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First Baguette

Dear Chef Ruder,

I made my first baguettes today — and they’re awesome, considering it’s my first time. Thank you so much for your excellent instruction. I was in your Saturday class for enthusiasts at the CIA on Sept. 19, and had not had a chance to bake until now. The class was informative and fun, as you manage to impart a great deal of knowledge in a relaxed and light atmosphere, but without trivializing the subject matter. That’s a gift, and one from which I was lucky to benefit.

Now for the technical stuff. It was cold (34 degrees for the high) and sunny today, and the dough rose a bit slower than I expected, but the bread came out of the oven with a beautiful brown crust and a tender crumb anyway. Here are my questions, though:

1. The crumb is a bit more dense than I would like (there were not many bubbles during proofing). The wonderful yeasty aroma of fresh-baked bread was also not as strong as I expected. Is it possible that there was insufficient, or weak, yeast in the dough? I used dry active yeast in the 2% proportion you suggested.

2. The flavor, to my taste, is a bit bland. Again, I used the 2% proportion of salt you suggested. Could I use more salt without affecting the result, other than flavor?

Thanks again for a great class.

Maria Bonawits

Bakery Decoration Showpieces For Everybody

The Lego Concept
by Thomas Ruder

At the beginning of my career, I was a flour salesman in the Bavarian region of Germany. I often had to create showpieces to showcase the flour for small bakeries. With the limited amount of time I had, my colleagues and I came up with an easy method of building impressive showpieces out of bread dough.

The Lego concept is based on using a building block method to create the showpiece. This is achieved by using two types of dough: slightly enriched dough and lean, unleavened dough.

For the base, roll out the enriched dough to the desired size and stamp it to release the air. Next, make the lean, unleavened dough. From this dough, it is possible to create many different items, words, and shapes. A five-braid can also be used for the border of the piece.

Once the shapes are created, press them well into the enriched dough background piece. Next, brush only the enriched dough with an egg wash. This will help to add some color contrast on the two doughs.

Lastly, bake the showpiece at low temperature in a deck oven, keeping the vents open the entire time to make it shiny. Store at room temperature and dry it out overnight.

In the past, I have created many showpieces using the Lego concept. Some of these included holiday items, roses, wheat, bread baskets, and a Bavarian coat of arms. I have been asked to create showpieces for five star hotel VIP functions, food presentations, and for airline catering companies.

Using the Lego concept, any exciting display can be achieved with some patience and creativity.

Chef Thomas Ruder is a German Backermeister with 25 years of experience. He competed in the Shanghai City Competition’s Decoration Bread category in 2001 where he received second place. He also earned a Gold Medal with his team in the Singapore HOFEX 2007. Chef Ruder is currently a lecturing instructor of Baking and Pastry Arts at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.