Pastry Journal guide

Recipes

Choose a complete recipe, then open the ingredient, method and troubleshooting notes you need.

Start here

Key pages

Chocolate Sponge for Entremets: My Almond and Dark Chocolate Formula

My flourless chocolate sponge formula for layered entremets, with French meringue, almond flour, cocoa and dark chocolate, plus mixing, baking, cooling and troubleshooting.

Feuilletine: Homemade Flakes and Crisp-Layer Method

What to use instead of Feuilletine, how much to use, two professional crunch formulas, and how to keep the layer crisp after chilling and freezing.

Mango & Passion Fruit Gel for Entremets

A mango and passion fruit gel for frozen entremet inserts, based on a published Valrhona formula and explained with precise temperatures and ring assembly.

See the techniques in context

See it in a finished cake

Chocolate Tonka & Passion Fruit Cake — see how these techniques work together in the finished cake.

Cherry Chocolate Cake — see how these techniques work together in the finished cake.

Tiramisu Cake — see how these techniques work together in the finished cake.

Basque Cheesecake — see how these techniques work together in the finished cake.

Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Cake) — see how these techniques work together in the finished cake.

Browse the full topic

Find the page you need

Choose a group below, then start with the recipe, ingredient or problem closest to your question.

Cakes, tarts and plated desserts

Recipes you can follow from mixing through assembly and finishing.

Red Velvet Cake Without Food Coloring: My Naturally Mahogany Recipe

My Red Velvet cake without artificial red dye: natural cocoa, buttermilk, tender crumb, naturally mahogany colour, method and troubleshooting.

How I Measure Entremet Yield and Find Production Loss

A practical production record for comparing theoretical formula mass with usable yield, layer deposits, retained remainder and unexplained loss.

Why the Same Entremet Recipe Gives Different Results Between Batches

My practical method for finding why two entremets made from the same written recipe differ in texture, flavour, structure or finish—and how I correct the process without guessing.

Gum Arabic in Pastry: How I Use Acacia Gum

My practical guide to gum arabic (acacia gum, E414) in pastry: emulsions, coatings, confectionery, hydration, substitutions and common formulation mistakes.

Types of Pastries: My Guide to Doughs and Textures

I explain the main types of pastry, how each dough creates its texture, familiar examples, and how I choose the right pastry family for a finished dessert.

Guar Gum in Baking: How to Use It

A pastry chef’s guide to guar gum in baking: what it does, how it differs from xanthan gum, where it helps gluten-free formulas, and how to avoid gummy texture.

Baking Powder in Cakes: How It Works, How Much to Use and Common Mistakes

A pastry chef’s guide to baking powder in cakes: how it creates lift, how to calculate a sensible amount, why more is not better and when baking soda is different.

Inulin in Baking: What It Does in a Formula

Learn how inulin affects baking formulas, including water interaction, texture, sweetness and structure—and why dosage and process matter.

Classic Alcohol-Free Tiramisu Recipe

My classic alcohol-free tiramisu recipe uses mascarpone, pasteurized yolks, coffee-soaked savoiardi and cocoa—no Marsala, rum or coffee liqueur required.

How I Soak Savoiardi for Tiramisu

I explain how biscuit density, coffee strength, temperature, contact time and overnight moisture migration determine whether tiramisu layers become tender or soggy.

How Pan Size and Batter Depth Change Cheesecake Baking

I explain why cheesecake pan diameter, usable area, batter mass and depth must be controlled together, and how I scale a formula without relying on diameter alone.

How I Use a Water Bath for Smooth, Even Cheesecake

I explain what a cheesecake water bath actually controls, how I protect the tin from leaks, and when gentle humid baking is more useful than dry oven heat.

How I Judge a Biga Preferment: Ripeness, Strength and Timing

I explain how I mix, ferment and judge a stiff biga, recognise young or exhausted preferment, and use it without confusing time with readiness.

How I Judge a Ripe Levain: Peak Strength, Timing and Recovery

I explain how I build and judge a ripe levain, recognise young or exhausted fermentation, adjust feeding and temperature, and recover a sluggish starter.

