Steps

1. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds out. Bring the milk, vanilla, and butter to 185 F
2. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, then carefully stream the hot milk into the egg yolks to temper bringing the yolks up to high a temperature without cooking them.
3. Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl combine flour, starch and sugar. Pour in the hot milk-yolks mixture with vanilla and whisk until homogenized. Then add the alcohol and transfer into a clean container. Let canelé batter rest at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
4. After resting time, turn on the oven, stir the batter and strain. Leave batter at room temperature until over is ready.
5. Grease molds generously with softened butter and cooking spray (unless using silicone molds)
6. Gently stir batter before pouring it into the molds otherwise the starches and vanilla will stay in the bottom. Fill each mold up to 5mm from the top.
7. Bake for 55 min - 25 min at 425 F (200 C) then lower the heat to 380 F (190 C) and continue baking for 30 min more.
8. Let the canelés rest for 3 minutes before removing from the molds.

Steps

1. Marinate the pitted cherries with powdered sugar and the kirsch alcohol. Meanwhile, scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean
2. Whisk together the eggs, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond meal, and flour. Pour in the milk and whisk
3. Grease the baking mould or frying pan with softened butter and coat with brown sugar. Pour in half of the batter, arrange the pitted cherries and mix in the juice from the marinade into the remaining batter and pour over the cherries. Bake at 375 F / 190 C for about 35 min
4. Let it rest 20 min, unmould and server warm

Steps

Pâte à Choux Method
Bring water, milk, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides for about 2 minutes.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer filled with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute to get the steam out and cool down a bit, then add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, add remaining egg or half of it. Follow the same method if mixed by hand using a rubber spatula. 

Pipe eclairs on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment using an open star pastry tip. The use of a star piping tip (or nozzle) to pipe pâte à choux is essential to allowing the batter to expand evenly with minimal cracking during the baking process The ridges created by piping the pâte à choux with a star tip creates gaps that allows the choux to expand evenly during baking. Dust eclairs with powdered sugar before baking instead of using egg wash.

Set the oven rack adjusted to middle position. Bake one sheet at a time (10 eclairs).
If using a conventional oven: Bake in preheated 450F (230C) oven for 5 minutes, then lower temp to 350F (180C) and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Do not open the oven door during baking or it will deflate. Then, turn oven off leaving the oven door ajar to allowing pâte à choux to dry for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on wire rack.
If using a convection oven: Lower temperature to 425F (215C) and shortnen baking time by 5 minutes or so.
Baked pâte à choux can be refrigerated for days or frozen for months before being filled

Chocolate Mixture
Bring milk to boil and turn off the heat
Mix in the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder until smooth and set aside

Custard
Bring milk, sugar and vanilla to a boil. Meanwhile beat egg yolks and sugar and add cornstarch. When the milk boils remove from the heat and temper the yolk mixture with one-third of the hot milk whisking constantly. Pour the tempered mixture into the saucepan and return to the heat; bring pastery cream to boil and cook for 2 minutes whisking swiftly on medium heat. Remove from the stove and mix in the chocolate mixture (chocolate ganache) pass though a fine mesh-sieve and cool down completely, cover with plastic wrap in contact to prevent a skin from forming. Once completely chilled, whisk the chocolate custard until smooth. Make holes on the backs of the pâte à choux. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain pastry tip, gently pipe the custard generously into the eclairs. Refrigerate before dipping into the glaze.

Chocolate Icing (Ganache Glaze)
Melt chocolate over a water-bath. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Turn off the heat and mix in the red cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate cream over the melted chocolate and stir until smooth and strain in a fine mesh sieve. Set aside and cool down to 105F (40C) before using. This glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.

Finishing
Dip the tops of the chilled eclairs in the warm chocolate icing and set on a sheet pan. Eclairs can be refrigerated up to 3 days.

