Laminated Breads

Cherry, Cream cheese, Apricot, or some of the above Danishes and Chocolate filled and regular croissants

NOTES:

I pulled the 'de trampe' (starter dough) out of the fridge. It consisted of a bit over a pound of bread flour. Then I proceeded to create the butter block (pictured below). It is literally three sticks of butter blended into a paste.

The butter block went smoother than expected, but was starting to melt a little so I tossed it into the fridge to harden up.

Next, pulled out the de trampe and flattened the sucker into just over twice the area of the butter block. Again, so far so good. Checked the butter block, still needed time. I proceeded to mix up what I can only describe as a heavenly almond flavored cream cheese filling to knock into the center of the Danishes.

Butter block was now solid enough. As Peter did in class, I plopped it down on one side of the de trampe and then proceeded to fold the rest over and seal it in.

Here was the first of many impatient acts that probably got me in the mess (literally) that I found myself in at the end. I tri-folded it right away. Now (of course now) I recall Mr. Reinhart letter this seal develop for a few minutes. Ha. Not I. (sigh). So, then I rolled out the first rectangle / base layer. No trouble yet. I set the timer for a few minutes and proceeded to knock out the fondut glaze that would make the buttery danish sweet.

Rolled out for the first laminating layer. Going from three layers to nine. Did the requisite trifold and floured generously, so that the damn rolling pin did not stick to the dough (there are fewer things that drive me into a rage than the dough tearing and sticking to a rolling pin even if it has been generously floured...I'm not sure why...probably because I had just done something to make sure that it didn't happen and it did anyways...)(no tearing and sticking this time though). However, the dough is getting pretty feisty due to all the rolling and stretching...so I let it set for about 12 minutes.

At this time there is flour and towels and baking equipment EVERYWHERE.

Enter the dishwasher repair guy. A very friendly soft spoken Mexican fellow. Guarantee he did not expect the state of the kitchen (look on his face alone was priceless) I am covered waist down with flour dust and probably had some on my face, there is a giant pillow sized thing of dough on the counter-top, and I have AC/DC blaring on the mp3 player.

He was very efficient (or freaked out) and fixed the dishwasher (which currently still works)

So about this time I noticed that there was some butter leaking out of the top of the dough pillow. As Peter did in class, I liberally sprinkled with flour and patted to close up the holes.

What did not happen in class, and what DID happen to me was that butter also leaked from the bottom.

The surface area was floured underneath, and mores the pity. Imagine butter filling leaking onto and mixing with flour. Yeah. What a mess! So this gooey disaster greeted me what I lifted up the pillow to turn it.

Swearing followed. I was a bit nonplussed at this point. It was leaking on the top and bottom (much like the dishwasher had been..although I'm fairly certain the dishwasher guy had NO idea how to fix this problem). So I did the only thing I could. Threw as much flour as I could at the problem.

Repeat this step several times and I had very stubborn, marginally laminated dough.

As with all complex baking, a small problem snowballs (or flour and butter balls) into a bigger issue at the end.

Today it was that the dough was too 'thick' to make the flat type danish. Also leaking all over the place was butter.

SUMMARY:

When the laminated bread 'leaks' butter paste on the flour surface – you get paste. The paste gets everywhere

Ended up with between 3 and 81 layers, depending on how many layer causalities occurred in various sections of the bread.

Speed is not a virtue, however, my first time making it I was very excited to get to the end.

I'm certain I have never used so much butter in my entire life.

LESSONS FOR THE DAY:

A – laminated bread requires extreme patience

B – don't start the recipe about 45 minutes before the dishwasher repairman arrives

Practice makes perfect. And fat roommates.