if you did not murder her, that to me at least should have gotten her the "child abuse" charges. We protect our children so much that a single bruise can land you in jail if your child tells his teacher you hit him. So anong nangyari at parang tinamad na yata itong mga jury na ito at gustong umuwi ng maaga so hindi na nag isip.

My question is this. They say that you will be found guilty only if there is no reasonable doubt. But the defense's theories has so many doubts and holes, and yet this jury of 12 believed them more, the lies and their tails, not the obvious glaring truth. Scott Peterson was convicted for way so much less evidence. This guy went out and searched for his wife, lit candles during vigils, played the grieving husband and yet, was convicted of first degree capital murder. They do not have the cause of death as well because Lacy Peterson's body was found floating in the ocean, no chloroform, no duct tape, no trash bag, no dumping in the swamp, no baby blankets, no heart sticker on her face, nothing. There was no cause of death and apparently no motive as well because she was pregnant and they were both expecting the baby.

Please join me in praying for the soul of little Caylee, i am not even typing her surname, she does not deserve to be in this family. I hope that karma and the justice in heaven catches up with her mother who everyone knows murdered her. There are about 20 sites on facebook already asking to boycott any magazines, books, tv shows that will profit from her. Thanks,i hope you support the site for Caylee and spread the word. Worst case scenario, she gets half a million dollars worth of book deals and interviews. What a wonderful way to get off killing your own child and earn a living at the same time. So sick no? Hindi ito mangyayari sa Pinas. Sigurado ako.

HANDS ON BREADS
September 18,20, 21
October 23, 26, 28
November 15, 18, 20
December 4, 7, 9

CAKES AND CUPCAKES
September 5
October 4
November 23
December 2

BUTTERCREAM
September 27, 28
October 18, 20
November 27, 30
December 13, 16

ROYAL ICING AND GUMPASTE
September 9,12, 14
November 3, 7, 10

I have already some reservations for a 5 -10 day private lessons, please email me as soon as possible so i can arrange a schedule for you( one on one or group special private class on your site). Thank you.

Baking with Sponge

2011-07-03T05:56:00.000-07:00

My main focus when i teach bread making is how to commercially produce breads, which means large batches, and so it goes on to say that i would normally work on at least a kilogram when i hold a class. You can understand my discomfort when i attempt to do such over a a household type mixer such as Kitchen Aid. Kitchen Aid may work, but then again, not with the formulas i use.

We Pinoys love sweet, fluffy and flavorful breads. Some of my former students who open their bakeries use up to 24 % sugar in their recipes, i even heard one who used 26%. My recipes range from 15-19% only, but despite that, a Kitchen Aid will still have a hard time finishing a 300 gram dough in under 30 minutes.

30 minutes is pretty darn long, my 20 quart can whip up a 2 kilogram dough (NO TIME DOUGH METHOD) in 12 minutes. So what do you do when you drop by a client's house and all you see is a Kitchen Aid?

Better with a Kitchen Aid, than nothing! So instead of working on with 3 kilograms a day, i reduce the batch to 1.5 kilograms. Not with a 4.5 quart but the latest 5 quart models. There is nothing else i can do with this. Next inevitable but good thing i must say, is to change all the recipes from NO TIME DOUGH, TO SPONGE AND DOUGH METHOD.

How does one convert a No time to a Sponge and dough? Well, i have two books, one from the AMERICAN BAKING INSTITUTE and one from THE ASIAN INSITUTE OF BAKING, and both have in depth explanation and formula on how to do it. I do not follow them by the .0 percent, i do my own common sense tinkering because this is just bread, not how to make a telescope.

The results are the same amazing flavorful, deliciousness with an extra uumph because of the sponge. Seriously, maybe when you start mixing 100 sacks a day, that, i highly recommend that you do compute but right now? Nah.

Here is one sponge that is just starting to ferment. You will not see any life yet for the first two hours unless you use a tablespoon of yeast to a 300 gram flour. You do not do that, you use very little yeast, about .50-.80%/base flour depending on the temperature and hydration level, bread you want to make, length of fermentation etc.,
I started with 300 grams flour, 280 grams of water and 1/4 tsp of yeast.

Cover the sponge and let it ferment.

The sponge depending on the length of fermentation will expand naturally because of the alcohol, acids, and gas produced. If you make a sponge, might as well rake the benefits off it by extending the fermentation time to at least 4 hours.

Once you are ready, mix the sponge and drop it into the mixer bowl with the rest of your ingredients. You will find that unlike before, your dough will mix faster because of the sponge.
It will be rough at first but it will come together, just don't forget to check on the motor and if it heats up, stop the mixer and cover the dough.
I have had students who broke their mixers by over extending the mixing times when they make breads. Add to the equation the eggs, sugar and butter and you have a recipe for disaster. Your only solution is to use a sponge.

I have to transfer the first dough to a plastic bowl so i can work on another one while this is relaxing.

This is the third dough,like i said we do at least 3 500 gram batches (0n site, Private class). For my group class, we do 3-4 kilograms. If i have only 4 students, then we do 3 kilograms, 5 or 7 students, i add another 1 kilogram of dough so the students have more dough to work with.

In the end, i have a total of 3 bowls of dough, all of which will create at least 5 variations of sweet and plain breads. When the last dough is finished, the first one will be ready only after the Kitchen Aid has COOLED DOWN. Again, these are all done with a SPONGE, and not a NO time or Straight dough method, i don't think i will ever dare use both in my class if i have to use a Kitchen Aid.

Student working on the dough, shown here is Baked Siopao which is becoming popular these days.

Baking the Siopao

Baked and ready to eat.

Soft Buns, Hotdog Buns

Ensaimadas ready for the oven. I forgot to take photos of the rest of the breads, and this one too because i was so tired. It is exhausting to take off one dough after another, then put them back again. In commercial baking, you finish off the batch of course, but this is TROUBLESHOOTING that i have to apply for the student. I am glad that after this, her breads were all perfect to the T.

FOR COMMERCIAL BREAD MAKING hands on classes, go to www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com

Email me at sherqv17@gmail.com for inquiries, class starts on September to January 2012 only.

The Oven

2011-06-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

For those who are asking about the oven i use, this is just one of those four sheeter fabricated ovens that you can buy from P13 to P15 thousand these days. I hope my friend Sencio who was a former student still sells them at these prices. They come in different designs though, some have glass doors, others like mine are just plain so if you love to peek inside while baking, you better get the one with the glass door.

I bought this after i graduated Culinary school way back 1998, actually i belong to the first batch in OB Montessori, 95-97 but because i lack at least 700 hours of OJT, i slipped off quietly from the scene. You will not believe what i thought about this oven when i first caught a glimpse of it, carried by 4 burly men straight into our kitchen,I honestly thought it will never worked at all.

I had no idea what to buy back then really. I was baking from mini toaster ovens, an old La Germania counter top, and even tried the microwave, so the price at least got me hooked into paying a measly P6700.00 on this one. Turned out that this was one of those unexpected buys you bump into when choosing junk food off the grocery aisles. It outperformed the other oven i bought which cost me P17,500.00. This oven is now out of commission, but the cheaper one is still sharing the space like the rest of us. ,I must admit, like you i have my share of misguided impulse purchases, but this one is not one of them. My mixer is a different story. Maybe i should write about that one too(not the 20 quart and also not the Kitchen Aid). I will promise to be nice.

***This oven serves as my proofer when i bake only less than four sheets, as seen in the photo. Why bother go inside the proofing room? I take them off of course when i preheat the oven, make sure the dough is inside a draft free room, and carefully load them for baking.

BAKING CLASS SCHEDULE NOW POSTED ON www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com. You will receive a free copy of the EBOOK ON COMMERCIAL BREAD MAKING, all 516 pages when you attend the hands on class.

I also get inquiries regarding private classes in Manila, and so yes, i do conduct on site baking lessons. Fee for private lessons is the same per person, P2500.00/day but i require at least 3 students to offset the cost of the driver, gas etc., The lessons are not limited to just breads, if you want to have cake decorating lessons after, i am sure we can arrange that. Now that i have travelled all my myself to Los Angeles, Sacramento, New Jersey, to Philadelphia, all the way back to New York teaching breads, i guess i can handle this one.

Feel free to email for further inquiries. sherqv17@gmail.com or request for the baking module/requirements for the private lessons. Minimum number of days depend on the students, but i recommend at least 5 days.

Cakes and Petals Cake Decorating Articles

@pandesalatbp

Do I Love Cheese?

2011-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Somehow i miss Eden Cheese. We went to the Filipino store last year near our place and it was a whopping $3.49 each. Hello? That's like only P35.00 back home. This is more than triple its price. Okay, so it is imported, whatever but there are so many cheeses to choose from here anyway so i did not bother. When my brother from Canada asked me what i wanted from Walmart when they went there one time, i of course will not miss on asking for a block of cheese. I can make the bread, i just need the cheese. So here it is, the Pandesal i baked with American style Light Cheddar Cheese. My nephews did not like it at first, it has a slightly sour flavor, something we Pinoys are not used to, but once toasted, the cheese melts and becomes delightfully creamy.

For the Spaghetti, i basically made a meatless tomato sauce, this one here has some minced clams in them. Nothing fancy, i start out with the basic ingredients of garlic and onions, freshly pureed whole plum tomatoes, celery, basil, chives, and the minced clams. I used the steaming liquid from the clams as well.

Salad Dressing

Kraft Vinaigrette dressing, Sour Cream and Horseradish, plus minced garlic and onions

http://breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com
Check out the upcoming hands on baking lessons this coming September in Fairview, Novaliches Quezon City.

