Recipes: 670 results
Crème brulée
(Found inTextsStages)Crème brûlée (burned cream) is quite easy to prepare: it's a simple egg-cream dessert. The only difficulty is in making the delicious crunchy caramel layer on top. The perfect crème brulée (for me) is a cold and soft cream, with on top a nice hot caramel crust. This is a completely new version...
December 31th 20111.66 M 74.3 4 hours 40 min.
Baked apples from St Aubin le Vertueux
(Found inTextsStages)Under this pretty name, my personal version of "Les pommes au four" (baked apples).
February 21th 2011247 K 24.2 1 hour 7 min.
Almond cream or frangipane
(Found inTextsStages)Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette).
January 23th 2022454 K 25 45 min.
Chocolate sauce
(Found inTexts)This rich smooth chocolate sauce, with its full flavour, is one of the indispensable ingredients of profiteroles, but it can be used with many others desserts.
February 21th 2011304 K 24 35 min.
How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub)
(Found inTexts)A sabayon is a delicious and delicate preparation based on egg yolks and sugar, with a liquid added (wine, alcohol, fruit juice, etc), which is then whipped in a bain-marie until it is both light and smooth. Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is...
November 12th 2017932 K 54 20 min.
Potato gratin
(Found inTextsStages)This classic French recipe is made with sliced potatoes baked in milk and browned on top.
February 21th 20111.10 M 14.6 1 hour 50 min.
Montbenoit's canapés
(Found inTextsStages)A recipe from Franche-comté (lovely region of eastern France): large slices of bread coated with melted shallot, grilled bacon dice, a big slice of Morbier (cheese from the same region) and a brief spell in the oven. It really is a winter dish.
October 13th 2010274 K4.6 1 hour 45 min.
Foie gras cured in salt
(Found inTexts)This a quite different preparation from the terrine of foie gras, this time it does not go in the oven, the liver is salted for 48 hours and it "cooks" (or cures) in this way.
December 23th 2017562 K5 2 days 16 hours 30 min.
Tomato tart
(Found inTextsStages)This tart is very easy and quick to prepare.
January 13th 2011277 K4.8 1 hour 20 min.
Fougasse with bacon and Comté
(Found inTextsStages)This is a richer version of the traditional Mediterranean recipe (originaly, it was a simple olive oil bread).
October 24th 2017335 K4.1 3 hours 9 min.
Ramekins of duchess potatoes
(Found inTextsStages)Duchess potatoes are a mix of mashed potato and egg yolks, cooked in the oven, in a decorative shape and delicious. In this recipe they top a ramekin containing a layer of mashed potato, cooked leek, and thinly sliced bacon.
March 4th 2020295 K 24.6 2 hours 5 min.
Leavened bread
(Found inTextsStages)It might be harder to achieve good results than with traditional yeast bread, but what a flavour! It also keeps better. This recipe is designed for baking bread in a wood-fired oven but, of course, you can use the conventional oven in your kitchen.
May 23th 20171.20 M 23.8 6 hours 30 min.
Pitta bread
(Found inTextsStages)This Lebanese speciality is made as a flat round pocket, which can be filled with all manner of things.
January 8th 2025520 K 14.5 2 hours 50 min.
Pizza dough
(Found inTexts)Pizza dough is a lind of bread dough with olive oil, which make it softer. This is the same dough that I use for pizzas and flammenkuches, this is no doubt incorrect, but it's very good nevertheless. At home we used to make pizza dough quite thick, and flammenkuche as thin as possible.
September 22th 2024504 K4.6 1 hour 60 min.
Salmon "en papillote" with small vegetables
(Found inTextsStages)A fresh salmon escalope just salt and pepper with small dices of small vegetables.
June 22th 2011243 K 15 1 hour 30 min.
How to butter a dish or a mould easily
(Found inTexts)Often when making gratins, crumbles or other oven-cooked dishes, you will need to butter the dish or mould. To butter (or grease) means to rub inside the mould with a knob of butter to prevent the mixture sticking too much. Instead of putting a knob of butter in the dish and wiping with paper, here...
February 21th 2011143 K4.1 1 min.
Almond tuiles
(Found inTextsStages)These delicious little biscuits ("tiles" in French) get their crunch and lightness from the use of flaked almonds rather than ground. It is not difficult to succeed, you just need to work fast after taking them out of the oven.
