Preferments leverage one simple fact; longer and slower bulk fermentation and proofing stages make for better bread. This is accomplished by taking a portion of a bread recipe’s flour and liquid, “spiking” with a very small amount of yeast, and allowing this mixture to ferment at room temperature over the course of 12-18 hours, and sometimes as long as a few days if retarded under refrigeration.
Using a preferment would fall under the classification of the “in-direct method,” because there’s an intermediate step between the mixing of ingredients and bulk fermentation. Just like we discussed in Episode 20, “The Classifications of Bread,” the in-direct method slows down fermentation by the utilizing preferments or retarding doughs during the bulk fermentation process, resulting in a more complex, flavorful bread.
This is opposed to most modern bread recipes formulated for many cooks who tend to prize convenience over flavor. Most recipes use large amounts of yeast which allow you to bulk ferment the bread dough in two hours and proof in less than one. And while these recipes will still produce fresh baked bread that will fill your house with beautiful aromas and have a quality that easily rivals the soulless, pre-sliced, baked-batters found at your local supermarket, it will be no where near the quality which can be achieved through delayed fermentation.
“But Jacob, it takes so long to bake bread using a pre-ferment!”
No, not really. In fact, the actual time you spend mixing the dough doesn’t change. The only thing that changes is the passive time required to do a pre-ferment, meaning having the foresight to mix a portion of the flour and water a day or two in advanced before baking bread.
What the argument really comes down to is planning ahead. In fact, I’ve gotten many negative YouTube comments on my bread baking videos, all which say pretty much the same thing: “This takes too much time, it’s too involved, that’s what supermarkets are for, etc.”
If that’s your mind set, than I’d venture to guess you’re in the majority, simply based on the complete saturation of “quick, easy, simple, 30 minutes or less,” recipe books and TV shows. And please don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with quick and easy recipes, but the approach isn’t universal to all forms of the culinary arts.
There is no quick and easy approach to charcuterie, the fermentation of grapes into world class wine, and the baking of great bread. But then the people who pursue these subjects aren’t worried about quick and easy, because our reward comes to us during the process, with the finished product being the tangible expression of the journey, which true cooks cherish above the destination.
If you’re not willing to plan ahead, then preferments and baking great bread aren’t for. But if you’re willing to be patient and draw the process out over the course of a couple of days, the use of a preferment or “natural levain” (i.e. sourdough starter), will instantly elevate the quality of your breads.
Why Use a Preferment?
Because fermentation is extended, the yeast and natural enzymes present in flour have time to take action on the starches and proteins in the dough, releasing a larger amount of food supply for the yeast to ingest and turn into energy. This has a couple of distinct benefits:
It tastes better. The general rule of thumb is the longer the bread is allowed to ferment, the more complex and delicious the finished flavors will be. This does have a law of diminishing returns however; any preferment older than 3 days that hasn’t been refreshed with fresh flour and water is likely to have a weak and dying yeast population which can give your bread off flavors and poor rising ability.
Preferments add extensibility to bread doughs, making them easier to form, and resulting in a superior oven spring. In fact, preferments have been shown to increase the oven spring of baguettes by as much as 10%, which results in an airier, lighter crumb.
Are you convinced you need a preferment in you're baking arsenal? Then get started by reading our guide "The Three Mother Preferments and How To Use Them." We also cover this topic extensively in The Stella Culinary School Podcast Episode 21| Sourdough Starters and Preferments.
You might also be interested in the following:
Podcast Episodes
Videos - Visit Our Bread Baking Video Index
The Baker's Percentage - Learn how baker's calculate bread recipes and ratios. This is crucial for understanding how preferments are formulated.
This article is part 2 of 2. Read part one here: What Is A Preferment?
Various Types of Preferments
Preferments can go by many different names including chef, levain, sponge, madre bianca, mother, biga and poolish. But in my opinion, there are three major approaches to preferments that will encompass all others, much like classic French sauces are mostly derivatives from the Five French Mother Sauces. To help you better understand the three major approaches to preferments, I give you the “Three Mother Preferments” (somewhere out there, a French Baker just face palmed himself, and my life is now complete). These three “mother preferments” are poolish, biga and pâte fermentée.
