Enjoying the “pain au chocolat” of my morning labors.

Ah, yes, the ultimate Paris memory, a baking class! And what better technique is there to learn and take home than making and baking fresh croissants from scratch?  Bien sur!!

Taking a cooking class had been on my list of possibilities but it all came together last week with Adine’s encouragement.  I quickly began to sift through the Paris listings and in quick time was able to narrow down the search.  Ultimately, I selected a terrific patisserie school in the 8th arrondissement called Patisserie a la Carte.  The small store front kitchen classroom has a cozy set up of large marble-top table in the main work space, two convection ovens, two moderately-sized refrigerators, and a nice wrap-around counter and sink basin.  I and three super nice women, two from Sacramento and one from Nashville, enjoyed the intimate course led by Julie with PALC owner Severin nearby assisting.

From raw ingredients and with the necessary utensils, we began our work just after 9:30 to blend, mix, gather, throw, and knead our precious dough into golden, warm jewels of delicate, buttery layers. It was fun to handle fresh yeast, flour, sugar, 2% milk, salt and egg, using my fingertips to break up the yeast then mix in a bit of milk to a soft, silky consistency.  Not too lose or too dry, I isolated the yeast mixture then began combining the other ingredients before bringing both together.  “Use the right hand only, keep the left hand clean.” After gathering the mixture into a wet, sticky, glutenous ball, Julie taught us to lift and “throw” or whack the dough ball against the cold table, then to knead it with the heel of our hand, and repeat, actions that break down the yeast and start the chemical process that creates the elastic stretch required for the flaky layers we love.

Kneading, allowing the dough to set a bit, then learning how to tap, pound, layer butter, roll, fold, dust the table, turn and flip the dough into directed shapes and sizes, we began to understand and see our technique and craft coming together to make the delectable pastries come to life in our hands.  Nothing like rolling up your sleeves and making dough!

Incorporating cold butter into the dough by folding layer on layer then chilling, later I rolled cold dough into its proper thickness to cut it into its final shapes, including adding 70% cacao chocolate strips for pain au chocolat.  Four pieces of each kind of pastry that would bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

By the way, a butter croissant is a rolled triangle baked straight, no bending allowed.  A pain au chocolate is a rolled rectangle “bundle.”  The only other authentic croissant you may find is almond-filled which is a triangle with almond cream spread on the dough before rolling.  No substitutes, no other fillings are authentic.

After class, Cindy, from Nashville, and I took a walk into the district.  She wanted to book a hop on-off bus tour for her short stay in the City and I wanted to pick up my will-call ticket for tomorrow night’s Diana Krall concert.  Both tasks done, we enjoyed a nice lunch together as we talked about all things Paris, our families, and enjoying our company.  It was nice to make a new baking friend.

Cold butter tenderly whacked to size.

Butter slab to begin the layering and rolling process.

Folded dough with incorporated butter.

Properly rolled to size, cut 4 triangles for croissants, 4 recs for au chocolat bundles.

Two fingers of dough to wrap over the 1st chocolate stick, then the 2nd, then roll, roll.  P.s. the 2-finger measure is a standard in the recipe.

Nashville Cindy giving her pastries an egg wash.

Julie, me, & Severin, owner of Patisserie a la Carte.  A great cooking school in Paris with classes for the home chef.  Wonderful time!