Gregory Doyen Teaches Petit Pastry (Enrollment Closed)

Here's your chance to get to know Chef Gregory! He'll share his love for teaching pastry knowledge, recall the day he packed his bags to leave home, and reflect on how he hasn't stopped traveling and teaching since!

In that time, he got outstanding, hands-on experience in Consulting, Production, Brands, and Hotels; you name it, he's done it. And now he's ready to share it with you.

First things first, before jumping into the recipes, Chef Gregory teaches you basic preparation that will help elevate every pastry you make. Proper preparation will bring out your recipe's robust taste, help keep the natural colors of fruits, and facilitate better ingredient incorporation.

In this lesson, Gregory introduces his favorite cake from childhood, a Black Forest Cake, and adds a modern twist with petit portions. He will also outline ingredients that help reduce the sugars in the sponges you make. 

Sour is a favorite pinch note for Gregory, which means Griotte (sour cherries) is his all-time favorite pick. You won't want to miss his unique theory about pectin types and the uncommon choice he makes that makes the pectin react with much less sugar in the recipe, and much fewer quantities added.

Black Forest Mousse is not only Gregory's favorite mousse; it is also quite a special one. You'll learn his quick and simple mousse recipe in this class, followed by whipping cream theory mastery. However, you won't find the standard aerated texture in this mousse; instead, you will create a mousse with a silky and soft touch to it.

This lesson is a total blast of information and tips centering around Gregory's final glazing touch and assembly of the magical Black Forest petit gateau. There will be many unexpected tips throughout this class, but we'll give a sneak peek of one: If you want to glaze a cake nicely, the cake should be much warmer than you think. Really!

Chef Gregory shows you his essential tips and tricks for Sweet Dough, a dough you can use to transform any of your tart or cake bases, including making a perfectly straight shape with the dough and his approach to baking at low oven temperatures. 

Gregory shows you how to evenly spread the dough over the baking sheet. He'll also show you how to avoid sticky dough after baking while locking the humidity inside the sponge for a delicate balance.

Do you find it difficult to cook whole pieces of fruits without losing the fresh, fruity sensation? Chef Doyen to the rescue! In this lesson, he gives a step-by-step tutorial using his hot process cooking technique that immediately evaporates humidity and helps keep the fruits fresh and crisp. Tasting the pineapple compote certainly got a reaction from him: "Wow! Crazy!" he said, "the passion fruit, the seeds, the crunchy, the pineapple pieces"—a world of emotion on his spoon!

In this lesson, you'll learn Gregory's approach to storing your pastries in the freezer while avoiding dryness and maintaining the textures. 

Sharing tips on switching and replacing different ingredients is very important to Gregory. He knows you can be flexible—and this lesson proves that!

From the basic recipes to the more unique! Lesson 11 introduces Gregory's signature marshmallow meringue! Don't expect your standard chewy meringue, this version is very soft and creamy. How do you achieve that? Playing with the mixer's speed, emphasizing the shape of the dipping container, and learning Gregory's dipping technique that we’ve never seen before (until now!).

Learn Gregory's top tips for the sponge that will become a cornerstone of your pastry. He'll show you how to incorporate ingredients smoothly by working with similar textures of the recipe components.

If you know Gregory - you know the Cherry; it is the signature petit pastry from the master. Have you ever considered how the temperature of the insert can affect the piping process? If not, Gregory will give you some sneaky tips about it in this lesson!

We know that white chocolate contains a lot of sugars, but when Gregory works his magic — abracadabra!! — he thrillingly reduces the sugar while still keeping the white chocolate! Now to the real question, is it magic, or is it just expertise? ;)

Once you've mastered this ganache, it will become your alternative to any mousse recipe. Not only is it delicious, but it's so simple, with only four ingredients! Throughout the lesson, Gregory gives tips on preparing it in advance and using it in portions when required. 

Chef Gregory shows you an exciting way to work with chocolate and its crystallization to create a crispy layer with a thickness of only 3mm.

Look at this glaze! Would you believe there are no food colors in it? Well, trust us, there aren't! There is an additional secret layer that brings shine to the glaze, protects it from humidity, and allows you to touch and hold the glaze with your hands. I bet you've never seen that before!

Unmolding and storing petit cakes has always been a challenge. Lucky for you (and for us), Gregory has some tips and tricks that make these tasks much easier!

According to Chef Gregory, the success of this sponge depends on a perfect emulsion. Creating the ideal emulsion starts with the correct temperature ingredients and the speed you add them. Once you master balancing fats and water and get a creamy and shiny feel to your dough, you'll master this recipe!

Do you usually use a fridge when you're crystallizing your ganache? Well, not for this recipe! Gregory teaches you how to prepare your ganache for piping with the proper temperature controls.

Learn a step-by-step process of creating a soft protective layer for your Sicilian Pistachio petit cakes that locks in moisture and keeps the creaminess on the outside. Pistachio here, pistachio there - Pistachio heaven, they say!

There are Swiss, French, and Italian meringues, but it'll be no surprise that Gregory, a proud Frenchman, chose to make the French meringue ;)

He does, however, leave the final decision up to you. You can go with the Swiss meringue and lend your personal touch to this petit preparation. But whichever you choose, remember, 'sugar should be dissolved during the whipping, not in the oven during baking!'

Chef Doyen teaches you an exciting approach to "reusable" fruity inserts in this lesson allowing you to store and reheat them as many times as you wish. You can also use this tip for many other fruity inserts.

Gregory guides us through manipulating a high acidity combination with egg creams to avoid overcooking.

This is a must-have technique for Gregory when he’s making any insert or mousse! Quickfire question: How fast does water evaporate from your cooking pot with liquids in it? Probably not fast enough to keep the recipe balanced... Find out why in this lesson!

Chocolate decoration as thin as a piece of paper? You know Gregory is teaching this! You hoped for one tempering technique, but he surprised us with two! Traditional and modern, for large and small quantities, complicated and simple, messy and clean—the choice is yours!

Embrace the moment by indulging in the most unique and delicate petit pastry by Gregory Doyen: The Pavlova Swan. 

The success of this dessert lies in its freshness, and it is perfect for last-minute servings. But, if you want to store it for longer for your bakery or a family treat, don't worry, Gregory has just the trick!