Pâte à Foncer: The Tart Dough Built for Lining Cleanly

A professional guide to pâte à foncer: what the term means, why French pastry terminology varies, and how hydration, fat, resting and lining determine a clean, stable tart shell.

How I Blind Bake Tart Shells for Clean Sides and a Crisp Base

My professional method for blind baking tart shells: lining, resting, weights, docking, partial and full baking, moisture control, troubleshooting and storage.

Psyllium in Gluten-Free Baking: Structure, Water and Texture

How psyllium husk affects water binding, viscosity, structure and handling in gluten-free baking, and why dosage must be tested within the full formula.

My Chocolate Brownie Recipe — Dense and Fudgy

My tested chocolate brownie recipe, with the ratios, mixing and doneness controls I use for a dense fudgy centre and clean slices.

My Almond Biscotti Recipe with Apricots

Whole almonds, dried apricots and two bakes: my biscotti recipe, with guidance for slicing without crumbling and drying the biscuits evenly.

My Linzer Torte Recipe — Nut Pastry and Redcurrant

My tested Linzer Torte recipe with nut-spice pastry, redcurrant preserve and a lattice top, including the resting and baking controls I rely on.

My Pear Charlotte Recipe — Charlotte aux Poires

My tested pear Charlotte recipe with ladyfingers, pear bavarois and poached fruit, including the temperature and assembly controls I use.

My Savarin Recipe — A Syrup-Soaked Yeast Ring

My tested Savarin recipe with enriched yeast dough, citrus-rum syrup, Chantilly and fruit, plus the soaking controls I use for an even crumb.

My Christmas Stollen Recipe — Fruit, Almonds and Butter

My tested Christmas Stollen recipe with dried fruit, almonds and a butter-sugar finish, including how I mix and bake this heavily enriched dough.

My Apple Strudel Recipe — Hand-Stretched Dough

My tested apple strudel recipe with hand-stretched dough, tart apples and toasted crumbs, including how I control juice and keep the pastry crisp.

My Vanilla Kipferl Recipe — Austrian Crescent Biscuits

My tested Vanilla Kipferl recipe with a tender nut short dough, precise crescent shaping and a warm vanilla-sugar finish.

My Christmas Pudding Recipe — Steamed Fruit and Spice

My tested Christmas pudding recipe with dried fruit, spice and a long gentle steam, including safe cooling, storage and reheating.

My Sablé Breton Recipe — A Thick Breton Butter Biscuit

My tested Sablé Breton recipe with butter, egg yolks and baking powder, including how I keep the crumb sandy, tender and evenly baked.

Pâte Sucrée Recipe: My Professional Sweet Tart Dough

My professional pâte sucrée recipe for crisp, tender French tart shells, with mixing, resting, rolling, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Pâte à Choux Recipe: My Professional Choux Pastry

My professional pâte à choux recipe for éclairs, profiteroles and Paris-Brest, with panade drying, egg consistency, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Madeleine Recipe: My Classic French Madeleines with a Tender Crumb and Proper Hump

My classic lemon madeleine recipe with a 12-hour cold rest, tender buttery crumb, defined shell and proper hump, with mould, baking and troubleshooting explained.

How I Create the Madeleine Hump

I explain how cold batter, cavity fill, baking powder, mould shape and stable oven heat work together to form a madeleine hump without burning the cake.

Financier Recipe: My Almond, Hazelnut & Apricot French Financiers

My French financier recipe with almond, hazelnut, apricot fruit purée and clarified butter, with mixing, moulds, baking, troubleshooting, storage and beurre noisette explained.

How I Make Beurre Noisette for Financiers

I explain how I brown butter by sensory cues, stop the cooking, retain the toasted milk solids and weigh the finished beurre noisette correctly for financier formulas.

Laminated dough and enriched pastry

Croissants, puff pastry, brioche and the methods behind their layers.

Pain aux Raisins Recipe: My Laminated French Raisin Swirls

My classic pain aux raisins recipe with laminated croissant dough, vanilla pastry cream, raisins, proofing, baking and troubleshooting explained.

How I Prepare Raisins for Pain aux Raisins

I explain when I soak raisins, how I drain and surface-dry them, and why raisin moisture determines whether a laminated swirl stays tender or becomes soggy.

