Le Cordon Bleu Day 1- Boulangerie

Boulangerie, A real “Pain”!

What rice is to the East; bread is to the West. Not a day goes by where Western’s don’t indulge in a delicious meal featuring our favorite staple food, bread. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a short course specializing in Boulangerie: The Art of Bread making at the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. This course gave me an experience I will never forget, taught me some professional tricks, and gave me a little slice of home while being so far away.
The tradition of Le Cordon Bleu originated with a special group of King Henry’s knights. They received their name from the blue ribbon they wore and established a reputation for excellence for the king that extended to their feasts and ceremonies. Thus, the blue ribbon became a symbol of distinguished cuisine. In 1895, the name Le Cordon Bleu became the home yet again for esteemed cuisine. This time in the form of a magazine. As a result of the magazines success the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school was started. Today there are 30 schools in 15 countries one of which is Thailand. The school here in Thailand was established in 2007 and is the only school to have a program in the local cuisine.
On the first day of the class, each student received an apron, chef’s hat, notebook of tips and recipes, and a breadbox. Little did I know how important this breadbox would be. Every day it was filled to the brim with the decadent pain; the French word for bread. As we walked into the baking room, I caught my first glimpse of the menu for the week. As a foods teacher, I am no stranger to the kitchen, but at first sight, I was overwhelmed. How could we make 15 types of breads in four short days?