Steps

1. Flatten and split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds
2. Place the cream and vanilla into a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for half an hour
3. Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
4. Pour in the infused cream with its vanilla pod and mix well
5. Strain the liquid and pour into the 6 ramekins. Use the torch to get rid of the bubbles that form on the surface.
6. Place the ramekins into a roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes
7. Once baked, remove the ramekins from the roasting pan. Let them cool down and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
8. Remove the ramekins from the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps

1. Combine water and yeast. Meanwhile, mix flour, sugar and salt together. Homogenize with the liquid yeast, then incorporate the 6 1/2 tbsp of softened butter into the mixture and continue kneading. 
2. When just combined, transfer the dough to your work surface. Without additional flour, use your palm to smash the dough and folding in half and smashing it together again (total kneading time about 5 minutes). 
3. Let the dough rest at room temperature 24C for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size. (1st Rise)
4. Dust your work surface and the dough with flour. Deflate the dough and pat it into a rectangle shape. Wrap it and refrigerate overnight. (2nd rise)
5. To prepare the slab of butter, place the 16 1/2 tbsp of butter in a 7x8" ziplock bag and shape it into a slab. Once chilled, trim off the edges to take the butter slab out. Note: When rolling the dough, be sure the dough and the butter are the same consistancy: this will make rolling much smoother and the layers will  be more even.
6. When the butter is soft enough, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Now on a floured surface, roll the dough into a 15x7 inches rectangle. Place the softened butter slab one half and fold in the other half. Tap the dough gently with the rolling pin, then roll from the center out until you have a rectangle 24x8 inches. Sweep off any excess flour, then fold the left corner 2/3 of the dough up to almost the end. Fold in the right corner and re-adjust the thickness of the dough, then fold in half like a book. You have now made a double turn (tour double)
7. Repeat the same step and roll out until you have a rectabgle 24 by 8 inches. Foold the left third of the bottom up to the center and the right third over that. You have now made your simple turn (tour simple). Wrap it up and refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. Meanwhile, to make the egg wash, crack 2 eggs and blend them with a pinch of salt.
9. When the dough has rested, shape the croissants with half the dough and chill the other half making sure the dough is always chilled while working with it. Roll the dough into 18x9 inches rectangle and 1/8 thick (3 mm). With your chef knife divide the dough into 6 large croissants. Roll them into the croissant shape and place them on a greased parchment paper, brush them with egg wash.
10. Proof the croissants by placing them on a counter top. Set aside for 2 1/2 - 3 hours at room temperature until puffed up and spongy. Carefully brush croissants with egg wash again right before baking.
11. Preheat your oven to 400F and bake them for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 375F and bake them for another 12-15 minutes

Steps

Croissant Dough Matrix
*TTF: Total Temperature Factor (Typo in the video on display as DDT). The TTF was determined by professional bakers to ensure consistent fermentation results no matter the season. It takes into consideration the temperature of the fournil, lab or kitchen, the temperature of the dry ingredients (mainly flour) and the friction factor according to the machine used. Then, the liquid temperature is adjusted in order. Most yeasty dough should end up with an internal temperature of 77ºF/25ºC (DDT: desired dough temperature). This will ensure a proper fermentation process. It could end up being cooler as 72ºF/22ºC and the fermentation will take longer but it is less consequential than getting an internal temperature of 90ºF/30ºC. Indeed, if too warm the fermentation will speed up affecting the final results such as taste and color. At home though, the +6ºC seems to be pretty accurate wether using a stand mixer mixing on medium-high for 7 min or kneading by hand for 10 min.

TTF 56ºC.
Room temperature: 22ºC
+ Ingredients temperature: 22ºC
+ Water temperature: 12ºC
= 56ºC.
Divide this number by 3 and add the friction factor (by hand or mixer): + 6ºC.
22ºC+22ºC+12ºC = 56ºC ÷ 3 = 18.6ºC + 6ºC = 24.5ºC (DDT).

Croissant Dough
European-style butters are favored for their rich taste and saturated yellow hue — a direct result of the higher butterfat content (+82%) and less water. Follow the same protocole wether mixing by hand or using a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Mix flour with sugar, salt and yeast, and add butter. Roughly sand and add water – mix to combine and transfer dough onto a clean work surface. Knead using the palm of your hand and smash dough until it become smoother and elastic; this should take 10 minutes. if using a stand mixer, mix on medium high for about 7 min, or until dough comes out the sides of the bowl. Place dough in a lightly oiled container; not too large but rather twice the size of the dough. Cover and let ferment for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Turn out onto a work surface (no extra flour needed), and deflate dough completely. Fold sides over, and shape into a tight ovale form, flatten and freeze 20 min on each side uncovered or just the top – keep refrigerated until ready to laminate. Meanwhile, leave butter slab out for about 20 min; it should be at the same consistency as the dough; firm but workable.

