PEK Academy
Technical baking and pastry knowledge covering doughs, bread, cakes, creams, pastries and core techniques. The focus is structure, temperature, moisture, timing, fermentation and ingredient handling for more reliable results.
Start here
Core guide
A gluten-free flour blend is not a single substitute for wheat flour. Reliable structure comes from a balance of fine flour, starch, an appropriate binder, enough water and sufficient hydration time.
Read →Recommended reading
Dough does not always need more flour when it is difficult to roll. Treat local sticking with a very light dusting and frequent lifting; chill shiny, soft fat-rich dough; let very…
Read →Recommended reading
A stable layer cake works when every layer can carry the load above it, moist inserts do not create a slippery or overly wet plane, cake layers are level, and the whole…
Read →All content
For instant yeast, a useful general starting point is fresh yeast × 0.33. For active dry yeast, a professional guideline is about fresh yeast × 0.40.
For smooth mascarpone frosting, keep the mascarpone and cream cold, briefly loosen the mascarpone first, then add the cream gradually and stop whipping while the frosting still has a satin sheen and a stable…
Start with 500 g wheat flour, 350 g water, 10 g salt, and 5 g instant yeast. Hold back some water with unfamiliar flour, build dough strength, end fermentation by visible progress, use steam early and a dry…
Shortcrust pastry needs limited gluten development, while strudel dough needs a strong but relaxed gluten network.
In gluten-free baking, a single naturally gluten-free flour is rarely a reliable 1:1 replacement for wheat flour.
Vegan baking is most reliable when you replace an ingredient's function rather than the ingredient alone.
A sourdough starter is ready for a first loaf when it repeatedly rises predictably after feeding and roughly doubles within several hours in a warm environment; for a common beginner routine, about 6–8 hours is…