Email sherqv17@gmail.com for details of the lessons. This would be a nice break from the NY scene, i never thought i would miss teaching this much. I would sometimes drag my nephew to help out and eventually end up teaching him the tricks of the trade. Can't get it out of my system. I really miss the group class, the idea of having people around you who share the same love for bread,the long talks about bread making, never tires me at all. I just wish i could still get the same kind of group i had since i started teaching 2001.

I started out with 1 student, then 2, then 3 and 4, then 5 and 6 as the year progresses. Most of my friends now are from my previous sessions. Can't wait to tell them of my escapades! Right, like when i almost got left behind in Arizona because my plane was in Section 3 and i was in Section whatever, took me 35 minutes or more i guess to walk the very looooong hallway! Mama mia. My legs almost burst, imagine me, running the hallway. Turns out my flight was delayed for 1 1/2 hour and so i was indeed extremely LUCKY! If not, i absolutely would have missed the flight for sure. No doubt about it.

Pandesal in a Jiffy

2011-06-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

This was the batch of 1.5 kilograms of Pandesal i mixed in a a flurry,( still Spring during this time) when my brother and sister in law visited from Canada. They had with them 4 relatives of my sister in law from Europe. Europe? I asked myself, what can i serve them? Has to be something they miss from way back home. Answer. Pandesal. What else?

So day before i made 1 kilogram first. Woke up the morning after, they were all gone, meaning both the Pandesal and the guests, off to Manhattan for a tour of the city and i guess the Pandesal for snacks.

This is the proofed dough, good thing i brought with me some baking sheets, my "plancha" from my baking class, so i can actually make up to 6 kilograms right here in my mother's kitchen.
NO problem at all.

I used a sponge so the dough was really getting quite a height in this photo.

,

This is the baking size, now inside the oven. Again, i am using an old American size Hotpoint oven, a brand i have never seen or heard before.

While the two pans are inside baking, these two are sitting on top of the oven to finish off the proofing, around 10-15 minutes, just do not forget to close all the doors or you will dehydrate the dough.

Baking, halfway through, i will shift the pans to even out the color of the crust.

Transferring the baked Pandesal onto cooling racks. I intend to let this batch last for at least 4 days so i cannot afford to touch them, that is why i used a tong. I am already an expert in tong use, no dimples, even if the breads are still hot. A good 2 -3 minutes will allow these breads to be more manageable.

When the guests arrived, the Pandesal were already stored, on the table, waiting for them. I told my sister in law that she can get the ones in the large containers, i was only leaving 20 pieces for my nephews snacks. With that, all of them started packing their own "baon" for the trip back to Canada. Everyone's happy. I am happy. Back to back baking with this 20-quart mixer bowl is not exactly the same as my 4.5 quart Kithen Aid nor the 10-quart i have in my class. This probably weighs more than me with the dough in it. Ouch! I have never done it, this is the first time i baked two batches in succession. This is what we miss in Manila. But i am not in Manila.

HANDS ON COMMERCIAL BREAD MAKING LESSONS. SCHEDULE NOW POSTED, FOR DETAILS PLEASE LOG ON TO;
http://www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com.

For Cake Decorating articles please visit http://bakingbreads.tumblr.com

Baking Class Schedule

2011-06-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am now posting the September to December 2011 HANDS ON BREAD MAKING CLASS AND CAKE DECORATING CLASSES, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW for more details.
www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com and click the link baking class schedule

HANDS ON BREADS
September 18, 21, 23
October 23, 26, 28
November 15, 18, 20
December 4, 7, 9

Get ready for the Holidays and Parties, bake your own cakes and decorate them!!!

CAKES AND CUPCAKES
September 5
October 4
November 23
December 2

BUTTERCREAM
September 27, 29
October 18, 20
November 27, 30
December 13, 16

ROYAL ICING AND GUMPASTE
September 9,12, 15
November 3, 7, 10

The students will get a lecture first, just a short getting to know you ice breaker, introduction to what we will do, the ingredients, equipments, and the procedures. Students then get to know how to weigh, then proceed to mixing, until the dough is DONE.

Make-up stage follows, if there is a filling then students learn how to fill the dough which i find very funny to go through each first day baking session. Most of these students have never touched a dough in their life let alone FILL A DOUGH with something savory or sweet so i am amused, sort of. Some students find the exercise easy on the first day, some find it awkward, be that as it may, it was worth going through.

Each day, 3 kilograms of dough will be mixed, there is no time limit so if the students work fast, then they finish early. There are times when a group will have more questions, so this drags the day up to 4 pm, but most of the time, the session ends at 3 pm.

Manual kneading, which is to me the most important experience of all is done mostly on the first day, but if a student requests to do it on the second day, he or she may do so. No arm bending here. If you have a bad back, scoliosis, RA etc., please tell me before hand so you can skip this activity, otherwise, i require all students to go through this.

You will learn how to round, shape (rounds, baguettes, cinnamon roll logs, ovals, ensaimada snalis or coils,etc.,)You will also proof the dough on the baking pan, watch the dough rise, pre heat the oven, and bake. Best part is to eat the breads fresh off the oven, or should i say smelling the breads while they are baking right in front of you. It is a surreal experience, one moment it is just a lump of dough, next thing you know, you are eating it. Nothing better than that.

Do not wear high heels or pumps, plain soft cushioned closed toe sandals will do, cotton shirt not polo long sleeves, whatever is comfortable. For the women, please tie your hair if you do not want to wear a hairnet. Bring a spare shirt, mini towel, extra bottle of water if you wish although i normally serve drinks and light snacks. Most students also bring their lunch, but some do not because they prefer to eat the breads we bake. I could not disagree more. However, some diabetics or those who prefer to eat rice for lunch may bring a light meal on the side too.

Lastly, i beg each student NEVER TO FORGET YOUR PLASTIC CONTAINERS. Any container will do, except for plastic sando bags especially if you are commuting all the way back to Cavite or Bulacan. This is to preserve your finished samples and i give generous amounts of breads to my students not just 2 pieces or 3 like some baking schools do. My reasoning is for you to share the experience with the people you love, people who would support you in this new hobby or career, and in turn encourage you to be inspired all the more. Second day is the most inspiring because they get great compliments from the breads they had brought home and most are eager to buy ovens and mixers at this stage.

I would have students who get calls on the second and third day from their husbands or wives what breads they are bringing home that day, what time they are coming home, etc., My student friend Marge had to buy breads from the store so her breads will last the second day because they disappear fast.

The Commercial Bread Making Class is for 3 days, whole day no time limit and we usually start at 9 am, but call time is at 8:30 am, so be there on time, i start at 9 am sharp. Lucky for those who arrive early because i love to chat. You know what i mean. I charge the same fee i charged since 2001, P7500.00 for the three days, inclusive of all the ingredients. I am thinking of buying extra flour and ingredients for the students to buy after class but i will think about it. My students before had requested me to do so but i shrugged the whole idea because of problems with storage. Some students cannot get started because they cannot find the ingredients fast enough so if you are enrolling in this class and have no access to a nearby retail bakery supply store, let me know. I might change my mind. I do not intend to charge too much, maybe just to offset the cost of gas and driver, packaging etc.,

Email sherqv17@gmail.com for reservations, details etc., To those who have already inquired many weeks ago, please email me if you want to make a reservation. Thank you.. and see you in my class.

SAMPLE OF DAY 2, WHAT THE STUDENTS BAKED

MY 1998 FOUR-SHEETER OVEN,I GOT THIS AFTER GRADUATING FROM CULINARY SCHOOL. I had no idea what to buy that time, so i got a La Germania and this one, just to make sure my new career will not go into hibernation just in case the other one does not work my way. Turned out, the cheaper fabricated oven lasted the more expensive P17,000 oven. It is now no longer part of reality, just a storage for old pans or what nots, but this rusty oven still works magic. From cookies, to 4 chiffon cakes per batch, hundreds of Pan de sal and Ensaimada, this oven is my century long BEST BUY EVER. It went under water during the Ondoy of September 2009, my baking class was suspended for a month because i dried the whole thing up but still went back to work with no hitch afterwards. Amazing. Looks bad from the outside but i plan to have it polished, the inside though is absolutely spot on down to the single Fahrenheit.

CINNAMON ROLLS BAKED IN CANADA

APPLYING BUTTERCREAM TO A THREE LAYERED CAKE

BLUEBERY CUPCAKES

ROSE AND CALLA LILY CAKE

BUTTERCREAM CLASS

ROYAL ICING AND GUMPASTE/FONDANT CLASS

PARTY FAVORS!

BUTTERCREAM ON BANANA CUPCAKES WITH GUMPASTE FLOWERS

After this, you will never have a boring day, ever! Visit http://bakingbreads.tumblr.com for more Cake Decorating articles and images.

Sesame Seed Pandesal

2011-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

The only good reason to use the phrase "buttering up" is with these hot fresh off the oven Sesame Seed Pandesal.

So i decided to use this brown sesame seeds i bought in Patel's in East Brunswick, New Jersey. It is unlike your regular sesame seeds, these are plump, larger and of course brown. So why not a Pandesal with a Sesame Seed topping? Hmmm, to do it, i have to spray the top of the rounded or shaped dough with water, then dunk it on a plate of sesame seeds, adding a dredging of the traditional breadcrumbs alongside. Not bad.
First off i have to make a sponge, if you are at the mercy of the flour we have here, with my formula, you have to make a sponge. I fermented this overnight, about 12 hours.

Because it is made with whole grain, about 3%, this sponge will ferment fast so i kept it inside our pantry which gets really cold especially at night. I made this around late April, and it was still very cold in our house, around 63-64 with the heater on. Pantry can get to 60 F sometimes. Cool? Yes and Nah ah, not when you bake and covered with 2-3 layers of clothes, constantly tugging the sleeves left and right. Bummer.