Poolish Preferment
Sometimes referred to as a sponge or barm (although a barm is more technically a natural levain or sourdough starter), tradition has it that the term “Poolish” comes from Polish baker’s in Vienna who developed the technique of prefermentation, later adopted by French bakers. And although I’m always eager to annoy French baker’s and chefs, there really is no solid, historical evidence of where the term “poolish” originated.
What we can agree on however is the poolish style preferment is the most common approach used by enthusiasts and professional bakers alike, mainly because it’s high hydration allows the yeast to propagate at a constant pace, and it’s incredibly easy to apply a preferment to any bread recipe since it contains a 1:1 ratio of flour and water (which makes final bread dough calculations intuitive, especially when converting various bread recipes that don’t utilize a preferment).
Based on the baker’s percentage, a poolish starter will have 100% hydration and .2% yeast (always based on the flour’s weight).
This means the basic formulation for a poolish preferment is:
500g Flour - 100%
500g Water - 100%
1g Yeast* - 0.2% (either active or instant dry)
*Because cake yeast (commonly only found in professional bakeries) is less dense with yeast microbes than active or instant dry, you can up the percentage to 1% to get the same results.
Now I do realize this seems like a lot of preferment for the home baker, and it is, but using these numbers you can at least visualize the ratios through the baker’s percentage. If you want to make a smaller poolish preferment and don’t have a gram scale accurate to the 10th of a gram, then a simple, one finger pinch of yeast will do. For example, if I was making a preferment for one or two loaves of bread, it would probably look something like this:
200g Flour
200g Water
Pinch Yeast
Once mixed, a poolish style preferment will be ready to use in about 12-18 hours, assuming an ambient room temperature of 68-72°F/20-22°C and your yeast usage doesn’t exceed .2% based on the flour’s weight. Remember, the more yeast used and the hotter your room temperature, the sooner your preferment will be ready (which isn’t necessarily desirable since the whole purpose of a preferment is to slow down the fermentation process). For every 17°F/9°C your room temperature raises or drops, the yeast activity will be doubled or cut in half, taking the yeast half the time or twice the time respectively to achieve the same amount of fermentation.
For more information on incorporating a poolish style preferment into your bread doughs, please see “The Basics of Using a Preferment” at the end of this article.
Biga Preferment
This style of preferment was developed by Italian bakers, and in Italy, a Biga refers to any style of preferment that contains flour, water and yeast, no matter the percentages. However, it’s more common for a Biga to have less hydration than a poolish. For the sake of understanding various approaches to preferments, Biga’s are low hydration (stiffer) and take longer to finish fermentation as compared to a poolish containing the same percentage of yeast. This is because yeast’s movement is impeded by lower hydrations, taking them longer to propagate and consume all the starches contained within the bread dough.
This is why Biga Preferments will usually, but not always, contain more yeast based upon the flour’s rate (about 1%) than a wetter style of preferment like a poolish. At the one percent use rate, a biga preferment left at a standard room temperature will be ready to use in about 14-18 hours. The basic formulation for a biga starter is:
500g Flour - 100%
300g Water - 60%
5g Yeast - 1%
While this is a common formulation for a biga starter, the yeast percentage and hydration rate can vary depending on the baker and the final application of the preferment. However, in the spirit of separate approaches, low hydration starters will take longer to ferment than a poolish, which is why the yeast percent is raised to 1% for the former instead of .2% for the latter.
Anecdotally speaking, this stiffer dough can stand up to longer fermentation times, especially if the yeast percent is lowered, creating more complex flavors via acetic and latic acid production, the same acids responsible for sourdough’s complex flavor and aroma.
Once a biga preferment is airy and full of life (and expanded by about double it’s original volume), it can then be incorporated into the final dough formulation by cutting into small pieces, mixed with the rest of the recipe’s liquid, and then incorporated into the remaining ingredients. This will ensure an even dispersion of yeast contained in the preferment, resulting in better bulk fermentation and proofing.
Pâte Fermentée (Chef, Old Dough)
The “old dough” or pâte fermentée style of preferment is extremely convenient if you’re baking the same bread recipe on a regular basis. This approach was championed by famed French baker Raymond Cavell who credited this method with adding complexity of flavor and increased oven spring to his world famous baguettes.
