Jack Burke

Results

I really enjoyed getting to learn more about yeast breads, and the different methods of listening to your dough to ensure a quality product. While I’ve been working in a bakery the past two years, I’ve learned lots about sourdough breads and their processes. This lab helped me dive more into the science behind it, as well as learning more about the doughs and what they are telling you. We even took leftover dough to make focaccia, which was quite possibly my favorite bread of the day. Each bread had the perfect texture in my opinion, with fluffy interiors and nice crusts (soft on the yeast rolls) for each bread.

Evaluation of Results

One thing that I felt worked tremendously was our incorporation of the yeast. To ensure we wouldn’t kill the yeast, my partner and I would separate our yeast and salt, and keep them separate until mixing so as to not deactivate the yeast. The salt’s chemical compounds will kill the active components in the yeast, which will result in a no-rise bread.

Another thing that I felt worked extremely well was our shaping technique. I used the shaping technique I have done for a while now, and one that I learned while working at the bakery. The shaping helped provide tension and structure to the breads, which gave way to excellent final products.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that we mastered basic yeast breads this week, with our techniques following suit. I enjoyed getting to hear more about doughs from Chef Michael, and am looking forward to his input the next few labs on breads. I can’t wait to dive into next week’s lab, and am looking forward to making more bread very soon.

Works Cited