The large Pandesal proofing, i made a small batch of 75 grams each because i intend to make a burger bun out of it. Although it did not materialize because my nephew John used the buns to make his Pandesal Pizzas, i am glad he liked it.

Here's the lovely golden brown Brown Sesame Seed Pandesal.

You can get the basic Pandesal Recipe in my website, just click the Pandesal link. It is a No Time Dough recipe, but if you have the stronger 13-14% bread flour, no need to worry, you can still get a high yielding roll such as the one featured in this blog.

Incidentally, been losing sleep lately because of this incident happening in our place. It has been 3 weeks in a row where this teenage boy have been shouting "F...You"! to us, right in front of our house while he was in a car passing by with his friends probably from school.

The first incident happened while my nephew was almost inside the house. I heard it and so did my sister who was visiting from Manhattan. The second time, one week later on a Friday, i was alone and i heard him scream a loud, "gigil na gigil", forced, angry "F Youuuuu"! Loud and clear. I ran outside to see at least what the make of the car was but i only saw a silver car, no plate number.

Third time was last Monday. This is getting to be disturbing and hurtful. My sister, was waiting for Marc to arrive, usually at around 2:21 pm. I forgot to open the door like the first time, so while we were meeting Marc near the doorway, and as i turned my back to check on the oven, the "F You" happened again. This time my sister was able to see the occupants of the car, the same boy with the curly hair who screamed at me way back last summer while i was on my way home from the corner Deli, the same boy who threw a block of snow to Marc way back January. He did not curse at me back then, just a loud, intimidating, shouting and menacing "HELLLLLOOOOOO", and then he looked at me. Heart pounding, i almost fell to the road. I got scared because i thought he would hurt me.

Last Saturday, while i was in my baking area, 2 feet away from the front door, someone made this loud banging on the door. BANG,BANG,BANG!, three loud, rapid thuds. I froze. I did not open it because i admit, i got scared. I mean, who would bang your door in broad daylight? After maybe 4-6 seconds of standing there frozen and nervous, i lifted the blinds, and did not see anyone. He could have jumped the stairs,and ran to the right side down the road. I mean, i did not really open to look who was on the street so it was a mistake thinking about it later. I could have called one of the boys to see who was running away down the street right? At least we have an idea of what he looks like.

Could he be the same boy who was cursing at us? At 10 am in the morning? Why would you risk going up the stairs, to the front porch, bang on our door on a Saturday. You know everyone is at home on a weekend. It's not like it was 10 pm in the evening where the streets could be dark sometimes. Is this the last of it? What else can this person do? Ang tapang mo naman to dare do something like this because our house is in the open, there is only one way out and that is the long stretch of road where we can see you and probably chase you if you do something bad. If only i opened the door and went out.

Once is annoying and weird. Twice, it is disturbing. Three times, it is already getting to my nerves. I think they are not only harassing my nephew, they make it a point to curse at Marc while he enters our house so it is directed towards us too. I wonder what kind of parents this boy has. He sits at the back right side, with 3 other young boys who tolerate what he does and probably enjoy it. Is this the reason why nobody stays in this house longer than 2 years beside us? The last occupant of this house stayed only for 6 months. I hope what the oil guy said to my sister is not true. 3 years ago, when my sister was having her furnace checked down in the basement, this guy asked her if she was Mexican. My sister asked why and she was shocked when he told her that "we are driving Mexicans away", of course only after my sister said no, we are Filipinos. Our surname is Villafranca so he probably thought we were Hispanic.

Hmm. Marc definitely could pass up as a Hispanic because unlike me and my siblings, my mother too, has light brown skin. He looks darker when you sit him beside us. Not as pale white as me and my siblings. Marc also has beautiful eyes, not typical of Asian tsinita, chinky eyes but really Meztizo eyes with long eyelashes so it could be that they think Marc is Hispanic and maybe Arabic?. Maybe. God forbid but i thought racial discrimination will never touch our front door steps. I hope not. I have been here for almost 15 months and i have not heard a single "f you" directed towards this house. Only now. Maybe we should put up Pacquiao's poster. Or ask Marc to wear one of his shirts. John said he saw a Pinoy boy wearing Pacquiao's shoes in school last week. Why didn't i buy one?

I cannot really be mad at them knowing these are boys the same age as my nephews. I pity them, they probably have hatred and anger issues and Marc was the perfect target and outlet. Little do they know that they are also corrupting themselves by bullying Marc and us.

Quite frankly, there is nothing else we can do but be vigilant. I am setting up my video cam every 2:15 pm from now on, 7 minutes before Marc opens the door. Good thing i work at home. This boy will never say a word. Had i not told him the car was silver, he will never tell me. He was not telling us anything, but i think he knows what these boys look like, he said he thinks he saw them in school one time but never said anymore after that. I wonder if these boys are in his class? What if they do the same thing to Marc at school?

Marc, hang in there. I know you cannot read this, but my prayers for you. Hope you pass the basketball try out.

Whole Wheat Pizza with 3 Cheeses

2011-05-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Lately i think i have had extra sugar in my diet that i decided to counter the effects or purge myself off it by having more whole wheat and grains in my diet. Not easy especially if you live with two teenage boys who are carnivorous. My brain tells me to go ahead, i have been "sinning"lately especially after that 2 month trip out of New York.
When you live in someone else's house, you cannot choose your food. Even if you can afford to buy your own, i feel embarrass at the least to buy and cook my own food, it's like telling your host "your food sucks" in a sort of cerebral kind of way. So i try to avoid that.
Just before i left, i already told my mother to tell my Aunt in Sacramento that just in case i drop by, they should not fuss over what i would eat because i have my own special diet etc etc..
Still, it didn't stop them to invite me to pizza dinners which i kindly obliged twice and politely just excused myself the third time. Yes, i do eat a bite of these store bought pizzas every once in a while, but you will not believe how much flavorful homemade whole wheat pizzas are compared to these cookie cutter pizzas.

I have pretty much exhausted my pantry tricks for anything healthier to eat since i arrived here in New York, i thought it would be easier but not. 7 years of shunning away from processed foods fats, sugars etc., sometimes the food that i have been eating just makes me want to gag, the very thought of having a carrot shake even if you add mangoes to them or strawberries, uuugh. I am a cancer survivor trying to survive doubly hard in a place where public transportation is a major bust. If i ran out of cilantro or parsley, i have to shell out $16.00 for a cab ride to get to the nearest grocery. In Fairview, P30.00 (barely a dollar!!!) only and i can get to the nearest supermarket, buy myself some fresh mushrooms or basil, pick whichever you like, Rustan's or SM. Or, and i know you all do this back home, ask someone to get these stuff for us, si Manong or Manang, or when someone is going out, pasabay ng gulay sa driver. Life is so much easier back home.

Spring and Summer is a relief, you can plant your own organic veggies, munch on the freshly picked tomatoes and add the greens to anything. I am lucky that i can cook and bake at the same time. Though dairy is also not allowed, i do love cheese so this is a huge treat for me, have the cheese but not that white flour crust at the bottom. Compromise. I think this is the reason why i am still alive today, hope to G-d i am doing the right thing.

The recipe i used is simple, i just used more seeds and the bran i got from this Amish store which is so cheap, this actually gives the dough a nuttier flavor, crispier too! Mix all the ingredients, rest the dough at least 2 hours before shaping them into rounds, relax again after rounding and you will not have a hard time flattening them. I did not bother to dock the dough because i want them to puff up to create the layers when i use the crust for pizzas.

300 grams of all purpose flour
100 grams of whole wheat
50 grams of cracked wheat
50 grams of bran
20 grams of sesame seeds
10 grams of flax seeds
10 grams salt
10 grams yeast
10 grams olive oil
10 grams of sugar plus about 65% water. I did use a sponge to add to the mix though just to give it that more artisan flavor. With a sponge, i was able to use my Kitchen Aid. Half of the dough was frozen for future pizza crust cravings.

My sponge/starter which i continually feed every time i use it.

I have no idea what the Indians call this round wooden sort of mold for their chapati or paratha i guess but i love it.

Once you have flatten the dough, you can either bake or grill them, i normally bake the Pita or Pizza crusts but this time i decided to just grill them because i want a heartier flavor, more authentic rustic owing to the ingredients that i just used.

The grilled crust now being topped, just a simple veggie tomato sauce and three of my favorite cheeses, smoked provolone, gorgonzola and mozarella, plus onions and garlic. Nothing else.

My favorite part, is the edge crust, it is crispy, nutty and yes, very healthy indeed. I get to eat pizza and not feel guilty about it. Next post is whole wheat sesame pandesal. Promise.

Tentative baking hands on session will be this coming September, G-d willing.
www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com

THE FINE PRINT OF PROOFING

2011-05-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

If you already have a copy of the ebook then you probably have read some of the things here, proofing is not judged by the time although we normally use the clock to know where we are at when we are proofing doughs, and to set the timer when we need to check on the dough etc.,

If only we can all have one of those proofing cabinets with built in timers and thermostats right? but not. First off, they are expensive. If i am selling Pandesal in my neighborhood, like most Filipinos do since Magellan stepped in Cebu, why bother? If you plan to operate like Goldilock's and the French Baker, then you might need to get one of those huge Proofers. I have seen one on sale here for at least a thousand dollars which is not bad considering it can fit 24 half sheet pans. Back home, one of my students bought a metal, not aluminum fabricated proofing cabinet and it looks bad from the outside, way much worst on the inside because of the rusting.

I was thinking she could have just asked someone to make her one, you cannot put food inside a rusty container even if the dough is not in contact with the rust. The steam she used to warm the cabinet naturally created the rust over time, just not the way to do it.