The basic concept is simple; up to 1/3 of bread dough is reserved after the bulk fermentation to levin the next batch of bread. So in the case of a classic baguette, the first time the recipe is made, flour, water, yeast, and salt will be mixed together and allowed to bulk ferment.
After the bulk fermentation is complete, the dough is punched down, one third is reserved to levin the next batch of bread, while the rest of the dough is scaled, formed, proofed, and baked.
This old dough can be stored for about 8-12 hours at room temperature or retarded in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months, removing from the freezer and allowing to thaw fully (about 12-16 hours at room temperature, (24-36 hours in the fridge depending on the dough's volume) before using it to levin a batch of bread.
The Basics of Using a Preferment
Now that you understand what a preferment is, why they’re beneficial to bread baking, and the three major approaches, let’s talk about how to actually apply this knowledge to any bread recipe.
In general, 1/4 to 1/2 of a bread recipe’s total flour will be used to create a preferment. The amount of liquid depends entirely on what approach you’re using from above (low hydration biga, high hydration poolish, or pâte fermentée).
The amount of pre-ferment used will depend on how long you want the bulk fermentation process to take, after it's incorporated into the the rest of the ingredients. In general, when half of the dough's flour comes from a preferment, you can count on a 2-4 hour bulk fermentation and a 1-2 hour proof.
Let's use our basic baguette recipe to put this into perspective:
800g Flour - 100%
520g Water (Warm) - 65%
7g Yeast (Active Dry) - .8% Yeast
16g Salt - 2% Salt
The original recipe uses the direct method, meaning the ingredients are mixed together, allowed to bulk ferment, shaped, proofed and baked (scalable recipe - video recipe).
To add extra complexity of flavor, we’ll remove half of the recipe’s flour and create a poolish style preferment, transforming our recipe into something like this:
Preferment
400g Flour
400g Water
Pinch Yeast
Mix ingredients together, place in a container large enough to allow the preferment to at least double in size, and allow to ferment at room temperature (68-72°F/20-22°C) for 12-16 hours (or retard in fridge for up to 3 days).
The next day, mix the preferment with the remaining ingredients:
400g Flour
120g Water
16g Salt
Follow the baguette recipe as normal. Remember, your bulk fermentation and proofing stages might take a little longer than normal, about 3 and 2 hours respectively, but your patience will be rewarded with a superior baguette. Obviously the fermentation can be delayed further by using less preferment, retarding the bread during bulk fermentation or proofing, or all of the above. Again, the longer the fermentation and proofing process, the more complex the bread will be, until the yeast consume all the available food, causing them to die.
To convert the above baguette recipe for use with a biga style starter:
400g Flour
240g Water - (400 X .6 = 240g or 60% Hydration)
4g Yeast - (400 X .01 = 4g or 1%)
Mix ingredients together until they form a shaggy dough. Leave at room temperature and allow to ferment for 14-18 hours (or retard in fridge for up to 3 days).
The next day, mix with:
400g Flour
280g Water
16g Salt
Once ingredients are kneaded together, follow the baguette recipe as normal, with the expectation of your bulk ferment and proofing stages taking a little longer.
To use the pâte fermentée method, you can simply reserve 1/3 of the baguette dough recipe, but this will also decrease the overalll yield. If you want to have the same yield every time (4 baguettes), then scale each ingredient by 1.5. For example, our above baguette recipe adds up to 1336g total dough weight. Here's how the math looks
800g X 1.5 = 1200g Flour
520g X 1.5 = 780g Water
16g X 1.5 = 24g Salt
7g X 1.5 = 10.5 Yeast
_____________________________________
1336g X 1.5 = 2004g Total Dough Weight
2004 X .3 = 668 (this is the amount pate fermente you must remove and save for the next batch).
668 X 2 - 1336
So as you can see from the above example, scaling any bread recipe by 1.5 will allow you to remove 30% of the dough to be used as a preferment in your next batch, while resulting in the same total yield from bake to bake. Even though 1/3 is technically 33%, scaling a recipe by 1.5 and then removing .3 is easy to remember, keeps your numbers round, and the extra 3% is negligible.
