Course Outline:
Module 1: Fundamentals & Breads

• Baking science: ingredient function and baker's percentages

• Lean doughs: baguettes, ciabatta, and poolish

• Enriched doughs: brioche and dinner rolls

• Natural starters: creating and maintaining a sourdough culture

Module 2: Laminated Doughs & Breakfast Pastries

• The science of lamination and butter blocking

• Classic croissant and Danish dough

• Laminating and shaping techniques

• Fillings and baking for viennoiserie

Module 3: Tarts & Pastry Creams

• Working with pâte sucrée, pâte sablée, and pâte brisée

• Classic pastry creams, crèmes mousseline, and diplomat cream

• Blind baking and assembling fruit tarts

• Chocolate ganache and nut-based fillings

Module 4: Cakes & Sponges

• Creaming, foaming, and meringue-based mixing methods

• Building and assembling layered entremets and cakes

• Buttercreams: Italian meringue, French, and German

• Soaking syrups and glazes

Module 5: Plated Desserts & Chocolate

• Elements of a plated dessert: texture, temperature, and flavor

• Basic chocolate work: tempering, curls, shards, and molds

• Sauces, crumbles, and ice cream as components

• Final Practical: Design, execute, and plate two signature desserts