Now how long does it really take to proof doughs? Depends on your formula, your kitchen's temp and humidity, the way you mixed the dough, your ingredients, etc etc. I merely just look at it. I am way past the stage of pressing and sizing. Below are photos of the Pandesal proofing stages which i think will be helpful to those who are just starting.

If you have done all the steps right, mixing, etc., and failed to proof at the correct stage, then even if you use a bread improver which is actually a softener and dough conditioner for the No Time dough method of mixing, your bread will be tough. Do not bake the dough if they are not ready yet or the bread will be dry and heavy and most likely good enough to eat only when it is warm.

Photos are taken in East Brunswick at my friend's house Dina Sanchez when i dropped by to visit. We used her 5 quart Kitchen Aid to bake two batches of 500 gram doughs. Judging from the photos, you can more or less see how the dough progresses from small to its final size just before they hit the oven. I did not use the timer, but yes we looked at the clock just to know what time it is. It was 70 F in her kitchen and this one took long to proof but not that long compared to my kitchen in New York which is at least 63 F.

Do not laugh but my nephews wear shorts and shirts at this temperature.
What is it with these kids nowadays? Maybe it is the games they play. I shake in cold while they play in shorts. Not fair.

Looks like i may be going home earlier than planned, probably around late August and not October. Perfect! This gives me time to make the gumpaste flowers for my niece's 18th birthday cake, the cupcakes (2 50 tier stands are waiting for me), do the stuff i have to do and still make time to teach breads and cake decorating. See you guys!

Making Bagels

2011-05-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Decided to make my own bagel, not the Montreal soft style bagels my nephews like to eat but the chewier version which they do not like to eat. The soft bagels are addictive i suppose because they fight over who gets the last piece and they can eat two of these huge almost 150 gram bread in one day. I have tasted it, it has this dark bitter sweet glaze, the interior is soft and does not look like intimidating at first but when you start chewing it, it gives you a slight fight back when you chew. Love it, although i prefer if it would be a whole wheat version, but this is the only bread i did not make myself that i liked so far.

Not the same with the original bagels because these are slightly soft on the inside and very chewy outside, smaller in size too but has a heartier flavor to it. I like both depending on what i am in the mood for. I cannot replicate the wooden planks they bake it with, nor that "water" they use and even the boiling syrup they dunk them in etc., This is a a tradition to New York Jewish baking, and if there is one bread i am willing to buy, it will be this one and only this one alone.

I can bake Pandesal with my eyes closed, but with the bagels, i am open to the idea of eating a store bought bagel, for the first time, i am saying this, yes, i will eat store bought breads, and that is the soft style bagels please.Every bagel here is made with pride, i just want to jump into the band wagon and see where it goes. I am also buying into the history, at least that is what i think, and New Yorkers love their bagel and so shall it be. In the meantime, here is what my chewy artisan bagel looked like, not bad for a homemade style, keeps well in the chiller and excellent when toasted with cream cheese and all the works.

After mixing, i shaped them into rounds, poked a hole and then proofed them in cornmeal dusted pans. Proofing is for 30 minutes because i prefer a fluffier crumb.

Used maple syrup since i do not have malt, boiled the water and cooked each side until they puff up. In Purefood's, they timed each side using one of those timers you hang by the neck. I had a chance to watch them make three flavors, chocolate chip, raisin and the plain one. I remember going home that day with my jaws numb and locked for chewing a quarter of the original bagels they made us taste.

Boiled my bagel dough until they puff up like this. If i boil them less, i noticed that the bagels are flatter and i do not like that.

Baking in 350 F for 30 minutes until shiny golden brown.

Those behind are flatter because i used less boiling time, some prefer it like this but like i said, i liked it better when they are fluffier, so unbagel like huh.

I did not make holes in the other bagels for a change, the holes should be wider but i like it this way so my filling won't slide out. I made petite doughnuts for the boys as well using my dinner roll recipe. It's funny but the eggs here taste different so i am not getting that eggy aftertaste the way i do when i make doughnuts back home. hmmm. There is an egg and chicken farm here and that is what we buy, i suppose because it is organic??

Showing you the texture of the inner crumb.

With chicken breast, mustard and smoked provolone. Lunch.

Don't forget the dessert.

Baked Siopao

2011-04-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

As promised these are images taken in Sacramento when i made my cousins some Siopao, half of which i steamed and half i shoved into the oven. I did not use the same dough for the Baked version, the end product was dry and heavy maybe because of the extra sugar/less water in the Siopao dough not to mention it does not have eggs compared to the Baked version. I used the Soft Bun dough recipe, actually any kind of plain yeast dough will do. Same proofing and baking, the only thing different i guess is that i placed a hard boiled egg inside instead of the usual salted egg.

Lucky enough to use two bowls, each batch is 500 grams of All Purpose Flour.

Dough still looking rough, takes time to mix using a Kitchen Aid. Just make sure the mixer does not over heat.

Relaxing the dough for 30 minutes, this allows the dough to not only mellow but for the mixer to cool down as well. You can cook the filling during resting times if you want although mine was already cooked the day before.

Scaling time, i used 60 grams although you can use 70 grams if you like. 70 grams is the standard size for Siopao buns in Manila.

About 1 tablespoon of filling goes into a flatten dough. Pinch around the sides to seal, maintaining the roundness of the bun.

Both the Baked and Steamed version proofing. Of course, yes, you need to proof them too.

The buns baking, looks like this is just an Asado Bun or Rolls but let us call it Siopao, the baked version here.

The Baked Siopao Buns, i used milk instead of the usual egg wash to glaze the top. I love my Aunt's oven, normally i would like be wringing my hair figuring out how to pre heat and calculate the heat of an oven that is so foreign to me, but this one came out perfect. So different from the other ovens i tried using for the first time. Whew!

Baking in New Jersey

2011-04-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

This is an image of the Globe mixer my friend from New Jersey got last year. I can't say good things about it because i can't help compare it with my previous two mixers, a 10-quart Hoqurt and the 20-quart Omcan. For its price, it's regrettable if you bake a lot of breads, but if you are just a homebaker, i would say, live with it. Sounds harsh i know but even my Taiwan made P28,000.00 mixer which i purchased way back 1998 can outdo this one in a matter of minutes, NO Time Dough or not. So i taught my friend how to troubleshoot this mixer given there is no way she can return it. My advise to you if you are in the market for commercial mixers, if you can run the motor or mixer right there in the store premise the better. If you can have a short demo where you can run the mixer for at least 20 minutes or even 10 minutes, with a dough of course (you can even bring your own dough), then you can find out if this mixer you are fixed on does not over heat in under 15 minutes.

My Taiwan local made mixer can run a full 30 minutes without over heating. This is a 1 kilogram capacity commercial mixer. I have eliminated the NO time dough in my personal baking repertoire to reduce the mixing time even more. I can make 2-3 kilograms within that 30 minute window using the SPONGE AND DOUGH METHOD.

I visited New Jersey on my way back from California this early March and dropped of at my friend's house in Kendall Park. We baked cinnamon rolls on demand, i call it such because this is the second time we are making it, and over at my other friend's house, some lovely rolls or Pandesal.

Pandesal proofing above. This batch took at least 2 hours and a half in her kitchen, around 70 F plus the oven light heat.

This is after 2 hours, see how puffed the rolls are? I am getting hungry.

Still inside the oven, i am now removing it so i can preheat Dina's oven.

Time to preheat the oven.

The baked Pandesal cooling off. Now, let me go and grab a sandwich, it's been a crazed 3 week cough medicine induced state i got myself into lately, so i starved for breads and made one yesterday. Finally, i have two mixers in the house, a 20 quart and a Kitchen Aid 4.5 and i refuse to use the bigger one since i arrived from my LA trip. Yup, have not used it lately and i probably won't since i have found a way to use this smaller mixer to make our breads. I am putting it up for sale just to declog my lilliputian space with free bread lessons, the only catch is that you need to pick it up yourself. Such a daring task i may say, but hey at least you get free baking lessons to go with it. Ta ta!

My next post will be on the siopao buns, baked, yup not steamed. Already posted the Cake deco requirements in the website, will be posting the images later.

CAKE DECO CLASS

2011-03-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

hERE IS A PREVIEW OF WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE CAKE AND CUPCAKE DECORATING CLASS, I MIXED IN BOTH THE FONDANT AND BUTTERCREAM TO DECORATE THIS BATCH OF BANANA CUPCAKES. I did this in a jiffy because the cupcakes are fast disappearing, starting with 32 pieces and i was left with only 11 pieces to decorate. Normally you do the cakes in one day, make the decorations in another day, be it a day before or days before but i did everything in one whole day because my colds are getting worst, afraid i will never get this done at all.

Making my simple pink flower

Drying it up on a flower former

Cupcake with a Skirt

Buttercream Rose on a Cupcake

Gumpaste Flowers and Buttercream on a Cupcake

Mini Rose with Buttercream Flower

Now they can eat it, but not before i take photos please!

Okay, so i still have some left the morning after but only because the boys had so much icing too eat already. I guess.

My favorite so i am not letting anyone eat it.
See you in my class, i will post the materials in my website maybe this coming summer, still have lots of things to do, writing the lesson plans etc., (meaning, lots of fun in the work for me too decorating the cakes for my file.)

One Dough. Tons of Imagination.

2011-03-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

You may think that the breads you see stacked in bakery shelves have been made from different kinds of doughs. You see about 12-15 varieties of breads, sweet and savory, filled and plain, topped and slashed, fruits, nuts, coconuts and cream. What you do not know is that almost 80% of these breads come from just one basic dough. Your signature dough, whatever you decide to use as the master baker becomes the base of most of your products. You do not need to make 6-7 kinds of doughs just because you need to make Spanish Bread, Bitso, Pan de coco, Almond Crescents, Pan de Leche etc., Just one dough. Plus your creativity.