August 21th 2019380 K4 1 hour 20 min.
How to dust
(Found inTexts)"Dusting" in cooking is sprinkling a very fine layer of something in powder form. Icing sugar or cocoa powder on cakes for example. As this is not very easy to do evenly, here is a way to do it.
October 13th 2010149 K5 2 min.
Hotpot my grandmother's way
(Found inTextsStages)If you like slow-cooked dishes prepared with loving care (mitonné), you will certainly love this hotpot recipe, with the taste of Franche-Comté, inspired by my grandmother. It's an old-fashioned dish full of flavours and aromas, cooked vegetables, stock, smoked sausages, all cooked long and slow.
February 21th 2011338 K5 4 hours 7 min.
Pages: 18 results
Bread oven
Building a bread oven was until a few years ago a job for the professionals. But now you can buy a kind of kit which allows you to build your own bred oven without professional masonry know-how. You should know that the kits only provide the main part of oven, the hearth, where you light the fire...October 15th 20241.17 M3.6
The oven itself (hearth)
The main part of the oven (the hearth) as sold by the producer ("Fayol" company) consists of 9 slabs (to form the sole) and the curved sections which make up the domed oven, plus a keystone which fits in the top.August 30th 2024125 K3.8
Oven housing
Once the domed oven is finished and dry, we can start to construct the housing around it.August 30th 2024115 K3.9
Advice on heating oven
For good results with a wood-fired oven, it's very important to manage the heating process well. Here is some advice to help you succeed in this delicate operation.August 24th 2024178 K4.0
Roof
Once oven housing is built, it needs protecting from the elements with a roof.August 30th 202480 K3.9
Finishing touches
Is an oven really ever finished? Well there are always ideas for improvements. Here are af few...August 30th 202472 K4.4
Open fire cooking
In this method the fire is kept going in the oven, and we put in dishes that cook in a minute or two. It is, of course, the method for pizzas, pitta bread, etc...August 24th 202491 K3.9
Closed fire cooking
For this method, the oven is emptied of embers, cleaned, and door closed until it drops to the cooking temperature of 250°C or 482°F. It's the method used for breads, pies and tarts, cakes, etc.August 24th 202452 K4.4
The steam machine
Fogging is an essential element in a bread oven. It's not easy to see, but it's the presence of fog that makes breads golden brown. To get steam on a regular basis, you can put a ramekin full of water in the bottom of the oven, or spray the inside with a sprayer, but this solution requires you to...August 24th 202459 K4
Films and papers in the kitchen
It's now fairly easy to find a range of papers and plastic films that are invaluable, and sometimes indispensable, kitchen aids. Here's a quick overview of the main products available, and what you can and can't do with them.August 29th 2023576 K 93.6
Making your own bread
You'll find a whole range of bread and pastry recipes on this site, but before you get started, perhaps you'd like to know more about the subject, get some tips and tricks, and find out what the main mistakes beginners make? If so, this page is for you.August 22th 2024566 K 63.9
Some hints for a pizza-party
A pizza party is always a very pleasant and convivial occasion. Good people (friends and family) get together to enjoy delicious pizzas, baked right in the oven. Here are a few tips to help you make yours a success.August 30th 2024188 K3.7
My best addresses...
Quite a few of you often ask me where I can find this or that? or is such and such a thing a good buy? or which brand is best for this or that? On this page, I'm going to group together my good addresses for suppliers of this or that product or utensil, and good books on the subjects that interest...August 29th 2023302 K3.9
Foundations
A bread oven is very heavy (over a ton), so you should start by preparing a solid base on which it can be built.August 24th 2024119 K4.1
The name of the elements
The names of the elements in Mendeleyev's table are generally derived from Latin, Greek or German, and refer to properties such as color, brilliance or geographical origin. Here's the origin of each element's name.August 24th 202474 K3.6
The amateur baker
You may have noticed over the pages of this site, I am passionate about everything that is related to the bakery: I love making bread, pastries, maintain my leaven, etc.. This page contains links to all the different parts of the site where we talk about bread: recipes, special pages, etc.October 15th 2024172 K 44.1
Flours
At the most basic level, wheat grain is put through a mill, which produces a white-ish powder flour... Well, actually it's not quite that simple. First of all we need to distinguish between the different grains that can be made into flour: wheat of course, but also rye, barley, buckwheat, etc. So we...June 3rd 2024730 K 413.6
Blog articles: 42 results
Should I believe my oven?