The portion of the dough removed can be stored at room temperature if you plan on baking the same bread in the next 12-18 hours, in the fridge up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
The final baguette recipe would be:
668g Pâte Fermentée (Old Dough)
800g Flour
520g Water
16g Salt
Yeast - Optional, depending on how fast you want the bread to rise, or how avtive your old dough looks. If it's a little past it's prime or you want a faster, more dependable rise, add 7g of yeast.
You might also be interested in the following:
Podcast Episodes
Videos - Visit Our Bread Baking Video Index
The Baker's Percentage - Learn how baker's calculate bread recipes and ratios. This is crucial for understanding how preferments are formulated.
Risotto is made with Italian-grown Arborio rice. Arborio has rice kernels that are shorter and fatter than other short-grained rice. The kernels contain a high amount of starch, which is what gives risotto its creamy texture. A common misconception is that cream is added to risotto to give it its creamy texture. Classic risotto, in fact, does not contain any cream. Although adding cream is not the worst of culinary sins, it should be added for richness and flavor, not texture. More on this later...
Start by sweating shallots in a pan with butter and a little salt, until the shallots are soft and tender. For every 1lb of Arborio rice, you will need to use 2-4oz of butter and sweat about 5 shallots.
Add the Arborio rice to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon until the rice kernels are evenly coated with the butter; Do not brown.
Note: You don’t have to use butter for your fat. Any fat will do such as pork, duck, or olive oil - butter is just the classical choice. Take into consideration the flavor profile the fat you choose will impart on the finished risotto. As far as most chefs are concerned, butter is KING!
Once the rice is sautéed and coated evenly, add hot stock or water that is simmering in a separate pot, one ladle at a time.
Note: For every cup of Arborio rice, you will need at least 3 cups of hot stock or other liquid
Very gently simmer rice while constantly stirring.
Once the rice absorbs the first ladle of liquid, add more, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Repeat until the Arborio rice is soft but still “al dente”, and the starches have released from the kernel making the risotto nice and creamy.
Finish by stirring in butter and freshly grated parmesan.
If at all possible, use the correct corresponding stock of the protein you will be serving with the risotto. For example, if you will be serving it with fish, use a fish stock; if you will be serving your risotto with beef, use veal stock, etc. If the risotto is served as the entrée itself, use whatever liquid you feel is appropriate for your desired finished dish.
The debate among chefs on whether or not to finish their risotto with cream is a passionate one. Traditionally speaking, risotto is not finished with cream; instead, the creaminess is lovingly coaxed out of the starchy kernels of the Arborio rice. Here are some things you need to consider when making the decision “To Cream or Not To Cream.”
If you add cream for a creamy texture, I apologize, but you are sorely misguided. The creamy texture of your risotto should come from the Arborio rice itself. Remember, you are making risotto, not rice with alfredo sauce.
If you add cream for extra body and fat content (fat is always welcomed by the human palate), then you are adding it for the right reason.
Take into consideration that when you add fat to anything, it coats the palate, muting other flavors. The more subtle flavors of your risotto will be less detectable, so consider adding more salt or any other predominant seasoning or flavor you want to manifest in your risotto.
If you are serving the risotto with a more delicate protein, such as fish or poached poultry, I would leave the cream out. It may make the risotto too heavy, and as good as the risotto is by itself, your starch should never overpower your protein, it should always add to it.
When adding cream to a risotto, some chefs will whip it into a stiff whipped cream and then fold it in. This will not only give the risotto a rich flavor, but also a light and creamy texture.
Great risotto is a labor of love that can’t be rushed or faked. I’ve seen many different recipes for “quick and easy” risottos, some that even use a microwave (gasp!). Such culinary sins shall not be condoned on this site. However, did you think that the amazing black truffle risotto with wild forged mushrooms you had at Restaurant Fancy Pants the other night was made to order? Not likely.
With a cooking time of at least 25 minutes or more, restaurant chefs would never be able to make risotto “to order”. What follows is a basic restaurant technique for “pre-shifting” risotto. This will allow you to cook it ahead of time, and finish it “to order”.
Begin by starting your risotto with the basic technique stated at the top of this article.
