Laminated Doughs

Question 1

What are the names of the 3 most common methods of making puff pastry (plus 1 commercial method)?

Answer 1

1. English method
2. French or Continental method
3. Scotch or Blitz method
4. (Commercial) Automatic method

Question 2

Describe the English method of making puff paste.

Answer 2

(*Think 2/3)

• Sheet the dough into a rectangle
• Place the roll-in fat onto 2/3 of the paste
• Fold the untreated portion over onto the dough covered with fat.
• Fold one more time to cover the last portion of the dough covered with fat.
• Then give the paste half-turns or book folds.

Question 3

Describe the French or Continental method of making puff paste.

Answer 3

(*Think blunt cross/envelope)

• Roll the paste into a square, and pin the corners more thinly.
• Place a square of roll-in fat onto the paste in the middle, offsetting the corners of the paste.
• Fold the corners of the dough toward the centre, like an envelope
• Roll into a rectangular shape and give half-turns or book folds

Question 4

Describe the Scotch or Blitz method of making puff paste

Answer 4

(*Think of an epic pie dough)

• Combine flour, salt, shortening, and acid.
• Shape the roll-in fat into lumps, place in mixer, and add water.
• Mix slightly, transfer to the bench
• Give the dough half-turns or book folds

Question 5

Describe the Automatic method of making puff paste

Answer 5

(*Think of stacking)

• Machines sheet the dough and fat, and layer together, one on top of another, until sufficient layers have been formed.
• No turning or folding involving

Question 6

Based on the amount of fat in the dough, what are the 3 most common types of puff?

Answer 6

1. Full puff
2. Three-quarter puff
3. Half puff

Question 7

What is full puff?

Answer 7

Full puff is when the amount of fat is equal to the amount of flour.

Question 8

Which type of puff is flakiest, and has the best volume?

Answer 8

Full puff

Question 9

Which type of puff is made as an all-purpose puff?

Answer 9

Three-quarter puff

Question 10

What type of flour is used for puff paste, and why?

Answer 10

Bread flour.
The dough must be capable of being stretched paper thin, without breaking (extensible and elastic). It must be able to expand during baking to produce aeration, and yet maintain the laminated structure produced during makeup. Bread flour has excellent hydration, and results in more water changing to steam.

Question 11

Why is cream of tartar listed as one of the ingredients of puff paste?

Answer 11

Gluten extensibility is influenced by the pH of the dough, which should ideally be slightly acidic. A weak acid, such as cream of tartar is often included in the formula. However, too much acid will cause the paste to be wild.

Question 12

Why is shortening included in the dough portion of the formula for puff paste?

Answer 12

Shortening provides lubrication for the gluten, aiding in extensibility of the dough.

Question 13

What are the functions of water in puff paste dough?

Answer 13

• Water acts as a solvent for the acid.
• Necessary for gluten formation.
• Hydrates the starch
• Controls dough temperature
• Adjusts dough consistency

Question 14

Describe the consistency of puff paste dough in relation to the roll-in fat used?

Answer 14

The consistency of the dough should be similar to that of the roll-in fat, because the two have to be rolled together.
If the fat is harder than the dough, it will break into pieces.
If the fat is softer than the dough, it will be squeezed out from between the dough layers.

Question 15

Why do we turn puff dough 90 degrees after each fold?

Answer 15

To equalize stress, ensuring it doesn’t just shrink one way.

Question 16

Describe the method of aeration of a puff product.

Answer 16

Physical leavening.
The water in the dough turns to steam, which pushes the layers apart, expanding the size of the puff pastry to 8x its original volume. The butter then melts, leaving gaps between the dough layers, and the gluten coagulates in this shape, giving the dough its characteristic flakiness.

Question 17

What are 8 causes of Lack of Volume in puff products?

Answer 17

1. Flour too soft; insufficient gluten strength
2. Improperly developed gluten; dough lacks strength, tears, breaks.
3. Rough treatment. Rough handling destroys layers
4. Fat too soft; the fat separates
5. Fat too hard; the fat lumps, and does not form layers
6. Lack of turns; fat is in a thick layer
7. Excess turns; layers are too thin, and break.
8. Wrong bake temp: too cool for the water to quickly change to steam.

Question 18

What are 6 causes of Misshaped puff products?

Answer 18

1. Dough not cold; a cold dough will retain its shape better.
2. Dough not relaxed; dough must be allowed to shrink back.
3. Dough not shrunk back; excess tension causes wild breaks.
4. Dough not square; dull utensils, breaking layers
5. Dough not turned by 90degrees; shrink back dough in all directions.
6. Wrong oven temperature; gluten coagulates before obtaining maximum volume.

Question 19

How should you store unbaked puff units when freezing?

Answer 19

Cover with plastic to prevent freezer burn.

Question 20

How should you store (pre)baked puff units when freezing, and how can you ready them for sale?

Answer 20

Lightly bake, and do not glaze or ice. Wrap the products only when fully cool, to prevent gumminess and shrinkage of the product. To defrost, thaw at room temperature, then zap in a hot oven (425-435F/218-224C) for about 3 minutes, to improve color. Finish products with glaze or icing.

Question 21

What happens to a puff unit when there are too many turns?

Answer 21

Too many turns cause the layers to break down and will result in a loss of volume.

Question 22

What happens to a puff unit when there are too few turns?

Answer 22

Too few turns will result in lack of volume, and possibly fat bleed-out.

Question 23

One half turn _____ the number of layers in a puff dough.

Answer 23

Triples

Question 24

Explain what a book fold does to the number of layers in a puff dough.

Answer 24

The book fold triples the number of layers, In Addition To that number of layers.
For example, in the English method there are 5 layers in the start, and one book fold increases the layers to 20
(5x3)+5=20.

Question 25

How many hours can puff units be kept at normal refrigerator temperatures?

Answer 25

72 hours.

Question 26

What is 3/4 puff?

Answer 26

When the fat is equal to three-quarters the weight of the flour

Question 27

Maximum volume is attained with ______ baking temperatures.

Answer 27

higher

Question 28

What happens to puff pastry the longer it is stored in the fridge?

Answer 28

The acidity increases and breaks down the gluten

Question 29

What is half puff?

Answer 29

When the fat is equal to 1/2 the weight of the flour.