Oh For The Love Of Baking!

Well our first week of B&P is fully baked. It's been an interesting week, but not so much to really write about. The pace of baking is so much slower, less intense, there's fewer ingredients, and lots of waiting time. Each night this week we basically gathered our ingredients, measured everything out, maybe got a demo from Chef Richard and some brief discussion, then we mix our ingredients together and then we typically wait. Well, we aren't actually just standing around waiting and watching the ovens. We clean, or we usually have a few things to bake each night, thanks to Chef Richard. He usually adds an item or two for us to make so that we aren't standing around watching dough proof. So we have actually made a LOT in just our first week. 


We did have a little bit of drama and laughter during the week...let's see....Chef Richard showed us how to roll out a baguette using "Spirit Hands", also known as "Jazz Hands". Lol! And then we had some drama when he had to leave class to tend to his daughter that was in an accident, so we were kept company by Chef John and Head Chef Michael Weller (Thanks Chef's!). And we were all relieved to hear that Chef Richard's daughter was ok.


 And last night a really funny thing happened when another chef instructor, who seems to have an affinity for my food, came into the kitchen. You see, a few classes back I had made some cupcakes for two people that were having a special event in their lives, and before they were able to enjoy my cupcakes, she swooped in and ate them both! So last night she comes into the kitchen and my partner and I have our bagels beautifully baked and resting on one sheet pan together. And I start seeing this go down as if in slow motion....she approaches our sheet pan of bagels, and starts touching them as if trying to decide which one to take. I politely suggest for her to take one of the cinnamon ones (because those were Sean's!), and she says "No, that would be sweet", (she is a candy or pastry chef so she didn't want more sweet), and I see her hand going for one of my beautiful sesame seed bagels, and she says "I'll take THIS one"! But I guess I can't blame her, I know my food always looks the best!! And she did come back to show that she ate it all :)


All in all this week we first made Biscuits, then Cookies, Brownies, Blueberry Muffins, Focaccia Bread, French Bread Baguettes and Batards and a Round Loaf, and last night we made Bagels and the dough for Brioche that we will bake on Monday. (YUM!!!!)

And everything for me has come together very quick and simple like, and they have all turned our pretty nice, with perfect scores for far. So even though there isn't a whole lot to say about it all, I think the pictures are worth a thousand words.....and it's just too bad you can't taste them!!