Chapter 5 Mise en Place

Formulas and Recipes Mise en place, or “put in place,” means having everything in place necessary for the successful preparation of the meal. Bakeshop formulas must be followed carefully and completely. Proper planning, reading a formula carefully before cooking, preparing equipment all ensure the best results.

Methods for Measuring Measuring ingredients is extremely important and is done in three ways: By weight also called scaling By volume, considered less accurate than scaling except when measuring water By count

Measurement Systems Can be U.S. or metric

Formula Conversions Yield is the amount produced by a formula expressed in total weight, volume or number of units. Scale up or down increases (decreases) a recipe or formula mathematically.

Converting Total Yield Two step process New Yield Old Yield = Conversion Factor (C.F.) Old Quantity x C.F. = New Quantity

Example of Converting Total Yield

Converting Portion Size Find a common denominator for the new and old formula; ounces, grams, cups or servings can be used No. of Portions x Portion Size = Total (old) Yield Desired Portions x Desired portions size = Total (new) Yield New Yield Old Yield = Conversion Factor (C.F.) Multiply each ingredient quantity by C.F.

Conversion Considerations Additional problems can arise when making changes to yield. Keep in mind the following: Equipment should be considered when scaling. Evaporation may not be the same Formula errors may be exaggerated when a formula is scaled. All things being equal, cooking times will not change when making a larger batch.

Baker’s Percentage A system for measuring ingredients in a formula by expressing them as a percentage of the total weight of the flour At a glance, baker can compare formulas Flour (or a total of the weight of all flours in the formula) equals 100%

Sample Baker’s Percentage Formula Insert Figure 5.1 Sample baker’s percentage formula p. 134

Converting with Baker’s Percentage

Knife Skills Basic knife skills are the backbone of techniques in a professional kitchen Focus on the task at hand Use the correct knife Cut away from yourself Cut on a cutting board Keep knives sharp Hold point down, parallel and close to the leg Don’t attempt to catch a falling knife Never leave a knife in a sink of water

Preparing Ingredients Removing water and salt clarifies butter and renders it more stable with a longer shelf life. Toasting nuts and spices before using them brings out flavor, browns the food, makes it crispier and crunchier. Blanching nuts removes bitter skins Finely ground nuts can be substituted for some or all of the wheat flour in recipes.

Preparing to Bake Ingredients are often flavored before use in the bakeshop. Steeping soaks dry ingredients in a liquid to infuse its flavor in the liquid Dry fruits remain tender if soaked overnight before use, known as conditioning

Preparing to Bake Blanching, or parcooking, is immersion in boiling salted water and removes bitterness, preserves color, softens and shortens final cook time. Ice baths, consisting of ice and water, quickly cool food for safe, sanitary storage under refrigeration.