Brioche Feuilletée Recipe: My Rich Laminated Brioche

My brioche feuilletée recipe uses rich whole-egg brioche dough with separate tourage butter, three simple turns, cold proofing control, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Croissant Recipe: My Classic French Butter Croissants

My classic French croissant recipe in grams, with lamination, butter plasticity, turns, proofing, baking and troubleshooting explained.

How I Laminate Croissant Dough and Rest Between Turns

I explain lock-in, three simple turns, rolling pressure, thickness control and the two separate reasons I rest croissant dough between folds.

Pain au Chocolat Recipe: My Classic Chocolate Croissants

My pain au chocolat recipe using laminated croissant dough, with chocolate batons, sheeting, shaping, proofing, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Danish Pastry Recipe: My Professional Laminated Dough Base

My professional Danish pastry dough recipe in grams, with enriched yeast dough, butter lamination, turns, proofing, baking, fillings and troubleshooting explained.

Kouign-Amann Recipe: My Classic Breton Butter Pastry

My classic kouign-amann recipe in grams, with yeasted dough, butter lamination, sugar turns, proofing, caramelization and troubleshooting explained.

Inverse Puff Pastry Recipe: My Pâte Feuilletée Inversée

My inverse puff pastry recipe in grams, with beurre manié outside the dough, double turns, resting, sheeting, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Puff Pastry Recipe: My Professional Pâte Feuilletée

My professional puff pastry recipe in grams, with détrempe, butter lock-in, turns, resting, baking, freezing and troubleshooting explained.

Brioche Recipe: My Professional French Butter Bread

My professional brioche recipe in grams, with whole eggs, cold butter incorporation, dough temperature, overnight fermentation, proofing and troubleshooting explained.

Flaky Pastry: Where Shortcrust Technique Meets Lamination

I explain flaky pastry as a hybrid dough: how rubbed-in fat, layered fat, hydration, folds and baking create a tender pastry with irregular, distinct flakes rather than classic puff pastry's regular lift.

Mille-Feuille Recipe: Inverse Puff Pastry & Vanilla Cream

My professional French mille-feuille recipe with caramelized inverse puff pastry and vanilla crème pâtissière, including lamination, weighted baking, assembly and troubleshooting.

Tarte Tatin Recipe: My Classic French Caramelised Apple Tart

My classic Tarte Tatin with firm apples, deep caramel and crisp all-butter puff pastry, with apple choice, inversion and troubleshooting explained.

Galette des Rois Recipe: My French Puff-Pastry Galette with True Frangipane

My Galette des Rois with inverse puff pastry and true frangipane, with almond cream vs frangipane, sealing, scoring, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Bread and fermented dough

Lean, enriched and naturally fermented breads, with the fermentation controls that matter.

Ciabatta Recipe: My Biga Bread at 76% Hydration

My professional ciabatta recipe with biga, 76% hydration, folds, gentle shaping, proofing, steam baking and open-crumb troubleshooting explained.

How I Use Olive Oil in Bread Dough: Mixing, Crumb and Crust

I explain when I add olive oil to bread dough, how it changes gluten, crumb, crust and keeping quality, and how I control quantity, flavour and substitutions.

Sourdough Bread Recipe: My Country Loaf at 75% Hydration

My country sourdough bread recipe at 75% hydration, with active levain, dough temperature, bulk fermentation, folds, overnight proofing, Dutch-oven baking and troubleshooting.

Baguette Recipe: My Long-Fermentation French Bread

My French baguette recipe in grams, with poolish, 70% hydration, shaping, scoring, steam, baking and troubleshooting explained.

Focaccia Recipe: My Olive & Sourdough Focaccia

My olive focaccia recipe with liquid wheat sourdough starter, fresh yeast, olive oil, folds, proofing, high-heat baking and troubleshooting explained.

White Sandwich Bread Recipe: My Pain de Mie-Style Loaf

My white sandwich bread recipe with milk, cream, egg, butter, overnight cold fermentation, fine crumb, open-top baking and a Pullman pain de mie variation.

Challah Recipe: My Braided Egg Bread Method

My professional challah recipe with eggs, oil, controlled fermentation, even braiding, proofing cues, egg wash and a soft, fine crumb.

