This week I moved to Portes Valence and here I will pass two weeks. Again I had to wake up at 5 am but this time taking two buses. Stopped at Pole bus and then took bus 9 or 10 and left at the stop Dormoy. This bakery differs in that they produce all products: bread, pastries, buns and so on. Here I passed two weeks. This time I arrived approximately at 8:00 the earliest as I could. Clients already were buying products, but not so many were staying to eat at place.
Again I was given apron and towel. Was very professional looking. So the bakery is divided in three big rooms. First client room where products are to clients to see and tables with chairs, second-pastry room and also where sandwiches and hot meals are made, next to it is also doors for storage room and big refrigerator. Third room is meant for baking bread and buns. Unfortunately they start baking and preparing dough at midnight and I dont have such possibility to be there at this time as the buses are not coming and I dont have a car. So I didn't have a chance to see most important processes.
But the staff members showed me a lot of new things like rolling pain au chocolat and croissants. Also how to make a perfectly rolled ball of dough for brioche aux pralines. The techniques are very specific and the way bakers did it in front of my eyes with such speed, I couldn't keep up. While I was rolling one croissant, they already finished rolling five.
In here my duties included:
rolling pain au chocolat and croissants
rolling brioches and brioches with pralines (they have different technique)
rolling mini brioches
rolling buns
cracking eggs
putting egg liquid on top of the pastry
helping to make some dough
putting cooked buns in different baskets with same quantity
preparing special christmas pastry
I was working with dough and pastries every morning for about two, three ours and I loved it but afterwards as they start at midnight their work, they finish and I need to help make hot dishes.
This included:
cutting tomatoes
cutting chicken
weighting salad
weighting all the ingredients for gratin
peeling carrots
taking out the inside of tomatoe
mixing sauces
To conclude I must say that I was mostly satisfied but still wanted to learn more about baking and work more with dough. Every experience is good but I expected to learn more. Theam is great, everybody works well and fast. Mister Honorin should be very proud.
I took one recipe for pain de mie, so hopefully I will be now able to make my own bread.
I am grateful for my University for giving me this chance to see the processes of a French bakery!