Before You Use This Book

Appears in

The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef

By Bo Friberg

Published 2003

About

Certain ingredient information is standard throughout the book. Please note the following conventions:

Salt used in these recipes is common granulated table salt. If you prefer another type of salt, such as flaked kosher salt, you may substitute the same amount by weight without adjustment. For volume measures, however, such as measuring by the teaspoon or tablespoon, the amount must be modified. This type of kosher salt has larger crystals that do not pack together as tightly, so a measurement of kosher salt weighs less than an equal volume of table salt. Four tablespoons of table salt weigh approximately 65 grams, whereas 4 tablespoons of flaked kosher salt weigh about 35 grams, making kosher salt much lighter. You therefore need to substitute almost twice as much kosher salt for table salt when measuring by volume.
Butter is always specified as “unsalted butter.” Salted butter can be substituted if the salt in the recipe is reduced by about ⅕ ounce (6 g) for every pound of butter. However, you cannot substitute salted butter if the recipe contains little salt or if the main ingredient is butter.
The number of eggs specified in each recipe is based on 2-ounce (55-g) eggs (graded large). If you use eggs of a different size, adjust the number accordingly. For convenience in kitchens where a supply of separated egg yolks and whites is available, a volume measure is given when yolks or whites are used independently. The quantity of yolks, whites, and whole eggs per cup has been rounded to twelve, eight and four, respectively, for these measures.
Raw eggs: When egg yolks, whites, or whole eggs are included in a recipe in which they are not cooked, e.g. in a mousse or gelatin-fortified cake filling, they are first heated to at least 140°F (60°C) to pasteurize them. This is done using different procedures depending on the recipe; often it involves whisking a hot syrup into the eggs or whipping the eggs over a bain-marie with another ingredient. Because eggs contain a large amount of protein, they are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, especially salmonella. Inadequate cooking or unsanitary use or storage of eggs can lead to food-borne illnesses. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines state that pasteurization is complete when the egg is heated to 140°F (60°C) and ideally is held there for 2 to 3 minutes. (Pasteurization is defined as heating a liquid to a preset temperature for a specified period of time in order to destroy pathogenic bacteria.) Only fresh and freshly cracked eggs should be used in uncooked dishes. Frozen and precracked egg products should be reserved for use in dishes where they will be completely cooked, such as for baked items.
Yeast is always specified as “fresh compressed yeast.” To substitute dry yeast for fresh, reduce the amount called for by half. Dissolve the dry yeast in the warm liquid called for in the recipe, adding a small amount of sugar if the liquid is water rather than milk. If the recipe calls for cold liquid rather than warm, warm a portion of the liquid and use this to dissolve the yeast. “Fast rising” yeast (which is usually used dry, combined with the flour in a recipe) should be avoided. It is treated with conditioners that accelerate the yeast and give the chef less control. Furthermore, it impairs the flavor of baked goods in most cases.
Gelatin is called for as unflavored powdered gelatin. To substitute sheet gelatin.
The unsweetened cocoa powder called for in the recipes in this book refers to the alkalized (Dutch process) type, preferred for its darker color and smoother flavor, and also because it dissolves more easily. Natural cocoa powder, which is somewhat acidic, may be substituted provided it is used in a recipe that contains a sweetener. However, it should not be used to sift on top of a pastry or to coat a truffle because it can be bitter eaten alone.
Both metric and U.S. units are given throughout. However, to avoid unmeasurable fractions, metric amounts have been rounded to the nearest even number. The equivalent for 1 ounce, for instance, is given as 30 grams rather than 28.35 grams.
When 1 ounce or less of an ingredient, dry or liquid, is needed, the quantity is always given in teaspoons or tablespoons and is based on an exact measurement. Hedges like “scant” or “heaping” are not used in this book.
Avoid the temptation to convert ingredients into cups and tablespoons. Weight measurements are used in professional recipes for better accuracy, and a good scale can be purchased inexpensively. Make certain that your scale (old or new) is properly calibrated.
