Colette Christian

Advanced Flaky French Pastries

Colette Christian
  • In-depth Instruction; over 138 mins
  • On-demand video access anytime
  • Bonus downloadable PDF resources
  • Access to class Q&A
Meet baking master Colette Christian and begin with an introduction to kouign amann, a round crusty cake. Then follow along as Colette shows you how to mix the dough, incorporate the butter and bake this beloved Breton pastry to flaky perfection. After that, experiment with various fillings such as jam and lemon curd.
Add a rich nutty flavor, and some extra nutrients, to your croissants by incorporating whole grains into the dough. See how to mix and shape whole-wheat croissant dough using a pre-ferment to make a mouthwatering pizza margherita croissant.
Once you've mastered the basic whole-wheat croissant dough, mix it up (pun intended) with some fun variations! Colette shares her list of flavoring suggestions, including candied orange peel, black pepper and more, then shows you how to add them to your dough and butter block.
Learn how to make a Danish coffee cake dough using a biga pre-ferment, which adds a slightly sweet and acidic flavor. See how to fill your cake and shape it three different ways: ladder, maple ring and Russian twist. Then proof, bake and garnish to finish it off.
Ready for a challenge? In this lesson, tackle an inverted puff pastry dough with butter on the outside! First form the exterior butter block, then make, incorporate and laminate the interior dough. Plus, find out how to shape delicious "conversation" tartlets.
As a pastry baker, have you ever wondered: Sweet cream or cultured butter? Salted or unsalted? Does it really matter? In this bonus lesson, Colette has your answers.
You've got the recipes and techniques down; now add a little flair to your baking toolkit with two-toned croissants. This visual tutorial will show you how to make them.
 
 
7 Lessons
2  hrs 18  mins

Description

Master laminated dough for the ultimate flaky pastries, including Kouign Amann and more.

Got your croissant and Danish doughs down pat? Layer on some new skills (pun intended!) with master pastry chef Colette Christian as she walks you through a range of advanced laminated dough techniques. Discover how to use whole-grain flours, starters and preferments to develop rich flavor in your pastries. Along the way, you’ll learn to make Kouign Amann, the beloved Breton pastry, as well as savory croissants and old-fashioned coffee cakes, plus experiment with creative variations and fillings. With Colette’s step-by-step guidance, you’ll soon achieve French pastry perfection!

Colette Christian

Colette Christian began working in restaurants at age 14 and went on to graduate from the New England Culinary Institute. In 2004 she began teaching at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California, and now offers classes at the Art Institute of Hollywood, Sur La Table and the Great News Cooking School in San Diego. She has extensive training in baking and pastry and is a certified executive pastry chef as well as a certified executive chef through the American Culinary Federation.

Colette Christian

Bonus materials available after purchase