Cook the Arborio rice until it starts to soften, but stop just before it becomes truly “al dente”.
Pour risotto out onto a buttered baking sheet and spread into a thin and even layer.
Cool in your refrigerator.
When you’re ready to finish your risotto, say, after your dinner guests have arrived and consumed a couple glasses of good wine, bring your cooking liquid of choice (stock, water, etc.) to a simmer in an appropriately sized sauté pan.
Add the par-cooked risotto into the simmering liquid, and use the back of a slotted spoon to break up the individual rice kernels by pressing them down into the pan.
Gently simmer and stir until the risotto is reconstituted and becomes “al dente”.
Finish with butter, fold in whipped cream (if you dare), season to taste, and add any other flavorings you wish, such as parmesan, truffle oil, etc.
Watch your friends marvel at how quickly you were able to make an amazing tasting risotto.
In the SCS 15| Classic Salads & Creamy Dressings, we discussed three classical salads that are commonly found in U.S. restaurants. These salads are the Caesar, Louis and Cobb. Here is a quick break down on each salad’s components and their corresponding salad dressings.
Caesar Salad Components
Romaine Lettuce, usually just the hearts. The romaine can be chopped, but was traditionally left whole and eaten with the fingers instead of utensils.
Garlic Croutons: Don’t over think this one. Croutons are nothing more than toasted bread, in this case tossed with crushed garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper after being toasted. My favorite way to toast croutons is to fry them in oil, but you can also bake, pan fry or toast in a toaster oven.
Anchovy Fillets (Optional): Not a part of the traditional Caesar salad but is now a common component in modern versions. I like to personally use whole, white anchovy fillets called Boquerones.
Grated Parmesan Cheese: This can really be any hard, aged cheese that you desire. Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged Asiago, and Pecorino Romano are all good choices.
Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe and Technique
To better understand the process of making Caesar Dressing, first review this post on Understanding Emulsions. To make Caesar Dressing you will need:
2 Egg Yolks
6 Anchovy Fillets (Optional)
2 Cloves Raw Garlic
2 Lemons Juiced
2 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 Cups Good Olive Oil
2-3 Ozs Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional)
Water to Thin
Process
Combine egg yolks, anchovy fillets, garlic, lemon juice, and Worcestershire Sauce in a blender and blend until smooth (about 10-15 seconds).
Add in grated Parmesan Cheese and blend until incorporated.
Slowly start stream in olive oil to for an emulsion. If the dressing becomes too thick before all oil is emulsified, thin out with a little splash of cold water.
Continue to emulsify olive oil until it is all incorporated. The final consistency should be that of a thin mayonnaise.
Louis Salad Components
The components of a Louis Salad will change from chef to chef. Really what makes it a Louis Salad is the dressing and the addition of either cooked crab or shrimp. Here’s I like to use in my Louis Salads.
Cooked Crab Meat (dungeness is the best)
Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Iceberg or Romain Lettuce: It’s important to use a sturdy, crisp salad green that will stand up to the weight of the Louis dressing.
Louis Salad Dressing
Two Cups of Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Chilli Sauce
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 oz Minced Onion
1 oz Finely Minced Green Onion
1 oz Drained Pimento, Minced
1 oz Celery, Finely Minced
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together until are ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Tip: To make sure the salad isn’t overpowered by the dressing, place all salad ingredients in an appropriate sized bowl, add a little bit of the Louis dressing, and gently toss with your hands. Add more dressing until desired flavor is reached, and then season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Cobb Salad Components
Chopped Chicken or Slices of Turkey
Bacon, Cooked to Desired Doneness
Hard Boiled Eggs
Tomatoes
Avocado
Cheddar Cheese
Crumbled Bleu Cheese (Traditionally Roquefort)
Lettuce (Iceberg, Red Leaf or Butter Lettuce all work well)
Cobb Salad Dressing
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Combine all ingredients 1-4 in an appropriate sized mixing bowl and whisk together.
Continue to whisk while streaming in olive oil.
Once olive oil is combined, season with salt and pepper to taste
Assembling Your Cobb Salad
Toss your salad greens of choice with the vinaigrette above. Place dressed greens in a salad bowl, and arrange ingredients from the component section in straight lines, side by side, across the top of the salad greens.