Can you really trust your oven? This is an important question as we are always tempted to take the temperature indicated as gospel truth and, unfortunately, this is rarely very precise. .July 4th 201129 K4.6
Kitchen ovens
You certainly have one in your kitchen, an oven, the essential tool for all kinds of cooking, whether in the kitchen of course, but also in pastry, bakery, pizza, and many others. Here is some information on its structure and operation.May 16th 202027 K4.4
Your oven in "proofer" mode
In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...September 27th 20245,0565
Properly cooked! (the taste)
Going out to a restaurant is getting harder at the moment. In France, at least, you have to try and find one that has agreed to pass on the new lower rate of VAT at anything other than a symbolic level, and there aren't many. And then, most importantly, you have to find a good one: one where you...February 6th 201115 K 14.6
Maillard reactions
This subject cropped up recently in a discussion with my three charming nieces; do you know what Maillard reactions are? With a name like that, they could well be some principle in mechanics, but in fact the term applies to something much closer to all of us: it's what gives food more flavour...January 28th 201533 K4
In praise of slow cooking
You will no doubt have noticed that in cookery, it's often the actual cooking process that gets neglected. This is understandable; it comes at the end of the recipe and getting the dish in the oven is something of a relief (ah, that's done!), which frees us to cope with what's left: tidying the...February 9th 201138 K4.2
Devising a recipe
A question I'm often asked is: how do you come up with your recipes? How do you perfect them? This is something I've already mentioned on this page, but I'll take this opportunity to go into a bit more detail.October 15th 201214 K4.4
The ideal restaurant
Like all passionate cooks (I suppose), from time to time I dream of opening my own restaurant. I imagine loads of things: it will be like this or like that, we'll do this, I'll cook that, the room will have this or that – in short, I dream.October 15th 201213 K4.4
The different cooking modes
In cooking, cooking means bringing food into contact with a source of heat, to transform it: improving its taste, and sometimes its texture. This contact with the heat source can be achieved in a number of ways: these are the cooking methods, and let's take a look at the main ones.July 24th 20244,9174.7
Making the most of seeds: Dry roasting
In cooking, and particularly in baking, there are a lot of seeds we can use, such as linseed, sesame, poppy, etc. Usually, recipes simply say to add them just as they are to the mixture or dough. To make a seeded loaf, for example, prepare a plain bread dough as usual, then, towards the end of...January 30th 201557 K4.0
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021139 K4.5
5 really useful cooking tips
Cooking is about recipes, of course, but it is also an impressive collection of small gestures, ways of doing things, knowing what to do and what not to do. All these little tips and tricks can be very important: they can affect the way a recipe turns out, simply because you did just the right...March 29th 201620 K4.9
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .February 7th 2017125 K 14.1
What can I use for blind baking a pastry case?
When it comes to home-made desserts, tarts are always popular. They can be divided into two basic types: those cooked with their filling, such as an apricot and almond cream tart, and those where the filling is added after baking the pastry case, such as a strawberry tart or chocolate tart. For...May 2nd 2017107 K4.5
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.June 21th 201759 K 24.2
The Holy Grail of French bakers
While browsing through the recipes on this site, you may have noticed that while I adore cooking (everything, in fact, to do with eating and drinking), I am particularly drawn to bakery: bread, viennoiseries and all that goes with them – it’s a real passion of mine; I love making them and I...March 24th 201815 K 34.7
The mock CAP baker's certificate exam
The next instalment in my life as an apprentice baker at the French INBP professional school. I’m now halfway through training and it’s still as exciting as ever, and exhausting – but maybe I’m just getting old, or both… Anyway, a few days ago we had to go through the mock CAP exam. A sort...May 1st 201817 K4.4
Should a sausage be pricked before cooking?
If you are using sausages in a recipe, you may have already asked yourself the question: Should you prick it before cooking it, or not? You will certainly find as many opinions "you should prick" as "you should not". Let's try to untangle all this.September 29th 201844 K4.1
For well opened (puffed) cakes
It's always nice to have a well puffed up cake after baking, not only will it taste good but it looks great too. Let's see how to get this beautiful shape almost every time.January 23th 201929 K4.2
The first breads of humanity?
