jimtrue.com : school : CUL115 : Week 9 - Decorative Dough

Posted by Jim True on March 22, 2010 3:48 PM. Last Updated March 22, 2010 3:48 PM

Disclaimer for all material noted here is at the bottom of this web page.

Week 9 - Decorative Dough

Decorative Dough

• Light Yeasted
• It only calls for .01 oz of instant yeast for 3# 12 oz of dough
• the small amount of yeast allows the dough to "puff up" slightly, giving the object some depth
• It's a great dough for braiding
• Dark Yeasted
• Is colored with cocoa powder, which is replacing 8% of the white flour from the yeasted decorative dough
• Add all ingredients and mix for 6 minutes on first speed, until all ingredients have been incorporated
• The dough should be quite stiff, but sufficiently hydrated to form a firm mass
• Mix on first speed for another 3 minutes
• When hydration is correct, mix on second speed for 5 minutes
• Goal: Strong developed gluten network
• 75ºF dough temperature
• Bench rest 15 minutes
• Keep well covered
• Relax dough at each step to roll easier
• Egg wash or sift rye flour on design before baking
• Bake at 360ºF for an hour, depending on size or decoration
• Cool on wire rack for at least 12 hours
• Decorative dough showpieces usually last 2-3 years
• When baking small decorative pieces that are attached to large pieces, the small pieces will bake quicker and may burn before the entire decorative dough is finished baking
• Tent the small pieces to prevent further browning
• Pate Morte
• French for "dead dough", because it is unyeasted
• A decorative medium that does not use any baker's yeast.
• this type of dough holds great detail
• it does not expand
1. the dough is made by mixing a sugar syrup, which is then cooled and added to sifted flour
2. Mix all ingredients until smooth (overmixing will cause the dough to bubble in the oven)
3. Dough should be firm/stiff to retain the shape of the design
4. Wrap in plastic
• FYI: White rye flour is used for pate morte, because of its low gluten content and fine particle size
• All purpose flour can be used in place of the light rye flour for a whiter looking decorative piece
• for less shrinkage, and to roll the dough out thinner, use AP and Cake flour
• For detailed decorative work, use the dough within 3 hours of mixing, so the dough doesn't dehydrate
• Bake at 350ºF until dry, use a lower temperature (250ºF) for thinner dough decorations.
• For a great shine, apply sugar syrup after baking
• Cooked sugar (to the hard crack stage) makes a great glue for already baked pieces of dough
• Espresso powder made into a paste can be applied to show pieces to make a very deep brown color
• Salt Dough
• cheapest of all modeling doughs
• consists of 3 parts AP flour 3 parts Salt to 2 parts water
• the high salt content enables the dough to become very hard in the oven and it also prevents it from going moldy
• fine table salt or cooking salt is ideal
• Bake at 240ºF for 12-48 hours or until completely dry (the decorative dough will release themselves from the tray)
• Cool slowly on pan to prevent cracking

Colors

• To give a slightly darker shade to a light colored dough that is a pate morte, the following items can be added to the sugar syrup
1. Caramel color, cocoa powder or coffee extract: shades of brown (deep rich tones)
2. Cinnamon: speckled shades of brown
3. Paprika: shades of burnt red
4. Chili powder: shades of reds and burnt orange
5. Tumeric: shades of yellow

Project List

Here is a project list that may help you when planning a decorative dough project - Tools:

• Scale
• dough cutter
• plastic sheets or wrap
• sharp paring knife
• cardboard template
• A long palette knife
• Refrigeration space
• Paint brushes
• Food colors - gel
• Scissors
• Damp towels
• utility knife
• Pizza cutter
• soft brush
• Parchment paper
• Egg wash
• Luster dust

Disclaimer: These are MY notes taken from classroom lectures while I'm in the classroom. While I'm perfectly happy to share my notes with my classmates and I know I take very good notes, you should still make every effort to attend the class and TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES. I will not transcribe everything the instructor says in the classroom, and I will NEVER post pre-exam reviews. My notes will not replace the value of actually attending class and taking your own class notes.I also cannot attest to their accuracy, other than they are what was provided in the lecture; you should not reference my notes as "expert opionion" by any means, and if you notice an error or omission, please do me the favor of e-mailing me with the correction and I will re-post my notes. End of Disclaimer.