Sheet pans are the standard American size. Full size is 16 x 24 inches (40 x 60 cm), and half size is 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Both have a 1-inch (2.5-cm) slightly slanted border.
In some recipes, instructions are given to spread a batter (most often a sponge batter) over a sheet of baking paper set on the work surface and then to drag the paper onto a sheet pan. This is done to facilitate spreading the batter evenly without the long sides of the sheet pan getting in the way, as the standard industry sheet pans in the United States have 1-inch (2.5-cm) sides. Readers throughout Europe and in other countries where regular sheet pans contain raised sides only on the short ends may eliminate this step.
Some recipes in this text include instructions for making templates. Thin cardboard is one possibility; it is readily available and easy to work with. If sprayed on both sides with food lacquer, the templates can be cleaned and used several times. However, untreated cardboard templates are intended for one-time use only. A sturdier and more practical template can be made from 1/16-inch (2-mm) plastic. These take a bit more effort to construct, but they can be used over and over. I prefer the laminated type of plastic since it will lie perfectly flat and will not tear (this is the type often used to cover office files or documents), but polyurethane sheets also work well.
Any recipe in this book can be scaled up or down in direct proportions as long as it is not multiplied or divided by any number greater than four. In calculating ingredients that do not divide straight across, e.g. to divide in half a recipe calling for 3 eggs or 1⅓ cups of a liquid, round the number up (using 2 eggs or 5½ ounces of liquid for the examples given).
When a weight yield is given for baked goods (for example, four 1-pound 4-ounce [570 g] loaves), it relates to the product before being baked. As a general rule, 10 percent of the weight of any item is lost in steam during the baking process. When a large amount of liquid is part of the ingredients (such as for bread), up to 2 ounces (55 g) for every pound (455 g) of dough will expire.
A properly calibrated thermometer is of great importance both for safe food handling and to obtain desired results whenever the exact temperature of the ingredients determines the outcome. Refer to for instructions on how to calibrate a thermometer.
When white flour is used in recipes in this book, cake flour, bread flour, or high-gluten flour is specified. All-purpose flour, pastry flour, and the dozens of other specialty white flours are not used. Many recipes combine cake flour and bread flour to create the desired protein content. If you do not have cake flour or bread flour, all-purpose flour may be substituted with a good result in most cases. When high-gluten flour is unavailable, bread flour may be used instead. The protein content of cake flour is generally around 7 percent. Bread flour has a protein content of approximately 12 percent, and high-gluten flour about 14 percent. When cake flour and bread flour are combined in equal amounts, they essentially create all-purpose flour, which has a protein content of approximately 9 to 10 percent. All of these protein percentages vary depending on the manufacturer.
Recipes in this text (with a few exceptions) do not call for chocolate with a specific ratio of sugar to cocoa mass, as in semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, for example. Instead, either sweet dark chocolate or unsweetened chocolate is specified, and often the two are combined to create the desired ratio of sugar to cocoa mass, giving the chef greater control over the intensity of the chocolate flavor. Most brands of sweet dark chocolate contain approximately equal proportions of sugar and cocoa mass. Semisweet chocolates usually contain about 60 percent cocoa mass and bittersweet chocolates 70 percent. These numbers vary by manufacturer and can range from 48 to 72.5 percent. If a recipe calls for both sweet and unsweetened chocolate, either semisweet or bittersweet chocolate may be substituted for the combined weight.
Any recipe in this book can be scaled up or down in direct proportions as long as it is not multiplied or divided by any number greater than four. When scaling up or down more than four times, adjustments become necessary. When dividing a recipe more than four times, increase any yeast, salt, and spices by ten percent. When multiplying a recipe more than four times, decrease these ingredients by ten percent. Other modifications that must be made are increasing or decreasing the duration of kneading, mixing, whipping, and baking. In calculating ingredients that do not divide straight across, e.g. to divide in half a recipe calling for 3 eggs or 1½ cups of a liquid, round the number up (using 2 eggs or 5½ ounces of liquid for the examples given).

Part of

Preface