New School of Cooking - Pro Baking 1 - Class 8: Flat Breads, Brioche, and Focaccia

Sunday, February 14, 2010

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche

I'm taking the Pro Baking 1 series (taught by Chef Carol Cotner Thompson) at the New School of Cooking in Culver City (Los Angeles) this fall/winter. In Class 8, we continued with breads and doughs and made awesome crackers, pizza, focaccia, and started our Brioche dough.

I'm a little behind in posting...today, 2/14 is actually our last class. I'm bummed about it ending, I enjoyed it so much. She offers Pro Baking 2 but that won't be available until August 2010! Well, here is Class #8 of our 10 week class.

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
Making the Focaccia bread with sage. Yum!

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
We made a gigantic portion of focaccia! A full-sheet pan of bread!

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
Oh bread. I heart you.

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
I went home and made a spinach, roasted red pepper and egg sandwich on lightly toasted bread. Heaven! Then I cut up the rest, froze some and delivered the rest to friends! I can't have a sheet pan full of bread in the house!

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
We made amazing crackers. Amazing. You really need a pasta maker because you want to get them as thin as possible. You should see your hand under the sheet of dough.

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
After being spread out like an Ace bandage, olive oil and crushed red peppers are brushed on the crackers. Then, parm cheese and herbs are sprinkled on top. They bake up quickly.

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
These Spicy Country Crackers put the CRACK in crackers. Seriously. These are sooooo good.

I dropped some off at a friend's house and they said the expense of the class was worth it just for these crackers! :)

New School of Cooking - Class #8 - Flat Breads and Brioche
Chef Carol Cotner Thompson demonstrated making pizza dough and we each rolled one out. Oh, it was delicious. I need to get myself a pizza stone one of these days. Perhaps Santa will bring one around.

We also started our Brioche dough. Because you need 12-24 hours to make brioche, we started it in class, then the staff will move it from the freezer to the fridge on Saturday so we can make something yummy in Class #9. Stay tuned!

Recaps of the New School of Cooking, Pro Baking 1 course:
Baking Therapy: Going back to school
Class 1: Quick Breads
Class 2: Custards
Class 3: Soufflés & Pate a Choux
Class 4: Tarts, Pie, Crisps and Cobblers
Class 5: Chocolate
Class 6: White Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
Class 7: Artisan Breads
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18 comments:

2.46% said... [Reply to comment]

This is just amazing. I don't know what looks better: the focaccia, the crackers or that beautiful pizza. Are you going to buy a pasta maker?

I want to take this class, too!

Mary Bergfeld said... [Reply to comment]

I'm so glad you shared your class - and all the goodies you mastered - with us. It's really been fun. Have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

Dianna said... [Reply to comment]

Everything looks delicious and easy to make!

If you're looking for a pizza stone, you can substitute one with an unglazed quarry tile that can be purchased at Lowe's or any other hardware store. I used one when I was making pizza in my food's class and it turned out perfect. It's the same thing but for only about.. $1!

Deana Sidney said... [Reply to comment]

Love these crackers.. they remind me of my favorite papadams... genius using the pasta maker!

The Food Librarian said... [Reply to comment]

Dear Dianna,
Thank you soooo much for this pizza stone tip! I can't wait to head to Lowe's and save myself lots of dough! (hee hee) - mary the food librarian

Velva said... [Reply to comment]

What an awesome opoortunity!!! These breads/crackers look amazing. Oh, I wish we had cooking classes like this where I live. I would be forever enrolled. Thanks for sharing.

DailyChef said... [Reply to comment]

I love focaccia - must have been really fun to make that entire sheet!

Sook said... [Reply to comment]

Oh wow the breads look great! I love flat bread.

Kara's "Original Greek" said... [Reply to comment]

these breads look really yummy from my Greek position in life... drizzled with olive oil, or some salted butter, dipped in Tarama.... oh Yes!!

Treehouse Chef said... [Reply to comment]

Wow! That all look so delicious!

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

Those crackers are gorgeous Mary!! I was wondering how in the world you'd rolled them so thin and then I saw the pasta machine when I scrolled down and the mystery was solved :) I've got to get one of those!

Engineer Baker said... [Reply to comment]

Those look absolutely amazing - I'm jealous of all the goodies you've learned to make in this class!

Chef Aimee said... [Reply to comment]

The actual best part about making foccacia is that you can also use it as pizza dough if you wish...mmm!

Esi said... [Reply to comment]

I'm so glad you're doing these classes...so I can drool over pics of fresh bread. Just lovely

Linda said... [Reply to comment]

my hubs said the same thing about those crackers, and i've been making them regularly for him since this class. such a fun post...it takes me down memory lane reminding me how much fun these classes were!

Di said... [Reply to comment]

Everything looks amazing! I especially like the crackers. I'll have to remember the tip about using the pasta roller.

Lilly's Home Journal said... [Reply to comment]

Everything looks so wonderful!!! Could you share the recipe for the Spicy Country Crackers??? I would love to try them!
Love your blog!
Lilly

The Food Librarian said... [Reply to comment]

Lilly's Home, It is from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery (http://www.worldcat.org/title/nancy-silvertons-pastries-from-the-la-brea-bakery/oclc/43246095) page 89. Email me.

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