Tourage Performing – Definition & Detailed Explanation – Baking Techniques Glossary

I. What is Tourage Performing?

Tourage is a French term used in baking that refers to the process of layering butter between layers of dough to create a flaky and buttery pastry. This technique is commonly used in making croissants, puff pastry, and other laminated doughs.

The process of tourage involves rolling out the dough into a thin sheet, placing a layer of butter on top, folding the dough over the butter, and then rolling it out again. This process is repeated multiple times to create many layers of butter and dough, resulting in a light and airy texture when baked.

Tourage is essential in creating pastries with a delicate and flaky texture. The layers of butter create steam pockets during baking, which expand and separate the layers of dough, giving the pastry its characteristic flakiness.

II. Layering

Layering is a technique used in baking to create multiple layers of dough or butter within a pastry. This technique is commonly used in making laminated doughs, such as croissants and puff pastry, to achieve a light and flaky texture.

To layer dough, the dough is rolled out into a thin sheet, and a layer of butter is placed on top. The dough is then folded over the butter and rolled out again to create a new layer. This process is repeated multiple times to create many layers of dough and butter, resulting in a pastry with a light and airy texture.

Layering is essential in creating pastries with a delicate and flaky texture. The layers of butter create steam pockets during baking, which expand and separate the layers of dough, giving the pastry its characteristic flakiness.

III. Folding

Folding is a technique used in baking to incorporate ingredients evenly and create layers in dough. This technique is commonly used in making laminated doughs, such as croissants and puff pastry, to achieve a light and flaky texture.

To fold dough, the dough is rolled out into a thin sheet, and a layer of butter is placed on top. The dough is then folded over the butter and rolled out again to create a new layer. This process is repeated multiple times to create many layers of dough and butter, resulting in a pastry with a light and airy texture.

Folding is essential in creating pastries with a delicate and flaky texture. The layers of butter create steam pockets during baking, which expand and separate the layers of dough, giving the pastry its characteristic flakiness.

IV. Rolling

Rolling is a technique used in baking to flatten and shape dough into a desired thickness. This technique is commonly used in making laminated doughs, such as croissants and puff pastry, to create multiple layers of dough and butter.

To roll dough, a rolling pin is used to flatten the dough into a thin sheet. The dough is then folded over a layer of butter and rolled out again to create a new layer. This process is repeated multiple times to create many layers of dough and butter, resulting in a pastry with a light and airy texture.

Rolling is essential in creating pastries with a delicate and flaky texture. The layers of butter create steam pockets during baking, which expand and separate the layers of dough, giving the pastry its characteristic flakiness.

V. Chilling

Chilling is a technique used in baking to firm up dough or butter before working with it. This technique is commonly used in making laminated doughs, such as croissants and puff pastry, to prevent the butter from melting and losing its layers during the rolling process.

To chill dough, it is placed in the refrigerator for a period of time to firm up. This allows the dough to relax and become easier to work with, as well as preventing the butter from melting too quickly during the rolling process.

Chilling is essential in creating pastries with a delicate and flaky texture. By chilling the dough, the layers of butter are preserved, and the pastry will have a light and airy texture when baked.

VI. Cutting

Cutting is a technique used in baking to shape dough or pastry into desired shapes. This technique is commonly used in making laminated doughs, such as croissants and puff pastry, to create individual pastries.

To cut dough, a sharp knife or pastry cutter is used to slice the dough into desired shapes, such as triangles for croissants or squares for puff pastry. The dough is then shaped and baked according to the recipe.

Cutting is essential in creating pastries with a uniform shape and size. By cutting the dough into precise shapes, the pastries will bake evenly and have a professional appearance when served.