The dough below comes from the hotdog and hamburger bun dough posted previously in this blog. Feel like making smaller rolls, which we call Pan de Limon, go ahead and use a square baking pan and scale them into smaller 20-22 gram portions depending on the baking pan you are using.

Topping with Poppy Seeds

Bake at 325 F for 12-15 minutes.

The same dough used to make mongo bread.

Or Spanish Bread

And Pan de coco, plus a whole lot more...making bread making so much more exciting..
All the recipes are included in the ebook..

Update on the hands on baking sessions in Fairview, Quezon City will be posted next month, please be reminded, i am accepting only a maximum of 8 students per session. All classes will be no time limit, 100% hands on. The lessons will also be posted in my website, www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com.

Lessons starting October:

3 DAY NO TIME DOUGH COMMERCIAL BREAD MAKING
2 DAY SPONGE AND DOUGH, ARTISAN BREAD MAKING
-you will bring home your breads, start from weighing to cooling (or should i say, eating)

CUPCAKES AND CAKES PLUS BUTTERCREAMS
-learn how to bake basic cakes and cupcakes, plus two kinds of buttercream, not the grainy overly sweet type..
-you will bake from scratch, plus free tested recipes

BASIC CUPCAKE AND CAKE DECORATING 2 DAYS
-final project will be a 2 layer cake, decorated with buttercream, buttercream flowers, basic piping etc.,
-learn how to pipe roses, star flowers from buttercream

FONDANT AND GUMPASTE 2 DAYS
-learn how to make fondant and gumpaste, how to make flowers, accents, covering a cake in fondant
-you will end up decorating a 3 layer cake at the end of the class

ROYAL ICING 3 DAYS
-learn how to make royal icing decorations, flowers, embroidery, extension works, filigree etc.,
-also with a fully decorated 3 layer cake for your final project
go to www.breadmakinglessons.yolasite.com for more details

Final Dates will be posted this summer, feel free to inquire at sherqv17@gmail.com

October Class

2011-03-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am just checking the calendar, pretty soon i will be posting the schedule :)(that excited huh:) for my October class which will run up until the time i finish my annual medical check ups. You know how these hospital labs work, sometimes the digitized mammogram unit is under repair, the female technician is only available on a Wednesday, then you show up on a Wednesday and she is not there so you go back another week etc.,etc., I will stay maybe up until March, hopefully get all the lab work done for my peace of mind. You cannot afford to get sick here in the US if you have no insurance, my mother paid 500 bucks for a checkup, and another 500 for a blood sugar test, all done in 20 minutes. Whew! este whe! I trust my doctor, been with her since 2004 and i am going back to her, never mind the expense of paying the ticket, and the horrible backlash of the pain in the you know where after sitting for hours. I would rather not go through another airplane ride, especially on long flights such as this one but i want to have my check ups done back home, in the winter so i can skip this season for good!!!

A Soft Bun is a Soft Bun

2011-02-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

Exactly, that's why they call it Soft Bun. Referring to Hamburger Buns, Hotdog Buns, Pan de Limon, Pan de Agua, Pan de everything else that is supposed to be soft, meaning edible soft for a sandwich or plain snacking, without putting it in a toaster to make it again, soft.

One of my students told me her Soft Buns gets moldy in 2 days, and i say no way. The recipe that i have does not have any Calcium Propionate, no anti-mold of some sort and they stay fresh for 5 days. After 5 days, spots of greenish mold starts to appear at the bottom of the buns and you know it has ended its stay on earth. Which is just about the average shelf life of yeast dough breads, it has nothing to do with your formula, it is just how Mother Nature intended it to be.

What commercial bakeries do is to use an anti-mold to keep it mold free for up to ahem, you know how many days ( i might get sued over this). Incidentally, it is amazing how many law firm ads are here in the US, more than shampoo commercials in the Philippines and i thought Sunsilk and Palmolive own tv networks. Please, i cannot afford a lawsuit, in just 3 weeks i managed to crash my laptop, and just this morning, my cellphone went dead so have a heart. Okay back to the breads, I can tell you this, i have experimented on store bought breads and some of them stay without molds for weeks. That bad. Now you know why a petite girl like me is into breads. I have nightmares that they talk to me while i sleep. See the Tales from the Crypt where Stephen King got all moldy??? Yeah, that one.

Which brings me back to the topic of rock hard, brittle dry soft buns still being sold in groceries. Well, if it ain't moldy, then it might be good. So you grab a pack of 6 and you slice it open. You know what's next. What happens is that the moisture in the bread and in all of your baked products evaporate into thin air during storage, or while they are in your grocery shelves. They will not mold, nope, but they will simply dry out.

So what makes this Soft Bun so delicious especially when it is fresh? What makes it so soft?
The secret is in the water. I must say that from experience, the more water i use in the dough, as seen in the second image below, the softer the buns are. If you use less water (which happens when you use that nasty dough roller) then you reduce the hydration level of the dough, ergo, less volume, less tenderizing effect. Water is your all natural softener, it does not cost you more than a cent per cup, and it is sugar free. Whew! I have to take 2 years of Culinary Study to know that huh.

The kind of flour you have determines how much water your dough will absorb. Obviously this batch has risen so well, the volume is perfect because the amount of water was maximized during mixing. That is how i look at it. When i moved to the US last February, i have to adjust the water level, reducing it to as much as 30% because the quality of the gluten is just not at par with the ones i use back home. Disappointing but that is how bread making is all about. You adopt to the many changes day in and day out and learn how to trouble shoot when a problem occurs. Amen.

Observe how soft the dough is, not forming a rounded ball the same way a pizza dough behaves, but there is a tail left at the bottom of the mixing bowl.

Once again, seeing these images makes me want to go home right away to my mixer in New York and back home to the Philippines. The buns maintain their shape, which is very important, although they looked puffed up, they SHOULD RISE MORE when you bake them, around 10 minutes during baking time.

The baked Soft Buns with Sesame Seeds. Buns did not collapse, no shrinking which happens if you over proof them.

Buns are now snugly close to each other which happens during baking. You need at least half a centimeter of space between each buns during load time to create this effect. Takes practice but it is worth it.

Will post more on this in the future...

Best bread flour i have tried so far, Pendleton from Restaurant Depot sold in LA. Restaurant Depot also has this baking rack and rack cover that are reasonably priced if you can get inside. I think you can have at least a one day pass to buy something but you need a business registration to be able to do more shopping inside.

Barryfarm so far has the cheapest instant yeast and dough enhancer compared to the other vendors in the internet, and my students seem to think so too.

Cooking up a Dishy

2011-02-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

Cooking Beef Caldereta (Beef Stew), slow food style, really slow since it's been 2 hours already and i am sitting right next to it, in my Aunt's dining table so i can stir it every now and then. Nope, don't want to use a pressure cooker, i am good.

If after 4 hours and this thing has not tenderized yet, then i will start to sweat, i think i used too much black pepper, not that i don't mind but i know what she's going through. Going through chemo your taste buds are super sensitive to anything you lay on it, cold water, too spicy foods, salty, etc., Granting you can swallow the foods at all, soft foods that are easily digestible is a gift, so i made her some vegetable soup, just whatever i have scoured from her pantry, the soffrito, garbanzos, canned beans, a can of clam chowder and potatoes etc., I added a pinch of turmeric and she like it, the color and the flavor as well, not too much though, or it will ruin the soup base.

Okay, there is a lingering heat in my tongue, i hope the potatoes will absorb some of it, should i add a bit of sugar? Oh, by the way, the soup will be paired with the flaxmeal pita bread i made using just a skillet and would you believe it, i kneaded this dough myself. First ever. Turned out pretty good and delicious!

Last night, i went around checking food blogs for the first time, that's what happens when you are not busy, in my case since i am just visiting my Aunt who is going through chemotherapy for the third time. It was fun, saw this site in Israel that features food tours www.israelfoodtours.com, would love to see the olive press, go on a bread hunt of sort etc.,

This morning though it was different, i typed "top dark chocolates" in my search engine. Don't ask me why i gain weight the next time you see me.

Baking Class In Orange, LA

2011-02-05T11:25:00.001-08:00

Baking the baguettes

Baked Baguettes, lovely and not bad for a first timer.

Proofing the Pandesal

Proofing the Cinnamon Rolls, brought with me only a dozen of cinnamon roll molds so we have to improvise.

Baked Cinnamon Rolls

Focaccia and Pizza

Ensaimada baking, too bad i could not bring all of my ensaimada molds so i had to use only a dozen just for the student to see the original coiled shape.

Loaves baking in the oven.

Ham, Cheese and Pineapple Crescent Rolls

These are just some of the breads made in my hands on class. 6-7 days plus 3-4 days of practical activity where you get to bake breads on your own while i supervise.

January 2011

West Coast

2011-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Being here in the West Coast just makes one think, why in the world did G-d invent the East Coast? For real, living through all that shovelling, treading into thick snow when you need to go somewhere like you have a choice not to and the nose bleeds. After i arrived in LA, the sunny ambience greeted me with a new promise, things here can be promising, so we'll see. My nose stopped bleeding after 2 days, and the best part, proofing does not have to be for two days when i make ensaimada!!!!

Temperature inside the house reaches an average of 68 F which is not bad compared to our kitchen which is at 62F, still need to wear two layers, but no more coats or thick sweaters for a third layer.

January 2011, West Coast. Where i am at right now, large rosemary shrubs 5 feet tall (amazing huh), bay leaves, orange trees ( squeeze them for breakfast). Yup, i am still baking, in my student's house not mine, but i am still baking, which is more than a mere mortal like me can ask for.