Further Information
In this industry, we all stand on the shoulder's of giants. As we play with ideas, techniques, and flavors, we create fun and sometimes unique derivative works that open the door to new possibilities.
In their book Ideas in Food, Aki and Alex lay out a fun play on pork cracklins using kimchi pureed with tapioca starch instead of the standard pork skin. This mixture is cooked into a loose paste, spread thin on acetate sheets, and dehydrated. After about 24-48 hours, the resulting sheet will shatter like glass, and puff when dropped into hot oil. This concept works because even though the sheet seems completely dry, there's still a small amount of water trapped inside (about 4%).
When the dehydrated sheet is dropped in 400°F/204°C oil, the small amount of residual water quickly turns to steam, exploding outward, causing the starch gel to puff. The original Ideas in Food recipe used tapioca starch for it's bland flavor (so the kimchi could shine through), but this technique remains universal for any type of cooked, starchy puree that can be spread thin and dehydrated.
A few days ago, looking to add a crunchy texture and interesting flavor to an new dish, this idea popped back into my head. I wondered, why can't I use brown rice with the same approach? And since brown rice is a whole grain, shouldn't I be able to extract more flavor if I inoculated the soaking water with a sourdough culture and let it ferment a few days?
In fact, the approach turned out to be extremely simple. I took a teaspoon of sourdough starter and dissolved it in about three quarts of water. Brown rice was then submerged in this water, and left at room temperature to ferment.
Two days later I boiled the brown rice like pasta, purposely overcooking it so the starch granules would burst. It resulted in a goopy, sticky, brown rice "congee" that I first pureed in a food processor and then passed through a tamis (fine sieve).
As it started to cool, I could already see the starchy puree start to set. I whisked in a little warm water to loosen the mixture into a paste-like consistency, and spread it onto sheets of acetate cut to fit my dehydrator trays. The mixture was dehydrated overnight and broken into small pieces.
A simple dunk in 400°F/204°C oil for about 20 seconds causes the thin sheet of dehydrated brown rice to puff into an airy, crunchy 'cracklin.' While the texture is awesome, the flavor is truly the best part. The fermented brown rice cracklin has a deep, whole grain flavor with hints of popcorn and toasted wheat berries. Sprinkled with a little bit of kosher salt fresh from the fryer, these things quickly become addicting.
Now the possibilities are endless.
First, if the brown rice is simply covered with water and allowed to ferment at room temperature for 3-5 days (instead of inoculating with a sourdough starter), this could turn into a healthy snack for people suffering from celiacs. In fact, the fermentation step isn't even necessary, although I would argue the end flavor is better.
Second, the brown rice can be cooked in any number of flavored liquids, and the resulting puree can easily absorb other seasoning or ingredients in the form of spices, liquids, purees, etc. The only limitation is the mixture needs to be extremely low in fat, or it won't dehydrate properly.
Finally, this can be applied to any number of high starch mixtures, not just brown rice and tapioca starch. And in fact, it has. If anyone has ever eaten a Cheeto, Bugle, or a bowl of Rice Krispies for that matter, you've experienced first hand the textures this technique can create.
Like I said...we all stand on the shoulder's of giants.
Sauce Bechamel is a milk based French Mother Sauce. It is used as a simple base to make popular secondary sauces such as Sauce Mornay, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, or even a simple cream sauce.
Standard Bechamel Recipe
4 oz/125 grams white roux
1 qt/1 L milk (Any milk will use but whole milk is preferred)
1/4 white onion, skin peeled off
1 whole clove
1 whole bay leaf
Salt, White Pepper and Nutmeg To Taste
Combine flour and butter in a small pan, and cook over moderate heat, to make a white roux.
In a separate pot, heat up milk to a simmer.
Add roux to the milk, making sure that both the milk and the roux are not too hot.
Whisk the roux and milk together and bring to a simmer.
Stick your bay leaf to your white onion with your whole clove, and place in simmering milk.
Simmer for about 30 minutes, and thin with milk if necessary.
Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. The nutmeg should not be prevalent, but instead should add depth of flavor.
Finish by straining through a chinois.