Butter Slab
Make a 6’’x6’’/15x15cm butter slab between 2 parchment paper sheets and chill. Leave it out 15/20 minutes prior folding.

Folding Process / Laminating
Folding Process / Lamination (Tourage). A double turn and one single turn. Turn air-conditioning on if room temp exceeds 73.5ºF/23ºC. For the double turn (Tour double): Roll out dough into a ≈6x15 inch (14x35cm) rectangle (about twice the size of the butter slab). Place butter covering half of the surface of the dough, and fold over to enclose (do not overlap dough). Seal and roll out into a long and narrow strip ≈6’’x27’’/15x70cm keeping all edges as straight as possible. Begin rolling from the center of the dough towards the edges, and not from one side of the dough all the way to the other side. This technique helps to keep the dough at an even thickness. Always brush out any excess flour before folding. The left edge is folded in to meet the last third on the other side, then the right third is folded in then close like a book. Flatten; wrap up and refrigerate 30 min or for up to an hour to relax.
For the single Turn (Tour simple): Roll out dough (seams set from noon to 6) into a 6’’x27’’/15x70cm rectangle, and fold like a business letter (if the dough resist chill it to rest 15 min more). Wrap up and let rest an hour. Roll dough (seams set from noon to 6) into a 9’’x27’’/23x70cm rectangle. The thickness of croissant dough should end up being around 0.20’’/ 4 to 5mm. Cut out 12 to 14 croissant; save scraps. Arrange croissants onto a frozen baking tray and egg-wash – freeze 4 hours min or overnight (freezer strengthen the gluten improving final results). Croissants can be kept frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Egg Wash
Blend 1 whole egg with 2 yolks and a pinch of salt. Egg wash croissant twice; onced rolled out and after proofing.

Proofing
Space out frozen croissants into 2 large trays and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator; uncovered. Let proof at room temperature for about 2.5 hours or until doubled in size. Carefully egg wash again and bake.

Baking
If using a conventional oven: Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC and bake croissants for about 22 minutes. If using a convection oven: Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC and bake for about 18 minutes

Steps

Pie Dough
Yields a 9''x13''x1''/23x33x2.5cm greased baking tray line with parchment or silicone mat.
Rub butter into flour and salt with your finger tips, or use a food processor. Add the egg and water, and mix until just combined. Chill to harden. Work out dough to soften onto a floured countertop. Roll out into a 3mm thick rectangle (Larger than the tray). Lay dough over the prepared baking tray, and with your thumbs apply pastry against the edges of the pan, prick with a fork and chill to rest. Trim off excess dough, and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days; uncovered – or freeze for weeks.

Pesto
In a food processor, blend basil leaves with olive oil, garlic, nuts, parmesan, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pesto will solidify once refrigerated. Use about half of the pesto, and save remaining for later use.

Montage
Spread tomato paste on the chilled crust. Top with bread crumbs (It absorbs extra moisture from the tomatoes). Drizzle a generous amount of pesto, and overlap tomato slices, garnish with olive halves, and season with some dried oregano, salt and pepper.

Baking
Preheat oven with a pizza stone (Look up at Shop Page). Bake tomato pie in a 400ºF/200ºC oven for 40 minutes. Then, carefully remove tart from the baking tray and slide directly onto the hot pizza stone; finish baking for 15 minutes more. Garnish with cherry tomato halves and basil leaves. Serve tomato tart warm – Bon appétit!