I would like to share with you an email from Carlene, we have been emailing back and forth about breads and i would like to thank her again, emails from people like her makes me feel better after getting a shot of reality that i am here, alone without my family. Thanks Carlene, i am happy you are able to bake a better Pandesal from my ebook.

Hi Sher!

I made my first batch of pandesal today (I made your Pandesal B) and they turned out great! My family loves them! Would it be okay if I were to make a batch of the pandesal dough, freeze it, and then bake the dough the next day? Or if I were to make a big batch of the dough, divide the dough into halves/quarters and then work on the dough one at a time, freezing the others in the meantime so that production is continuous? I know some of the yeast cells would die in the freezer so I would have to increase the amount I put in. In your opinion, how much more? I do not want my bread to smell yeasty again like before.

Thanks! By the way, I just love your book. It is very very informative, especially the illustrations! I was able to do your Pandesal B by looking at your pictures over and over again =)

Cheers,

Carlene

PANDESAL IMAGES I BAKED DAY BEFORE I LEFT NEW YORK, JANUARY 18, 2011. I cannot in my conscience leave my nephews and mother without breads i made regularly for them so i made them a large batch.

FLAX SEED BREAD WITH BUCKWHEAT FLOUR

2011-01-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

My last entry probably for this week and the next, will be traveling to California next week for a baking assignment, if any of you guys need help just get in touch with me through my email.

Anyway, holiday season is over, done with the fatty foods and sweet starchy treats, need to purge but not starve so i made this Flax Seed Buck Wheat Bread. Still very difficult for a novice, you need to have that patience otherwise you will probably just throw the dough away and head to your local grocery. The buckwheat in the dough needs to be just under 15%, otherwise, the dough will rise till next xmas. It will be flat, no personality at all, and will fare well just as a flatbread.

Same thing with the flax seed, i love biting into this crunchy seeds one by one but that is the thing, you either grind it to get the benefits of the seeds or chew it and get it ground up in your mouth. I have tried using the gound seeds directly into the dough but it has a retarding effect on the fermentation, makes the dough slimy as well. My solution is just to use them as topping and enjoy them like petite peanuts, quite delicious when they get toasted up in the oven. Yeah sure, they fall off, but i like picking them up, one by one like sesame seeds.

Flax seeds have been proven to be one of the best anti-cancer foods out there, so think about it, while watching tv for lunch or dinner, a flax seed sandwich may not be bad at all for a change.Unless you have found a way to put broccoli on your dough, flax seed and buckwheat is a sure winner after a holiday kitchen raid.

See how i use a light mist of water on the dough's surface for the seeds to adhere, then dunked into the seeds. I also used some sunflower seeds for extra crunch.

It took around 5 hours to proof the dough, not bad at a 63F kitchen, did not use the pilot light anymore since this is a lean dough.

Extended the baking to create that dark golden brown crust and to toast the seeds more. This dough will keep well because i used a sponge and dough method, used very little fat and sugar around 5% only, no milk and eggs.

The mixing part is a different story, will post it sometime later but i managed to adjust to the temperature of the kitchen which is stone cold freezing and the seeds and buckwheat. There is a problem when you add these ingredients to your normal dough, it will not perform the same way. I had to do at least 3 short mixings, and it took 2 days to complete the process before the final proofing.

This is an old house, very 1920ish, in fact you can hear some sounds at night or wee hours if you just listen well. Some parts of the house are warmer than the others, it just so happen that the area where my work table is seems to be the coldest plus the pantry which is 10 degrees sometimes. free walk in chiller!!!

2 Day Ensaimada

2010-12-29T06:27:00.000-08:00

Due to the cold weather, any butter higher than 25 %, eggyolks higher than 15% and sugar at the same level will not do well in our kitchen. Meaning, it will be quite sluggish. I had to cover the mixer first during resting time, i prepared a sponge the night before, but it still was not enough.

After i mixed the dough, i soon realized that the dough was just way too cold and it will not rise. I added more yeast, of course computing the sugar and the flour again, small amounts just to add to the first batch. Good thing the dough was not fully done mixing, or else i will be in trouble.

After adding more yeast, (must have added about 4%), i covered the dough

using a large plastic. I left it like this for 15 minutes, then remixed it again.

I took out the dough hook, covered the bowl with two layers of plastic, then three large kitchen towels to seal the bowl tight.

I placed the bowl in our pantry which is 10-12 degrees cold and left it there overnight. Day 1 is over. I started at 9 am, it is now 9 pm.

I am troubleshooting here, the yeast i used was just not enough, never had the experience of baking ensaimada that is very high on eggyolks, butter and sugar like this so i needed to recalculate everything. When i noticed that the dough was not rising after 2 hours, that spells disaster to me so this is Plan B.

The dough is now more supple and pliable, i cannot believe that i had to add a bit of warm water in the dough for the first time. Notice the ovenspring when the dough hits the oven heat. Was very tired so i used a tin foil round, 3 of them to put 5 each rolls so i can rest. The ensaimadas baked around 7 pm. I started proofing (again) around 10 am. That to you folks is baking in the Northeast, winter time. Welcome to my world.

Baking Troubleshooting

2010-12-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Below are images of the CINNAMON ROLLS AND ENSAIMADA that Perla and I did in her house using the ......5 quart commercial mixer and her old 1974 Kitchen Aid.

We had the time to wait for the dough to rise, not in a rush so they came out perfectly. The good thing about Perla's kitchen is that anything i asked for, is there. It's like being in my own kitchen except that my mixer is way too large compared to hers.

THE ENSAIMADA, LIGHT AND FLUFFY, BUTTERY CREAMY! DONE AT PERLA WEE'S HOUSE USING THE MIXER I REFER TO BELOW.

Not mentioning the brand of mixer, this one caught me and the girls who took the baking class last Sunday. Had i known that this commercial mixer will not take our sweet yeast dough, would have brought with me at least a kilogram of Pandesal and Spanish bread so the girls could see the texture of the rolls much, much better.

I was surprised that the manual for the mixer (which i read the night before the class) says that i can mix up to 4 lbs for a dough that has an absorption rate of 50% which is basically around the ballpark of my SIOPAO dough. Not. Had to add more water, had to stop the mixer. Just won't work. 4 lbs is close to about 2 kilograms, i do not see that happening here at all. No way this 5 quart mixer can mix 700 grams, let alone 1.5 kilograms.

I went to read the manual again the morning after and read somewhere that if the flour you are using is a high gluten flour, then you need to reduce the batch size. 25% plus another 10% if the water is below 70 F. Still does not make sense because for 60% water absorption, the manual indicated that it can mix as much as 5 lbs as well. Okay so the chart did not specify that the formula should be low in sugar, eggs and butter which is what most of our breads are, so i absolve them of their sin. But 5 lbs? That is like asking a tablespoon to carry a cup of sugar. Believe me, i have worked with 3-4 brands of 10 quart mixers and the most they can mix is 2 kilograms. This mixer is just 5 quarts.
The Kitchen Aid, Artisan (5 quart capacity) can mix up to 600 grams if you use a sponge. You will be done in under 35 minutes.
Kitchen Aid 6 quart commercial mixer, sponge and dough method can mix up to 700-800 grams.
Kitchen Aid 4.5 quart Professional mixer, 300 grams No Time Dough, 400-500 if you use an overnight sponge, not too rich dough like pandesal.

Challenging enough, i am a sucker for troubleshooting wayward mixers and ovens, i mixed two sponges without my friend Perla's knowledge. She probably wondered what those bowls were when she walked up to the dining table. I had to test these mixers again. We made ensaimada, very rich golden brown and creamy. Cinnamon rolls with maple syrup exactly what is in the ebook.
Too us quite a while to finish the dough but it pays off handsomely, the dough rose perfectly, lightly open soft texture because WE DID NOT RUSH THE DOUGH. Perla and i used the two mixers simultaneously, turning off the other one when it heats up and then covering the dough with the hook intact with a cling wrap, then work with the other dough. I think we did at least 6 stoppages until we got the gluten developed perfectly.

To the girls who took the baking class last Sunday, please give me your email addresses again except for those who received the ebook. I sent you the ebook this morning but most of them went back to my inbox except for Gloria's and Dina's. Judith, you forgot to leave me your email address, so please email me at cecilque17@yahoo.com. Our Pandesal needed at least an hour more of proofing to create the same lighter, fluffier texture as shown in the ensaimada slices above. I hope you get to make the breads this holiday and many thanks to you all.

Baking Lessons and Oven Troubleshooting

2010-12-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

For those who are asking if the images of the breads posted in my website are included in the baking sessions, yes they are. The 3 day class will be limited to as much as 18 variations only, around 5-6 kinds of breads a day, but the 6 day full session which some take (one on one or special class) pretty much covers all of the breads featured in the EBook, from No Time Dough, Sponge and Dough, Modified No Time Dough and Straight Dough.

Most of the images are taken from my hands on baking sessions, you will be amazed at how uniform and precise the finished breads are because the students weigh each of the portions and i make them repeat each if the shaping is not neatly done. I remember one student asking me if i am a sort of a witch because i can tell if one gram is off. I do not know how i can do that, i just know if one piece of roll lacks one gram or if it has more than a gram. Seriously, that is creepy, but it's part of the deal. If you have been baking breads for as long as i do, you will be able to tell from a distance if one piece does not belong.

