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.
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Feuilletine: Homemade Flakes and Crisp-Layer Method
My professional guide to feuilletine: an oven-made crêpes dentelles formula, thin spreading, caramelised baking, storage and crisp entremet layers.
Mango & Passion Fruit Gel for Entremets
A professionally sourced mango and passion fruit gel for frozen entremet inserts, with Pectin NH, gelatin, precise temperatures and ring assembly.
Applied pastry knowledge
See it in a finished cake
Chocolate Tonka & Passion Fruit Cake — follow its seven components from finished cake to formula, ingredient, method and troubleshooting.
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Milk Powder in Baking: What It Does and When to Use It
Learn what milk powder does in cakes, breads and pastry: how it affects flavor, browning, texture and formulation, and when a pastry chef chooses to use it.
Tempered Dark Chocolate Decoration: Reference Formula & Method
A source-backed reference method for thin dark-chocolate decorations, with product-specific temperature limits, temper checks, shaping, storage and entremet placement.
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 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.
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.
Sugar in Pastry: Function Beyond Sweetness
I explain how sucrose controls egg foams, tenderness, moisture, browning, caramel, freezing and texture—and why reducing sugar changes the whole formula.
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.
Citric Acid in Baking and Pastry: Flavor, pH and Gelation
Learn how citric acid is used in pastry to adjust acidity, sharpen fruit flavor and support certain gels, and why pH control matters in professional formulations.
Potato Starch in Baking: Uses and Texture
Learn how potato starch behaves in cakes and pastry, how it differs from cereal starches, and when it can improve tenderness, structure or gluten-free formulations.
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.
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.
Italian Meringue: My Reliable Formula and the Syrup Temperature That Matters
My Italian meringue recipe with 121°C / 250°F syrup, precise whipping and pouring technique, troubleshooting, uses, storage guidance and the difference from French and Swiss meringue.
Swiss Meringue: My 2:1 Formula, Bain-Marie Temperature and Drying Method
My Swiss meringue recipe with a 2:1 sugar-to-whites ratio, 55°C / 131°F bain-marie method, low-temperature drying, troubleshooting, uses and safety guidance.
French Meringue: My House Formula, Sugar Ratio and Low-Temperature Drying
My French meringue recipe with a 245 g egg-white house formula, a classical 2:1 sugar structure, gentle icing-sugar incorporation, low-temperature drying and practical troubleshooting.
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.
Pavlova Recipe: My Crisp-Shelled Meringue with a Marshmallow Centre
My Pavlova recipe uses a classic 2:1 sugar-to-egg-white ratio, a little cornstarch and acid, and a controlled low bake for a crisp shell with a soft marshmallow centre.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Croissant Recipe: My Classic French Butter Croissants
My classic French croissant recipe in grams, with lamination, butter plasticity, turns, proofing, baking and troubleshooting explained.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Caramel Recipe: My Vanilla Caramel Filling and the Technique Behind It
My professional vanilla caramel filling recipe with dry-caramel technique, a 108°C / 226°F finish, troubleshooting, and clear differences between sauce, filling and candy.
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.
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
Tanya Novak explains 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
French Macaron Recipe: My Italian-Meringue Method for Smooth Shells and Clean Feet
My French macaron recipe using Italian meringue, with macaronage, syrup temperature, drying, baking, troubleshooting, maturation and storage 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.
Canelé Recipe: My Classic Bordeaux-Style Method for a Dark Crust and Custardy Centre
My classic canelé recipe with vanilla and rum, an overnight-rested batter, mould guidance and the method for a deeply caramelized crust with a soft custardy centre.
Soy Lecithin in Pastry: Emulsification, Texture and How to Use It
I explain what soy lecithin does in cakes, chocolate, creams and doughs, how powder and liquid forms differ, and when lecithin genuinely improves a pastry formula.
Trehalose in Pastry: Sweetness, Texture and How to Use It
I explain what trehalose is, how it differs from sucrose, why pastry chefs use it, and how I think about sweetness, texture, browning and substitution in professional formulas.
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.