Rye Bread Recipe: My Sourdough Rye Method

My rye-dominant sourdough bread recipe with 66% rye flour, an overnight rye sour, controlled fermentation, steam baking and a moist, clean-slicing crumb.

Whole-Wheat Bread Recipe: My Soft 100% Whole-Wheat Loaf

My 100% whole-wheat sandwich bread recipe with a short hydration rest, honey and olive oil for a soft, wheat-forward loaf that slices cleanly.

My Scottish Shortbread Recipe — The 1:2:3 Butter Biscuit

My tested Scottish shortbread recipe using the classical 1:2:3 sugar, butter and flour ratio, with the mixing and baking controls I use for a short crumb.

Fructose in Baking: Sweetness, Browning and How to Use It

I explain how fructose behaves in baking, how it differs from sucrose and dextrose, and what changes when I use crystalline fructose in cakes, breads and pastry formulas.

Creams, fillings and components

Creams, fillings and inserts you can use in layered pastry and entremets.

How I Make Cake Sponge with Less Sugar — Vanilla and Chocolate

My reduced-sugar vanilla and chocolate sponge development formulas, and the pastry science behind keeping real sponge texture when sucrose is reduced.

Fruit Purées in Pastry: Brix, Acidity and Texture

How I specify and use professional fruit purées in pastry: °Brix, pH, titratable acidity, fibre, consistency, freezing, gelation and recipe substitutions.

How to Scale an Entremet to Different Ring Sizes Without Changing Its Balance

The formulas I use to resize an entremet while keeping its layer thickness, mousse border and flavour balance—and the parts that must be tested rather than multiplied.

Milk Chocolate Crémeux for Entremets: Reference Formula

A milk-chocolate crémeux for frozen entremet inserts, based on a published Valrhona formula and explained with precise temperatures, assembly guidance and troubleshooting.

Kappa Carrageenan in Pastry: How to Choose and Test It

A practical guide to choosing kappa carrageenan for a firm gel, testing it in the actual formula, and avoiding brittle or watery results.

Fruit Confit Recipe: Raspberry and Pectin NH

Fruit confit is a soft fruit layer for cakes, tarts and entremets. My raspberry recipe uses Pectin NH for a juicy set, with advice on texture and freezing.

Almond Cream and Frangipane: My Formula and the Difference That Matters

My almond cream recipe and true frangipane variation, with the classical 2:1 relationship, mixing technique, troubleshooting, uses, storage and baking guidance.

Basque Cheesecake: My San Sebastián-Style Recipe with a Burnt Top and Creamy Centre

My Basque cheesecake recipe uses the classic San Sebastián structure: a deeply caramelised crustless top, soft custardy centre, precise doneness cues and practical troubleshooting.

Carrot Cake Recipe: My Moist Spiced Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My carrot cake recipe uses finely grated carrots, neutral oil, brown sugar and warm spices for a moist, tender crumb, finished with a balanced cream cheese frosting.

Crème Brûlée Recipe: My Smooth Vanilla Custard with a Thin Caramel Crust

My crème brûlée recipe uses cream, egg yolks, vanilla and gentle bain-marie baking for a silky custard finished with a very thin, brittle caramelized sugar crust.

Classic Cheesecake Recipe: My Smooth Baked Cheesecake with a Graham Crust

My classic baked cheesecake recipe uses full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, a graham-style crust, gentle water-bath baking and precise doneness cues for a smooth creamy slice.

Crème Anglaise Recipe: My Classic Vanilla Custard Sauce

My classic crème anglaise recipe: a silky vanilla custard sauce made with milk, yolks and sugar, cooked gently to 82–84°C / 180–183°F and judged by the nappe test.

Crème Diplomate Recipe: My Light, Stable Pastry Cream

My professional crème diplomate recipe with pastry cream, softly whipped cream and gelatin, with ratios, folding method, troubleshooting and pastry uses.

Chantilly Cream: The Simple Formula and the Details That Make It Work

My classic Chantilly cream recipe with 35% cream, light sugar and vanilla, plus the whipping technique, peak stages, troubleshooting and stabilization choices that matter.

My Kugelhopf Recipe — Raisins, Almonds and Enriched Dough

My tested Kugelhopf recipe with butter, eggs, raisins and almonds, plus the mixing, proofing and baking controls I use for a light enriched crumb.