Steps

1. Soak prunes in alcohol overnight and flambe in a hot frying pan; cool pruneaux in its juice. Prior flambe anything on the stove, make sure the hood is well maintained and clean
2. Meanwhile, mix eggs with yolks and vanilla; set aside. Warm up milk and butter (do not boil) – keep lukewarm
3. In a pastry bowl, mix flour, semolina, sugar and salt. Add the egg mixture and pour in the milk-butter – mix well and blend (formed bubbles on the surface will disappear once batter is rested). Just like crepe, pancake, canelé… far breton batter should rest for at least 2 hours; best overnight. Resting time improve overall texture and mouthfeel. Grease mold with softened butter and flour.
4. Turn oven on to 410ºF. Drain prunes – save remaining juice and mix in batter. Arrange prunes in mold and pour the custard.
5. Bake for about 45 min. Only the edges of the cake should raise and get browned but not the center. Cool in mold for about 2 hours before unmolding

Steps

1. In a hot pot or cast iron Dutch oven, add butter, onions and a pinch of celtic sea salt and stir them up for about 3 minutes, on high heat. Throw in the thyme and the bay leaf and let cook for 20 minutes on low heat; covered. Covering the pot at this stage encourages the release of moisture. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and give a stir. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or more, scraping the bottom each time the caramelization begins to occur. (As onions cook, they will take on a sweeter, caramel-like aroma and they will lose a lot of volume).
2. Deglaze with port and red wine and reduce to dry – it should take 15 minutes more. Add demi glace and water or veal stock or remouillage. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes; covered. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to individual bowl if desired. Onion soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
3. Top soup with a slice of toasted bread or a few croutons (do not add to much bread; it will suck up too much liquid). Add cheese and place the onion soup under the broiler for a few minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Bon appétit!

Steps

1. Heat up veal stock and let simmer. Prep the mirepoix (garlic, onions, leeks, carrots, celery, mushroom trimmings, and some aromatics)
2. In a hot pot or dutch oven, sear chicken parts on both sides to brown. Transfer into a bowl. Remove some of the fat left in the pot if too greasy.
3. Throw in the mirepoix (veggies only) and cook for 15 minutes on high heat, stirring every so often (roast them well) and season with salt. Add tomato paste, stir well and cook for an additional 5 min. Add seared chicken parts, the hot veal stock and aromatics. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low heat for an hour. Remove and discard solids and sieve in a saucepan. Put brown stock back on stove, skim off impurities and fat as it continue to simmer and reduce to 1.25L
4. Dredge chicken thighs and drumsticks in flour, shake of excess flour and set aside. In a very hot sautoir or dutch oven, pour in oil and sprinkle some salt. Sear chicken in 2 batches (skin side down first) in both sides and cook in the oven for 45 min at 375ºF (190ºC). Transfer chicken onto a plate to rest. Save rendered chicken juice and add it to the brown stock. 
5. In the same pan, melt butter and saute mushrooms on high heat for 8 min. Throw in shallots, season with salt and cook for 3 to 4 min more. Add porcini powder if desired and flambe with cognac. Deglaze with Chardonnay and reduce to two-third. Sprinkle flour, stir up and add hot stock stirring constantly – bring to a boil and let simmer to thicken. Reajust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Dunk chicken in the sauce and let simmer for 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and tarragon. This dish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Rewarm slowly prior serving.

Steps

Dough
Combine flours, salt, sugar, yeast, and butter. Transfer mixture onto the work surface, and knead for about 8 minutes; until smooth (no extra flour needed). The temperature of the dough should be at 73/80ºF/23/27ºC. Form dough into a tight ball and place in a lightly greased container, wrap up loosely or cover with a wet kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. Flip over work surface and deflate dough. Fold up corners and shape into a tight rectangle. Place dough onto a previously frozen baking tray line with a silicone mat. Freeze each side for 30 minutes; this will ease the lamination process. Make butter using a freezer bag, or parchment paper. Chill.

