Klaus Tenbergen

Q: Do you have a beignet formula that can be used in a retail bakery?
G.L., Raymondville, Texas

A: This is one of my favorite formulas for beignets.

Method: Follow the straight dough method to produce dough similar to Danish dough in consistency. Retard in the refrigerator overnight, keeping the dough well covered. Roll dough to about 1/8 in. (2 mm) thick, for optimal frying. Using a pizza wheel, cut into the desired shapes, e.g. squares, rectangles or triangles. Fry at 375°F (190°C) for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to brown evenly. Place the beignets on a wire screen and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Beignets are best served warm or fried “à la minute” to maintain integrity. The dough will keep for several days in a refrigerator or retarder.

Q: We have one electric and one gas oven in our bakery. Pumpkin pies baked in the gas oven have a glossy sheen, but those baked in the electric oven are very dull and flat. Why?
W.S., Peoria, Ill.

A: The fossil fuel combustion in a gas oven gives off heat, carbon dioxide and water. Electric elements do not give off water. The difference in the appearance of the pie is due to the humidity in the oven it was baked in. To replicate the humidity of a gas oven in an electric oven, place a pan of water in the oven during the bake.

Q: How can I alter a formula to reduce tartness and/or bitterness?
A.H., Las Vegas

A: Unpleasant tartness (sourness) in food is the result of too much acid. Most foods are somewhat acidic, but not unpleasantly so. Strong acids include common ingredients, such as vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, orange juice and black coffee. Acids release hydrogen ions (protons), which results in a sour flavor. On the other hand, bitter flavors occur in bases or alkalis that bind hydrogen ions, resulting in a lack of free hydrogen ions. Examples of strong bases are egg whites, baking soda in water and ammonia (sometimes used in leavening). The pH scale measures hydrogen ion activity to determine acidity or alkalinity. A pH above 7 indicates alkalinity, while a pH below 7 indicates acidity. A pH of exactly 7 will not elicit any sour or bitter flavors. If a product tastes too sour, you can reduce the acidic ingredients in the fomula, add a sweetener (sweet and sour), mask the taste by adding other flavors or neutralize the acid by adding a base. If a formula is too bitter, you can reduce the alkaline ingredient, add a sweetener (bitter-sweet), mask the flavor by adding other flavors or neutralize the base by adding an acidic ingredient.

Q: How much fruit or nut filling should we add to puff pastry turnovers?
Adele, via e-mail

A: If you produce a traditional turnover, I recommend the filling be about 50 percent of the dough weight of each square. For example, for every 2 ozs. of dough, deposit 1 oz. of filling.

Q: Do you have a formula for churros?
Moses, via e-mail