Hoping I won't get in trouble for a post more about what I'm planning to bake, but I am seeking a bit of advice. Next week Thursday we are having a breakfast at work and before I realized what I was doing I offered to make Danish pastries.
For 50 people.
To be served at 9 am.
It's not the dough that troubles me; I've made it a few times before, each time successfully. I'm perfectly comfortable with laminated doughs and usually, the more complicated the project the happier I am. I'm mostly worried about timing, as I will be busy Monday and Tuesday after work, and am having dinner guests on Wednesday (informal, and planning to order in, but my attention will be divided.) Can any of you with more experience in production baking take a look at my plan and let me know if it looks reasonable?
Sunday - make the dough, form the pastries (thinking diamonds, rounds and bearclaws), freeze them unfilled - but wondering if it would be smarter to fill the bearclaws before freezing
Tuesday night - move them from freezer to fridge on sheet pans
Wednesday after work - fill, bake, cool
Wednesday before bed - pack in large cake boxes (half sheet) - debating whether it would be necessary to overwrap in plastic or whether they would keep just in the box
Thursday - take pastries, icings and almond flakes to work, ice/decorate and serve
Key questions are:
- do I need to up the yeast in the recipe at all? Planning to use this recipe from joepastry.com unless I can unearth my copy of Bo Friberg's Professional Pastry Chef from my baking and pastry certificate program 20 years ago. I am concerned that a stint in the freezer will retard the yeast even more than it will be stunted in an enriched dough.
- should I proof the shaped pieces before freezing or after?
Thank you to anyone with the knowhow and patience to answer - I promise I'll post the results before they get eaten!