Folding Process / Tourage
Leave butter slab out for about 10 min prior folding. The butter should remain cool but supple. The dough and butter must be the same consistency. Flour work surface and roll out dough into a rectangle twice the size of the butter slab. Place butter slab on the dough and fold over. Roll out dough into a 28''/72cm rectangle. Brush off any excess flour and fold in four (double turn/tour double). Wrap up and refrigerate an hour or overnight to rest. Flour work surface lightly and roll out dough into a 28''/72cm rectangle. Sprinkle sugar all over, and fold into thirds (single turn/tour simple). Chill for 30 minutes to rest. Roll out dough into twice its size, and split in half. Chill one half and roll out the other half into a 9x9''https://bruno.b-cdn.net/23x23cm square. Divide sheet into nine 3x3''https://bruno.b-cdn.net/7.5x7.5cm squares – if using English muffin rings, divide into 3.5x3.5'' squares. Fold up the four corners of a square and place each pastry inside a greased and sugared pastry ring. Or, roll up the sugared sheet of dough tightly into a log and cut into 10 swirl portions. Do likewise with the other half of the sheet. Scraps can be baked separately. Let proof pastries until it has doubled in size.

Baking
Bake Kouign-Amann at 350ºF/180ºC for about 35 minutes. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool. Enjoy!

Steps

1. To make the Tapenade, puree all ingredients together. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, brown sugar and salt on high until light and fluffy (about 3 min). Continue beating and slowly pour in the olive oil while blending, to emulsify the mixture. Lower the speed and add the wine. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined and transfer into a large bowl
3. Coat olives and ham with flour (to prevent them from sinking when baking) and fold into the batter along with the tapenade. Grease and fill the loaf bread pan with the mixture
4. Set the oven rack in te middle position and bake in a preheated 400F (205 C) oven for 15 min, then lower the heat to 350F (180 C) and bake for 25 min. Remove the cake from the oven and set oven to broil. Drizzle the top with olive oil, some shredded parmesan or gruyere then place under broiler for about 3 minutes to brown lightly. Let cool for 5 minutes and unmold

Steps

1. With the paddle attachment, combine water and fresh yeast first and add flour, semolina and salt. Mix on low speed for 2 min. Scrap down sides of the bowl and paddle – mix for an additional 2 minutes on low (4 min total). The internal dough temperature should be at 80/86ºF (27/30ºC). Cover and let the first fermentation going for an hour. Using the hook attachment now, throw in olive mixture and mix on low for 10 sec (first punch down / do not over work). Remove hook, cover and let rest for another hour. Transfer dough onto floured worked surface; degase and round out. Place dough back in the mixer bowl, cover and let ferment for another hour (3 hours fermentation total).
2. Transfer fougasse dough onto a floured work surface – Divide into 3 equal portions or 6 (for smaller fougasse). Shape into rounds (not too tight) and bench rest for 20 min (covered). Shape each rounds into rectangular slab. Arrange onto lightly floured flax linen baker’s couche or fragrance free kitchen towels. Cover and let proof for about an hour.
3. Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 550ºF (290ºC) / set to conventional baking. Depending on the size of the pizza stone; bake bread in 2 batches. Place hot pizza stone on the stove. Dust semolina onto the stone and bread. Slash each flat bread and transfer bread onto hot stone stretching out dough to open it. Spray water on the bread to create steam and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer hot fougasse onto cooling rack and brush out olive oil – cool to room temperature

Steps

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until they turn a pale gold colour. Whisk in the flour and cornflour and set aside.
2. Place the milk and vanilla bean paste in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 30 seconds.
3. Slowly pour half of the hot milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then return the mixture to the remaining milk in the pan. It is important to slowly pour the hot milk onto the cold eggs before you return the mixture to the pan to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
4. Bring the mixture back to the boil and simmer for one minute, whisking continuously, or until smooth.
5. Pour the cream into a clean bowl and dust with icing sugar to prevent a skin forming. Cool as quickly as possible, by sitting the bowl of pastry cream in another larger bowl of ice water. When cooled, refrigerate until needed.

Steps

1. Whip together sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest, and egg yolks. Add the softened butter and continue to whip. Then gently fold in the sifted flour with baking powder until homogenized
2. Roll out the pastry between 2 parchment papers as thin as you can. Refrigerate or freeze until cookie dough has hardened
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the parchment from the top. Brush the surface of the dough twice with 2 beaten egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Pre bake for 5 minutes and cut out the cookies using a cookie cutter. 
4. Put cookies back in the oven to finish cooking for about 8 minutes more or until lightly golden brown