Let's talk about ovens next. Like i said in the ebook, part of being a good baker is to be able to troubleshoot your oven. How it works, which part is hotter, how to adjust to its temperature, how to adjust the temperature etc.,

GET THIS. My brother's oven works differently from my mother's oven in New York. The only similarity that they have is the timer goes off or rings in 6 minutes short of 25 minutes which is what i need to get to 325F. If you do not know this, you will bake your rolls in A VERY COLD OVEN, WHICH BASICALLY RUINS THE WHOLE PROCESS. My cake deflated inside because the oven was taking too long to preheat or to get to 325 F the first time i baked. The fruit cake was tough and it sort of did not rise because the oven was way too cold. Yup, never should have placed the cake inside but i was getting too sleepy waiting for the oven to heat up to at least 300 F but the arrow in my oven thermometer was NOT MOVING AT ALL. Hmmm.

It took me about 5 trials to finally get to know how it behaves. 45 minutes to an hour of preheating is way too much. Let alone 2 hours!!! I had an idea to increase the temperature by adding 10 degrees more or simply increase the temperature to make the heat rise fast. If i want 325 F, i will set the temperature to 325 F, then after 10 minutes, change it to 335 and then wait for 20 minutes. Once the temperature reaches 325 F, i reduce the temperature. Whew! That is nitty gritty hands on trouble shooting in the raw. Never thought an oven such as this would require that much tinkering but it worked. I reduced the amount of time i need to wait for the oven to preheat, and i am happy with that.

Can you imagine having an oven like this? No wonder nobody wants to use it. My mother's oven is much simpler, it gets too hot after about half an hour okay. You set it at 325 F but after a while open the door and you will see the gauge at 400 F! Not very good. Solution? After a few minutes of baking, i reduce the gauge way down to 315 F, or 320F, to keep the flame inside tame and calm. These ovens are no match to my cheap fabricated 4-sheeter oven. Never had problems with it, easy to manipulate and there are no flare ups.
So if you are having problems with your baked goods, check your ovens, maybe your recipe is not the problem, but your oven. Will post the pictures next time.

Final Cakes

2010-12-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished doing my final cakes from all of the three courses i attended at Golda's Kitchen in Ontario, and i must say it was the best decision i made so far upon coming here. I did not know what was going through my mind for taking such a big leap, (for me it was since i hated decorating cakes before), i think someone just whispered to me and told me, "hey, you snap out of it and do this".

So i did, thanks to my brother who supported me all the way. You have got to have a brother like him to get you sign up for something like this, although decorating cakes was not as alien as cleaning windows off the 60th floor for me, it was something i find disdainful because there is so much dainty little bitty things to do for such an extended length of time. Imagine you sitting down for house and finishing only a couple of flowers such as an orchid? I could have made 5 kilograms of pandesal with that much time.

Well, there is really a time for everything eh. (that's what some of my classmates sometimes say) I met wonderful people who share the same passion and you get inspired by your teacher's dedication for perfection. My Royal Icing class for example turned out to be competition quality, she stresses the fact that one tiny bit of off key line or dot will send you home packing. She is right. Aim for the gold.
I will try to upload some images here just in case you do not want to click my tumlbr link but if once again it takes too much of my time, please bear with me and press that link. Pretty please? Can't believe i am saying that.

This is the final Royal Icing project although i added tiny roses on top which i will take pictures later. Yup, i brought this dummy cake all the way back to New York. The top has a run out sort of gazebo box, blue filigree (which Maria wants to see done), tiny small white flowers using tip 59 degrees over a green fondant.

The string work done on the next photo is to me the most difficult part, not only will the icing consistency and your speed in working matters a lot but your patience as well. The space in between each string should be narrow enough not to allow another string to pass through. If Maria sees them wide, she will make you repeat them, as in all of them. I had to destroy an entire two inch of this when she saw one, one off string that strayed to the left. Whew!

Then came the lace patterns that you have to prepare in advance, attach them gingerly, no shaking hands otherwise, you will break a string or worst destroy an inch worth of coverage which to me looks more like an acre!

A side view of the lace patterns, all of which should be perfectly aligned, sometimes i have to hold one for a minute because it droops. See one string that is sort of pushed back? I broke that one and had to re bag some royal icing and re-pipe this one string. Hard work but i love every piece i put into it. I will post more photos step by step in my tumblr account, because it is much easier to edit.

MARCH BAKING SESSIONS, HANDS ON NO TIME LIMIT

2010-09-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

I will be posting my MARCH TO AUGUST SCHEDULE here in this blog and on my website starting December. It will be the same 3 day hands on baking class with no time limit, all you need to bring is a container for your breads, preferably two 9 by 13 inch rectangular (of course) 3 inch height tupperware or container. This is always the problem when it is time to pack up samples for the students, most forget to bring their own containers, i end up lending some of my own, not a big deal but i hate to see those breads get smashed on transit.

COMMERCIAL BREAD MAKING LESSONS 3 DAYS FEE: P7500.00, same fee for the past 3 years now.

WHOLE DAY, NO TIME LIMIT, INCLUSIVE OF INGREDIENTS WITH FREE EBOOK
CLASS STARTS AT 8:30 AM ONLY 8 STUDENTS MAXIMUM MWF SCHEDULE

CAKE AND CAKE DECORATING LESSONS

LESSON 1 BASIC CAKE AND CUPCAKE BAKING, BASIC ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM AND ICING*** P1600.00

LESSON 2 BASIC CAKE DECORATING ( covering the cake with buttercream,piping, stars, rosettes, shells, borders, dots, ribbon roses, leaves)
- you will be able to ice and decorate your own cakes in this class, create borders and flower designs P2200.00

LESSON 3 GUMPASTE AND FONDANT ( covering a cake with fondant, making gumpaste flowers and designs ) P2200.00

LESSON 4 SUGAR FLOWER CREATIONS ( create beautiful lifelike flowers such as calla lily's, roses, orchids, etc., to top and decorate your cakes and cupcakes) P2200.00

LESSON 5 WACKY CAKES (create your own topsy turvy cake using all the skills learned from lessons 1-4) P2500.00 two layers of cakes, gives you an idea on stacking cakes, filling, icing, covering with fondant, decorating etc.,

Each lesson has a set of material and tools the student needs to bring to class, fee is not inclusive of the materials. The list of tools and materials needed will be posted here later.

Lesson 1 is optional if the student can already bake cakes and make icing for Lessons 2-5. You will be required to bring a cake/cupcakes to torte and decorate for the preceding lessons.

Only 8 students will be accepted per session. Fee for Lessons 1-5 P10,000.00
CLASS STARTS AT 8:30 AM, NO TIME LIMIT. STUDENT HAS TO FINISH HIS/HER CAKE DESIGN AND DECORATION.

Final schedule or dates of lessons will be posted by the end of November.

EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.

LINK TO MY FACEBOOK: Csher Quefranca

follow me on my twitter account http://twitter.com/pandesalatbp

My current blog with images at tumblr
http://bakingbreads.tumblr.com

MY NEW BLOGSITE

2010-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Here it is, just retrieved an old blog of mine from the cave. I can easily post photos, they have videos maybe i can show some of mine there at http://bakingbreads.tumblr.com. Uploading is so fast and easy, maybe i may be able to figure out how to upload here once i get the time to do so but i am practicing my cake decorating lessons so that will take some time. Hope you will like it. Thanks. Will post some of the announcements here every now and then, just no photos, my tumblr account will carry them for now.

Uploading images

2010-09-29T15:30:00.001-07:00

eblogger seemed to have changed their system of uploading images in this blogspot, it does not upload easily through your files, this is why i have not been blogging lately. Somebody having the same problems? I fell in love with this eblogger thing because of the ease in uploading images, now i think i might change address, i will post it here if in case that happens. I cannot waste my time waiting for one picture to upload in 10 minutes, that is ridiculous!

Baking Tartlets

2010-09-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Your number one sin when making a tartlet is? Having your crust too thick. When i was starting to learn how to make these dainty sweet little treats, i had no idea what a 1/16th of an inch was so i ended up with not just a doughy crust but with a tartlet with too much crust and nothing in it.
There are so many good pie/tart crusts out there, but since tartlets are usually on the sweet side, you are in luck. The sugar in the crust provides extra strength to the dough so it can hold its shape and at the same time, hold the filling as well.
Read more on this in my Cakes and Pastry Page on the right....

ROLLING THE CRUST ON A LIGHTLY COATED OR DUSTED BOARD. ROLL THINLY, (SEE THE PICTURE) AND CUT OUT THE SHAPE OF THE MOLD WITH A FEW CENTIMETERS OVER HANG.

PRESS THE DOUGH ONTO THE MOLD, PUSHING IT IN BETWEEN THE CREVICES. I USE MY FINGER TO CUT THE OVERHANG ONCE THE DOUGH HAS FILLED UP THE ENTIRE MOLD.

turn on the heat once you have mixed your cornstarch with the milk, then cook until it thickens. Recipes on the CAKES AND PASTRY PAGE on the right.

2010-09-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

There is a huge discussion going on out there regarding home business/bakery in US States. Why others would allow and others would not baffles me. Like i said, if you earn well in the Philippines, you might as well just set up a business there rather than come here to work. Just a suggestion.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=586218&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=45

All Purpose Flour between Bread Flour

2010-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

So far, the inclusion of the vital wheat gluten in my bread making solved the problem of having to deal with not having my usual brand of bread flour. I know for a fact that there are quite a huge selection of bread flour or hard wheat flour here in the Northeast but buying them is a problem. I was told Costco and BJ's have them, but the brands i am seeing is ???? Turning to the www for your flour purchase isn't that too inviting either, imagine coughing up $9-$13.00 for shipping and handling per package? The ones i bought are quite satisfactory, i give them a 95% passing grade.
Going back to the all purpose versus bread flour, there is a big difference in water absorption, the volume, the make-up and texture. My biggest concern back home was that all purpose was more expensive so i did not use it when i bake breads. At P50.00 something per kilogram, (this is the "tingi" or retail packs you buy from your corner bakery supplier, not the Gold Medal or Pillsbury in the groceries), you tend to set this flour aside and use it for specialty cakes. Not just the price though, all purpose will not produce the height and volume that you want in breads so you barely use this flour at all. In a country where the size of the bread matters a lot ( the pandesal has to qualify 3 dunks in the hot coffee to satisfy Manang or Lola Angge or else...), bread flour is your choice. I have made a pictured comparison of these two flours in my ebook, among other things so do check it out. To those who have bought it, you may not pay attention to this fact but it is very important, i suggest that you read the topic again, just in case you slip while enjoying that Pandesal you just made.
Below is a comparison of what a soft bun looks like when baked using both all purpose and bread flour. You may not see it up close on screen, but i do. The texture while i make the dough up, the feel when i shape them, when i start to proof them, the way the dough behaves during proofing, during baking and yes, after it has baked. Even the texture of the bread when you take a bite and while you chew!!! When you are baking for this long, you will know.