Bechamel Based Secondary Sauces
Almost any milk or cream based sauce that you will make, will be based on classical Bechamel. Below are some popular secondary sauces that are based on this recipe. Each recipe below is based on 1 qt/1 L of Bechamel, which is what the recipe above yields.
Standard Cream Sauce
Add 4-8 oz of heavy cream, heated or tempered
Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste
Add your favorite herbs and spices to taste
Strain through a chinois to insure a smooth, creamy texture
Mornay Sauce
Stir in 4 oz of Gruyere and 2 oz of Parmesan cheese, both grated
Turn off heat and swirl in 2 oz of raw butter
Adjust consistency with warm milk as necessary
Cheddar Cheese Sauce
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Stir all ingredients into warm Bechamel until cheddar cheese is melted
Simple Mustard Sauce
Stir in 4-6 oz of good dijon mustard
Finish off the flame by swirling in 2-4 oz of raw butter
Strain through a chinois
More Info
Since we covered so much ground in the French Mother Sauce Series, both on the blog and podcast, I figured it would be a good idea to place all the information in one, easy to find post. The mother of all mother sauce resources if you will.
So here it is; a list of the mother sauces with their corresponding podcast episodes, classic components, serving suggestions, and how to posts.
But first, a quick history lesson.
A Brief History of The Mother Sauces
The French mother sauces were originally four base sauces set forth by Antonin Careme in the 19th century. Careme’s four original mother sauces were Allemande, Bechamel, Veloute and Espagnole.
In the 20th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier demoted Allemande to a secondary sauce of Veloute, and added Sauce Tomat and Hollandaise.
One Last Thing…
Some of the classic versions of these sauces use different thickening agents to bring the sauce to its proper consistency. If you’re unfamiliar with thickening agents such as roux, liasons, or emulsions, you can follow the corresponding links for more information.
Sauce Bechamel
Base: Milk (Usually Whole Milk)
Thickening Agent: White Roux
Classical Flavorings: White Onion, Clove, Bay Leaf, Salt, White Pepper, Nutmeg
Common Secondary Sauces: Cream Sauce, Mornay, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Nantua
Classically Served With: Eggs, Fish, Steamed Poultry, Steamed Vegetables, Pastas, Veal
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Bechamel and its Derivatives
Corresponding Podcast Episode: SCS 11| Sauce Bechamel
Video Technique: Culinary School Bechamel | A How To Video
Sauce Veloute
Base: White Stock (Classically Veal, but Chicken and Fish Stock can also be used)
Thickening Agent: Classically a Roux, but sometimes also a Liason is used.
Classical Flavorings: None, used specifically as a base
Common Secondary Sauces: Sauce Vin Blanc (White Wine Sauce), Sauce Supreme, Sauce Allemande, Sauce Poulette, Sauce Bercy, Sauce Normandy
Classically Served With: Eggs, Fish, Steamed Poultry, Steamed Vegetables, Pastas, Veal
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Sauce Veloute and its Derivatives
Corresponding Podcast Episode: SCS 10| Sauce Veloute
Sauce Tomat (AKA Tomato Sauce)
Base: Tomatoes (Raw, Tomato Paste, Tomato Puree, Stewed Tomatoes)
Thickening Agent: Classically a Roux, modern versions commonly use a reduction or purees
Classical Flavorings: Salt Pork, Mirepoix, Garlic, White Veal Stock, Salt & Pepper, Sugar (Just enough to balance acidity, not enough to make the sweetness perceptible).
Common Secondary Sauces: Modern variations concentrate more on seasonings giving rise to sauces such as Creole, Portuguese and Spanish Sauce Tomat.
Classically Served With: Pasta, Fish, Vegetables (Especially Grilled), Polenta, Veal, Poultry (Especially Chicken), Breads and Dumplings such as Gnocchi.
Technique and Recipe: How to Make Tomato Sauce and Its Modern Variations
Corresponding Podcast Episode: SCS Episode 12| Sauce Tomat
Sauce Espagnole (AKA Sauce Brune or Brown Sauce)
Base: Roasted Veal Stock (Roasted Chicken Stock Is Sometimes Used In Modern Variations).
