1. Chapter 5
Mise en Place

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Measurement Systems
Can be U.S. or metric

5. 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.

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

7. Example of Converting Total Yield

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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%

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

12. Converting with Baker’s Percentage

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.