I have already told you in a previous article the beautiful story of the croissants, but do you know what it is about the bread, who "invented" it, where and when? Well, you can imagine that recent discoveries, in 2018, have profoundly changed the history of bread.February 16th 201910 K5
Lexicon: 4 results
Dry roasting
(Found inTexts)Dry roasting (torréfication in French), usually seeds (sesame, linseed,...) or nuts (almonds, walnuts, ...), means to heat without water or fat, in the oven or a heavy pan, to drive off all water they contain.It make seeds crunchier, very pleasant in the mouth, with an improved flavour.
862 K 1
To bake blind
(Found inTexts)To bake pastry "blind" means to cook it on its own or as an empty tart case, when it will be assembled with or have a filling that will not go in the oven. .
862 K 2
Utensil: 13 results
Cake and pastry moulds
(Found inTexts)For cooking all your cakes. Available in various shapes and sizes for tarts, cakes, madeleines, financiers, etc.
862 K
Electronic thermometer
(Found inTexts)When cooking it is frequently necessary to know the temperature of a preparation. Sometimes it's indispensable, like for recipes using cooked sugar or foie gras.
862 K
Bannetons (bread rising baskets)
(Found inTexts)Once dough is kneaded and worked, it needs to be left to rise in a warm place before baking. Turning the risen uncooked dough onto the peel for transfering to the oven can be a tricky moment, especially if the dough has stuck to the container. To avoid this, bread is traditionally left for its final...
862 K
Bread dough at the right temperature
(Found inTexts)For the dough to rise properly, it needs to be at a temperature of around 25°C, sheltered from draughts. To achieve this, bakers have what they call a "rising chamber", a small closed room at the right temperature. At home, it's hard to afford this luxury, but you can cobble together something...
862 K
Rake
(Found inTexts)This is a kind of metal scraper, used to move or remove embers and ash from the oven, especially just before closed fire cooking.It's also useful for tending the fire, rearranging the woo, the embers....Apparently in days gone by such rakes were often made of wood so as not to damage the fragile...
862 K 2
Oven brush
(Found inTexts)Once the embers have been removed from the oven, the ashes missed by the rake need to be swept out, and for that you will need an oven brush.
862 K
Bread crate
(Found inTexts)This is a large wooden crate for airing loaves after they come out of the oven, and where they cool more easily than on a table (air can pass all round the loaves).Mine is 90 x 45 cm (35 x 16") with a handle to hang it for storage.
862 K
Steam machine
(Found inTexts)It's essential to have a lot of steam in the oven during baking to get lovely golden crusty loaves.Bakers have a special steam control on their ovens which injects water at the start of baking. With a wood-fired bread oven a simpler system is needed.I've try several systems and ideas, here is the...
862 K
Baking sheet
(Found inTexts)This is a metal sheet or tray, covered with a non-stick coating, similar to the lining of an oven. It can be used for cooking a wide range of things, but mainly small items to be cooked together such as rock cakes or profiteroles. .
862 K
Silcon baking mat
(Found inTexts)Sometimes using a nonstick baking sheet is not enough when cooking items that stick well, such as macarons or coconut tuiles for example. In this case it's possible to line the sheet with cooking parchment,but one can also use a silicone baking mat which is a flexible sheet with a silicone coating,...
862 K
Ingredient, product: 3 results
apricot glaze
(Found inTexts)Apricot glaze is an apricot jelly (strained jam), used to coat tarts, to protect them from the air and give them a glossy appearance.
862 K
baking powder
(Found inTexts)Baking powder (also called "Alsatian yeast" or "chemical yeast" in France) is a chemical raising agent, mainly bicarbonate of soda (or sodium bicarbonate), which acts with heat to make cakes rise.It is used in most cakes, like for example chestnut cake, added to the mixture, and put in the oven...
862 K
herbes de Provence
(Found inTexts)The "Herbes de Provence" (Provençal herbs) preparation, as used in France, is a mix of dried herbs, crumbled fairly small. This mix is used for the typically "Mediterranean" flavour it brings. It is usually a combination (quite variable) of rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, marjoram, summer savory,...
862 K