My Baba au Rhum Recipe — Rum Syrup and Chantilly Cream

My tested Baba au Rhum recipe with enriched yeast dough, controlled proofing, even syrup absorption, rum and softly whipped cream.

My Dacquoise Recipe — Almond Meringue Sponge

My tested almond dacquoise recipe, with the French-meringue method, piping, baking and texture controls I use for tender, stable layers.

My Fraisier Recipe — Strawberries and Crème Mousseline

My tested Fraisier recipe with sponge, kirsch syrup, crème mousseline and fresh strawberries, including the assembly controls I use for a clean finish.

My Gâteau Basque Recipe — Butter Pastry and Vanilla Cream

My tested Gâteau Basque recipe with butter pastry and vanilla pastry cream, plus the sealing and baking controls I use for an even result.

My Génoise Sponge Recipe — Whole-Egg Foam Method

My tested génoise sponge recipe, with staged whole-egg whipping, careful flour folding and a butter liaison for a fine, light crumb.

My French Moka Cake Recipe — Génoise and Coffee Buttercream

My tested French Moka cake recipe with syruped génoise, coffee buttercream and toasted almonds, built in thin balanced layers.

My Mont Blanc Recipe — Chestnut, Meringue and Chantilly

My tested Mont Blanc recipe with dry meringue, Chantilly and smooth chestnut cream piped in fine strands.

My Opéra Cake Recipe — Joconde, Coffee and Chocolate

My tested Opéra cake recipe with thin joconde, coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, dark chocolate ganache and a smooth glaze.

My Saint-Honoré Recipe — Choux, Caramel and Chiboust

My tested Saint-Honoré recipe with pastry, choux, caramel and crème Chiboust, including the baking and assembly sequence I use.

My Vacherin Glacé Recipe — Meringue, Ice Cream and Chantilly

My tested Vacherin Glacé recipe with dry meringue, ice cream, sorbet and Chantilly, assembled to preserve clean layers and crisp contrast.

My Crème Caramel Recipe — Silky Custard and Caramel

My tested crème caramel recipe with amber caramel and a silky vanilla custard, gently baked in a water bath for clean unmoulding.

My British Scones Recipe — Tender Cream-Tea Scones

My tested British scones recipe with cold butter, minimal mixing and a hot bake for a tender cream-tea crumb.

My Chocolate Mirror Glaze Recipe — and How I Keep It Smooth

My chocolate mirror glaze formula, method and practical troubleshooting for bubbles, heavy coverage, poor flow, condensation and a dull finish.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe: Ratio, Emulsion and Texture

My professional dark chocolate ganache recipe, with a reliable 1:1 formula by weight, progressive emulsification, texture control and troubleshooting.

French Éclair Recipe: Chocolate Éclairs with Pastry Cream

My French éclair recipe for crisp pâte à choux filled with chocolate pastry cream and finished with a thin dark-chocolate glaze, with practical troubleshooting.

Classic Profiteroles Recipe: Choux, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

My classic French profiteroles recipe with crisp pâte à choux, vanilla ice cream and warm dark-chocolate sauce, including piping, baking, make-ahead and troubleshooting guidance.

Paris-Brest Recipe: Choux Ring with Praline Mousseline

My professional Paris-Brest recipe with almond-topped choux pastry, praline mousseline and pastry cream, with precise piping, baking and troubleshooting guidance.

French Fruit Tart Recipe: My Classic Tart with Pastry Cream and Fresh Fruit

My classic French fruit tart with crisp pâte sucrée, vanilla crème pâtissière, fresh fruit, optional glaze, make-ahead guidance and troubleshooting.

Lemon Tart Recipe: My Classic French Tart with Lemon Cream

My French lemon tart with crisp pâte sucrée and smooth lemon cream, with exact temperatures, make-ahead guidance and troubleshooting.

Crème Pâtissière: My Professional Pastry Cream Recipe

My professional crème pâtissière recipe in grams, with the cooking method, starch science, troubleshooting, storage, and adaptations for tarts, choux and mille-feuille.

Meringue and confectionery

Meringues, sugar work and small pastry components.