Cooking & Baking

French Pastry Fundamentals

Meets Saturdays · 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM · on Zoom Fall 2026 · registration open Free to audit

This class runs in the Fall 2026 session. Registration is open now; lessons, materials, and the class discussion board are posted before it begins.

Okay so this class is for cooks who already bake a little and want to tackle the harder stuff. Over six Saturdays we'll laminate dough for croissants and make a batch of pastry cream you can use to fill tarts. It's hands-on. I demo a step, then everybody does it while I come around and press my thumb into your dough to check the temperature.

Here's the thing: butter temperature is most of the battle, and resting time matters more than fancy folds. We'll work on both.

You'll leave able to actually laminate a real croissant and make a smooth pastry cream that doesn't break. Expect some failing early. No worries at all, that's the point.

What you'll learn

Weigh ingredients accurately using a kitchen scale
Mix and rest laminated dough without overworking it
Make an even butter block and lock it in
Roll and fold dough to build real layers
Diagnose torn or greasy dough and fix it next time

Lessons

Before You Touch the Dough
Getting your tools, your scale, and your kitchen temperature sorted before we start ruining butter.
The Base Dough (Détrempe)
Mixing and resting the dough that everything else gets built on.
Butter Is 90% of This
Making a butter block and matching its firmness to your dough, which is the whole game.
Lamination and Folds
Locking in the butter and doing the turns without leaking or tearing.
Shaping, Proofing, and Baking Croissants
Cutting and rolling your croissants, proofing them right, and baking them off before they dry out.
Pastry Cream and Filled Tarts
Making a smooth pastry cream that doesn't break, plus a simple tart shell to put it in.

Class discussion

The class discussion board opens when the class begins this fall. Auditors and enrolled students ask questions and share work here once the session starts.