ALL PURPOSE SOFT BUNS, START OF PROOFING

THE BAKED SOFT BUN, FLATTER NOW AFTER BAKING, LOOKING LIKE A MCDONALD'S BUN. (see more images on the sweet yeast dough page)
NOW LOOK BELOW TO SEE THE BUNS MADE WITH BREAD FLOUR. I used Purefood's Emperor (too bad, i am not being paid to write this here).

THE SOFT BUN MADE WITH BREAD FLOUR, FIRMER AND TAUT COMPARED WITH THE ONE ON TOP.

ONCE BAKED, THE BUNS DID NOT LOSE SHAPE, VOLUME IS MUCH BIGGER (BOTH ARE WEIGHED AT 60 GRAMS EACH.) view more of the images in the sweet yeast dough page.

Learning How to Bake 1

2010-08-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

From Marilou See (Philippines) thank you for your emails, keep sending them... I love to hear your stories...

The first time I made bread, mano mano po..ang lakas ng loob no? I study at Heny Sison, kaya lang wala ako natutunan kasi mixer ang gamit nila tapos yung mga assistant, di naman tinuro sa amin, basta pag nakita nila okie ang dough, inalis na lang sa mixer tapos binigay sa amin, para magknead ng around 1 minute voila finish na. nagself study po ako thru internet at forum, there is one forum in Malaysia and Singapore based who are very helpful, who readily helps me understand breadmaking...I send them photos and konting description and they would tell me where I make a mistake or will praise me if I made it right. I also have tried mixer (which is very easy) kaya lang hindi heavy duty ang mixer ko, it conked out on me when making bread. siguro mas gusto niya cakes and cookies lang ang mix nito. kaya back to the old working table ako. = (

kaya for your ebook, I'm doing it the mano mano way, oks lang, nasanay na rin ako at masarap ang bread kung mano mano, just like what Mang Dolphy did on his role as panaderio, if you have watched his movies...just kidding...of course I would take a lot of precaution not to let my sweat fall on the dough. =) are you familar with Bread Talk? actually, the bread I made at home are the products of Bread Talk, my recipes come from my friends in the forum - Malaysia and Singapore. I even asked my friend to buy me a book by their famous bread chef in Singapore which is very informative and a lot of good recipes. sayang lang walang pan de sal. anyway, I thought making Pan De Sal is different from them pero hindi pala nagkakalayo. Very informative ang e-book mo....sige would send you some photos of my products or problems, sana di ka bigyan ng sakit ng ulo. =P o sakit ng tiyan sa kakatawa...kasi sabi ng yaya ko, nung unang ginawa kong tinapay, mukha siyang monay na puwede ibato sa kaaway o di kaya magandang display rock sa kalsada para wala magisip magpark sa puwesto mo.

till here...ingats...malou

My reply:

No problem, you can send me pictures of the breads and your progress if you want to. Are you using a mixer or manually mixing your dough? Tough one huh, but once you get over the mixing phase and all its quirkiness, you will feel a whole lot better, you will suddenly feel that you are really improving...lalo na pag kinakain na nila ang bread mo.. don't forget to re-read the whole book over when you find yourself asking what went wrong... i made sure all bases are covered kasi yan ang experience ko when i tried to bake breads myself for the first time at palaging parang doorstop at paper weight lahat ng pan de sal ko. Tinatago ko pa sa nanay ko para hindi niya makita. sher

Baking Pizza with Prepared Crust, Hummus and Veggie Style

2010-08-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Using the prepared crust i made (seen on my previous blog here), i spread my homemade soybean hummus thinly...

No need to thaw the frozen crust before topping, but pre-heat your oven 30 minutes before you start working on the pizza. You need a very hot oven for this.

Spread tomato sauce, i used leftover spaghetti sauce here, it has extra flavor so i like using spaghetti sauces for pizzas. Top with onions, tomatoes, peppers etc.,

Bake at a high 500 F oven, if you have a pizza stone, the better...until crust is golden brown crispy.

Cut and serve immediately. Very good candidate for freezing, leftovers can be wrapped and then re-heated to make the crust crispy again..
Go back to previous blogs or archives for more baking tips....

Fruity Upside Down Cake

2010-08-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

No pineapple in cans left in the pantry, and all i see are cans of fruit cocktail. So, why not?

Here's a lovely treat for yourself, easy and fun to make, reminds me of those backyard "lutu-lutuan" we use to do every summer as kids. No mixer, just my wire whisk and spatula and a few bowls. Out of nothing, this cake is a surprise, actually the recipe is a cupcake recipe but you know me, i am a kitchen rebel brat of sort. Instead of a cupcake, i made an upside down topsy turvy cake.

Please view complete images in the Cakes and other Pastries Page...

Pan de Coco

2010-08-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Someone just emailed me regarding Pan de Coco, he lives further up North so i guess he probably misses this sweet filled bread. I have varying results when dessicated coconut is in use, so i do not recommend it. I have a completely different recipe than what we normally hear from Panaderos, you know the "sapal" kind of version with the sugar and that's it. I remember this bread way back when i still hang on to my "yaya's" skirt while she picks me up from school. Merong "potpot", a guy in a bicycle honks his horn to peddle this sweet bread, plus the Pan de Sal. No more "potpot", even the Nutri ban, was banned,( will blog this separately), or did Marcos has ownership of the recipe. Love those buns!

Please view the rest of the images under the SWEET YEAST DOUGH PAGE here in the blog

Mamon/Light Sponge Cake

2010-08-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Shirley,
thanks for the update/correction. Any suggestion on what was wrong with the way I'm baking a mamon using the chiffon cake recipe I found on a cooking book, it always shrink when cooled down, unlike when I take it out from the oven still hot the entire mold is filled up. Originally the recipe required only 88grams vegetable oil & some flavoring like vanilla or lemon. Does it have a big effect in it's volume when I replace the oil with 100grams salted butter? 'cause I want a more buttery taste mamon. By the way the following is the recipe I've used.
cake flour---------   200g
baking powder---    12g
salt----------------    3g
salted butter-----     100g ------- golden crown butter which is around P30.00 philippine peso/225g- much cheaper than unsalted anchor
white sugar-------    150g
water--------------    140g
8 large egg yolk--- approximate 188g
egg whites from 8 large egg--approx---214g
sugar-----------------80g (for the eggwhite)
cream of tartar---- 2g

Baked it @350 for 15 to 20 min until toothpick comes out clean
Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated
Thanks a lot
Regards,
Roy Giron

The shrinking happens and should be just a little bit that is why you normally fill the molds way to the top, no allowance at all as in baking cakes and muffins. If you go to chocolate lover's ask if they sell Ovalet, i know jubilee does, this is a chiffon cake improver used to prevent shrinking.
I think the inclusion of the Golden Crown is also contributing to the collapse,oil is 100 % fat, when margarine is just 84% fat plus water and milk solids. My suggestion is first to use the oil and then grease your mold with plenty of margarine, also melt a bit more about 1-2 teaspoons and drizzle on each mold. That way when you invert them the butter will drip over the mamon. This is what the baker in the bake shop i apprenticed for way back twenty some years ago.
Magnolia also has a product called FLAVOR - IT, BUTTER FLAVORED OIL BLEND which is where i got my recipe, when i ran out of it, i just used the oil. Maybe Chocolate Lover's has it.
Also check your whipping procedure, your whites should be stiff because if not, your cake will collapse.

hope this helps
sher Note: Roy was a former student of mine from the Philippines. Mamon making was not part of our hands on class since it is a cake, i teach only breads and basic cakes and pastries due to time constraints. I give priority to my Bread making sessions so i really did not have the time to open Cake sessions but i wish i did include the Mamon.

Sponge and Dough Pandesal, Your Best Pan de Sal

2010-08-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, to those who are asking if you can use a sponge to make the best ever Pan de Sal. Not only will the rolls be larger in volume, the flavor will be exceptional, shelf life extended. To Marge, my friend sorry i am posting this only now, you can use any kind of sponge you want to use, 50 60 70% sponge flour is fine.

There is a huge difference when cutting with a plastic and wooden dough cutter. Find out how you can perfect this baston in my Ebook. See how the dough is tapered on both ends, making the "singkit" style of cut. There are 70 images in the ebook on how to make this baston, and another recipe Pandesal B using the freeform style.

My proofing area is a separate closed room, this is why you cannot see any sheet cover etc., The window allows me to peek through the rising dough. Very convenient, a welcome surprise when i had this bakery/proofing room built.

Visible signs of the cuts on top of the Pan de Sal, another indicator that you did a good job, the consistency of the dough is perfect, did not flatten at all. I did practice maybe 3 times before i was able to perfect this. Check out old postings on Pan de sal in this blog, especially the Malunngay Pan de Sal..