This page contains products that I have done throughout my school year at VCC Baking and Pastry Arts.
Professionalism course:
Some of the products we made throughout the course:
Final Project: Capstone/Portlad feildtrip
As a Final project in the course. We are to research on a topic of interest that is related to the Baking and Pastry Arts Field. My research is based on sourdough bread. The aim is to understand the effects of age, location, ingredients and baking on a sourdough loaf.
Our class also visited numerous Bakeries in Portland, Oregon as part of our capstone project. This enabled us to compare products in different bakeries in Vancouver, and Portland as well as further research on our chosen topic.
I focused on the types of flours that can be used in s sourdough starter, and feeding of sour.
Types of flour used:
All artisan bakers have a preferred flour type or blend of flours to use in a sour starter. The three most common are rye, whole wheat and white bread flour. Bakers must note that all flour used for a starter must be unbleached because the bleaching process kills any microorganisms present in the flour. Each provides different flavor and texture to the dough. The type of flour used by bakers varies based on regional preference. Many North American bakers use white flour or a blend of white and whole-wheat flours, while in Europe it is more popular to use a rye blend for sours and breads. It is important to consider also what microbes are present in the flour itself in order to get proper bacteria content in the sour. Whole-wheat flours, which have the bran present, provide lots of nourishment for yeast and bacteria, as well as being rich in yeast and bacteria themselves. Rye flours offer a distinct flavor, as well as high amounts of fermentable sugars and enzymes to break down starches. Rye flour often creates denser bread than white flour, and whole wheat creates drier bread than white flour. For these reasons, bakers create their own blend to use based on desired flavor and texture of the loaf. This blend of flours is used to start the sour and feed it.
Maintaining a sour:
To maintain a sour, a starter must be refreshed, or fed regularly so the yeasts and bacteria are nourished for them to continue to be strong enough to ferment bread dough. The sour is fed with a mixture of flour and water. This may be the same flour blend as used to start the sour, or different flour may be used. Bakers must be aware of chlorine levels in tap water, as high chlorine levels will kill bacteria and yeast in a starter. There is no definite time as to how often a sour must be fed. As the yeasts and bacteria multiply, the starter gets stronger and faster acting. The amount of feeding necessary for a starter depends largely on the temperature the starter is kept at. If the starter is kept at room temperature, for example, it reacts faster, therefore it must be fed regularly. Some are fed as often as two times a day. If a starter is kept in a cool area, such as in the refrigerator, it does not react as fast, therefore does not to be refreshed very often. A starter must be refreshed/fed before being used in a dough. This will make the dough more active and will help leaven the bread. Sours can be dried or frozen to keep for a few months. Once ready to use the sour again, it must be given regular feedings to restore the bacteria and yeast cultures.
There are numerous variables that affects a sourdough bread’s unique qualities. Throughout our research there were main variables that affected a sourdough’s sour flavor, texture, and aroma.
A sourdough’s sour flavor is controlled with the ratio of dough and pre-ferment in a sourdough loaf. The higher the ratio of pre-ferment to dough, the more sour flavour is achieved.
Our research also aims to determine if the time a pre-ferment has been kept since it was started, will intensify a sourdough bread’s flavour. According to bakery owners we have visited, Dave from Pearl Bakery,and Chef Dominique Geulin, from St. Honore Bakery, a pre-ferment at some point reaches its maximum acidity at a certain point in time. A pre-ferment is fed to maintain this acidity and balance of bacterial activity in a pre-ferment. Therefore means, that time will not significantly affect a sourdough bread’s sour flavour, but ratio of the pre-ferment does.
As part of the sourdough research, our group made a comparison of different sourdough breads from bakeries in Vancouver and Portland. We had a rubric judging the bread’s color, taste, flavour, aroma, texture, look and ingredients. Some sourdoughs were made with whole wheat flour, combination of wholewheat and rye, combination whole wheat and white flour in their dough. There was a noticeable difference in texture between sourdough that contains whole wheat flour. The bread had a chewy textured crumb. Since whole wheat flour contains the bran of the grain, this adds protein to the flour.When working with flour that has a high protein content, the dough is stronger and elastic, resulting in a chewy texture in sourdough bread.
This research clarified the effects of ingredients, age,location and baking on a sourdough loaf. There is a lot of information to be found on how to make a sourdough, but not much about what contributes to a sourdough bread’s unique sour flavour. Testing out different sourdough breads from a variety of bakeries in different cities concluded the definition of a sourdough bread. It is a bread that is made with a starter to ferment the bread. The use of a pre-ferment gives the bread it’s sour flavour. A difference in a sourdough bread’s qualities will vary in the way it is processed, and the ingredients used to create the product. Location and age of a starter does not significantly change a sourdough bread’s overall taste, while the way the loaf is handled and made does. It is up to the baker’s ability to manipulate the bread to achieve a desired taste, texture and look of a sourdough bread.
The goal of our class field trip to Portland, Oregon, was to visit different bakeries in the city while also continuing to get more information about our research projects. Not only was the trip very educational for myself but it was also an inspiring experience. Getting to meet business owners such as Jarred from Pearl Bakery and MOF Chef Dominique Geullen, I saw their passion in the business.Getting to where they are now in their business had challenges, but, with the skill, knowledge and experience in the industry that they both have showed these are the foundations of success in the industry. I also saw a lot of passion in them. Jarred, for example, mentioned that Pearl Bakery is a family owned business, and that he grew up with the store. Over-time he learned as much as he can with baking, and understood the science and the process behind all operations. Even though he wishes to continue his Engineering career, he continuously gives a lot of his attention to the products, equipment, and, and overall operations of the Bakery. Chef Dominique, uses traditional French Style techniques starting from his products, store and equipment. He could easily use commercial products for high production, but he chose to run his business the way it is because he believes he will produce the best products. He is passionate about giving his products integrity with the quality and amount of skill is inserted in them. In the Baking industry, there are numerous ways the career can be pursued. It is up to the individual to choose which direction they want to go after. It takes time to master a skill, as well as drive to continue to progress.
My Baking and Pastry Arts Year at VCC 