Thickening Agent: Brown Roux
Classical Flavorings: Mirepoix, Sachet (Bay Leaf, Fresh Thyme, Parsely), Tomato Puree
Common Secondary Sauces: Demi-Glace, Bordelaise, Sauce Robert, Lyonnaise, Sauce Madeira, Sauce Bercy, Sauce Chasseur
Classically Served With: Roasted meats, especially beef, duck, veal, lamb
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Sauce Espagnole and Demi-Glace
Corresponding Podcast Episode: SCS Episode 13| Sauce Espagnole
Hollandaise Sauce
Base: Egg Yolks and Butter (Classically Clarified Butter)
Thickening Agent: Emulsification
Classical Flavorings: Peppercorns (Black), White Wine Vinegar, Salt, Lemon Juice, Cayenne Pepper
Common Secondary Sauces: Bearnaise, Maltaise, Mousseline, Foyot, Choron…Also check out this post on How to Make Mayonnaise and Its Derivatives, which is based on the hollandaise technique.
Classically Served With: Eggs (Eggs Benedict), Vegetables (especially Asparagus), light poultry dishes, fish, Beef (Bernaise Sauce)
Technique and Recipe: How To Make Hollandaise: Guidlines and Techniques
Corresponding Podcast Episode: SCS Episode 9| Hollandaise
New Content - Understanding Gelatin
Part 1: Understanding The Basics of Gelatin (Sheets vs Powder) |
Part 2: How to Properly Use Gelatin (Hydration + Incorporation) |
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F-STEP Curriculum
F-STEP is a proprietary curriculum developed by Chef Jacob Burton specifically to teach cooks how to think and create like a chef. F-STEP is an acronym that stands for Flavor, Sauce, Technique, Execution & Preparation. It is the mental and physical process that one must go throw before creating and cooking a great dish.
Curriculum Text
F-STEP Work Sheet (With Descriptions) - Use this as a reference for how to fill out the F-STEP worksheet.
F-STEP Work Sheet (Blank) - This is a blank F-STEP worksheet that you can print out and use when developing or tweaking your own recipes and dishes.
Please note that the above texts are still in desperate need of copy editing and will be updated in the future.
 What is F-STEP? |
 Understanding Flavor Structure |
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Stella's Culinary Boot Camp Video Archive - 2012
In November of 2012, Stella Culinary put on its first, in person, culinary boot camp. While the video and audio quality isn't that good (we will work to correct this in the future), I think you'll be able to gain a lot of knowledge from these lecture videos.
 Flavor Structure |
 The F-STEP Worksheet
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 Kitchen Safety & Menu Meeting
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 Introduction to The Three Modern Mother Sauces + Pan Reductions
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 The Three Modern Mother Sauces Continued: Emulsions & Purees
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 Introduction To Cooking Techniques
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 Execution
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Other Member's Only Content
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Member's Only Forum Section
F-STEP Curriculum: If you have questions regarding the F-STEP curriculum, or want to share an anecdote on how you apply its concepts, here's the place to discuss it.
Stella's Inner Circle: Need feed back on a dish, ideas for a menu or just want to have a discussion with other Stella Supporting Members in the privacy of our members forum? This is the place to post!
Business Development: Do you run or own a restaurant? This forum is dedicated to sharing strategies and information on restaurant marketing, business plans, profitability and anything else related to the success of your food service business.
Member Suggestions and Features: Do you have a feature request or content you would like to see appear in the member's area? As a supporting member, your voice and opinion takes priority.
HD Video Index
Stella Culinary members have access to all our videos in HD format. These videos are large and high resolution and are not suited for streaming, but are great to burn to a DVD or hard drive for play back on an HD enabled device.
Hey there Stella Culinary Student! Congratulations on making the commitment to take your cooking skills and culinary education to the next level. Like the graphic above points out, you can now access your purchased curriculum through links found at the top of the side bar. Student orientation is the best place to start, as it will give you a good idea of what to expect, in what order you should access the exclusive content, and how to get the most out of this curriculum.
As a paying SC Student, please don't hesitate to e-mail me directly with any questions or concerns: jacob@stellaculinary.com.
Cook With Passion!
Jacob Burton
Executive Chef
StellaCulinary.com
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