Chapter 317 - 142: Pastry? This Is a Work of Art

Chapter 317: Chapter 142: Pastry? This Is a Work of Art

It was just dusk when Chen Wenliang arrived in Jingzhou.

He had booked a ride-share before he even reached the station, so he was able to get right in the car after exiting and head for the Development Zone.

’Boss Su really is a jack-of-all-trades. Being an expert in all the major cuisines wasn’t enough, and now he’s even taking on Chinese pastries?’

The whole way there, Chen Wenliang was mulling it over.

’Is Boss Su just naturally talented, or does he work incredibly hard?’

’How can he, Boss Su, seem to be born with skills that others can’t master in decades?’

’He’s single-handedly carrying the entire company!’

With his level of skill, he didn’t even need to run a company. He could just enter a few competitions, build up his reputation, and become a food critic or something similar.

’I just don’t get it!’

As soon as the car stopped, Chen Wenliang saw a steady stream of people moving in and out of the first-floor entrance of Delicious. They were all carrying various renovation materials.

’Is Boss Su expanding the business again?’

’So damn impressive!’

Shouldering his backpack, he entered the building and took the stairs straight to the second floor. He’d eaten here plenty of times before, so he was no stranger to Delicious’s layout.

"Old Ba? What are you doing here?"

Zhang the Second, who was shooting the breeze with Aunt Fang in the cafeteria, stared wide-eyed. "You’ve only been gone a few days. You already miss my buns?"

"Get outta here!" Chen the Eighth waved his hand dismissively. "Boss Su asked me to come help. Where is he?"

"Right here." Su Chen, figuring it was about time, had come up to the second floor. "Brother Ba, my apologies. Things got hectic, and I forgot to have someone pick you up."

Chen Wenliang was a straightforward person by nature. "Ah, don’t worry about it. So, what’s the plan? We starting now?"

Su Chen nodded. "Right here on the second floor will be fine."

The main ingredient for pastries is flour, and that was one thing the company had in spades.

As for the filling ingredients, that was left to Liu Shengnan. She and Bai Xiaobo were out procuring them today.

Leading Chen the Eighth into the kitchen, Su Chen started with a question.

"Brother Ba, I’ve tried a bunch of times, but every time I bake them, the pastries come out with a pockmarked surface instead of a smooth one. Any idea why?"

"It’s because you didn’t squeeze the air bubbles out when you were kneading the dough!" Old Ba said without hesitation. "Either that or the flour wasn’t dusted evenly. Boss Su, how about you make a batch while I watch?"

Su Chen replied, "Sure. I’ll make a batch, and you can tell me where I’m going wrong."

No matter how incredible the system was, it could only provide recipes and some skill-boosting tips. When it came to the art of dough work, experience was often far more valuable than theory.

Chen the Eighth watched Su Chen mix the high- and low-gluten flours. "Boss Su, I’d personally recommend a ratio of three parts high-gluten to seven parts low-gluten."

"Oh?"

When the topic turned to his area of expertise, Chen Wenliang instantly became animated. "High-gluten flour is high in protein, which makes it easy for air bubbles to form during fermentation. I forgot to mention that earlier since I didn’t realize you were mixing flours. I’d bet the pockmarked surface is because you’re using too much of the high-gluten stuff."

’That’s what you call a professional.’

As soon as Chen the Eighth explained it, Su Chen understood.

"Alright, I’ll try it with the new ratio."

After measuring out a new batch of flour with Chen Wenliang’s ratio, Su Chen went back to whipping lard and egg whites together, a simple enough task with an electric mixer.

He didn’t stop until the lard and egg whites were fully emulsified, turning a jade-white color.

When he saw Su Chen make a well in the flour to pour in the liquid, Chen Wenliang stopped him. "Boss Su, I have a suggestion..."

He glanced around the kitchen, then grabbed a fine-mesh sieve. "Why don’t you try sifting the flour through this instead?"

That was a new one on him. Unafraid to ask for clarification, Su Chen said, "Oh? Why’s that?"

"Sifting the flour doesn’t just filter out any lumps. More importantly, it makes the flour particles more uniform, giving them nearly the same density. That makes kneading much easier. You’ll see what I mean if you try it."

Su Chen did as he suggested.

He poured the flour mixture into the sieve and shook it gently. With each shake, a thin layer of flour fell into the bowl.

It drifted down onto the lard and egg white mixture.

When the sieve was nearly empty, Su Chen peered inside. "Hey, there really are some bigger clumps!"

"Yep. Flour is a powder, but there are bound to be some larger particles left over from the milling process. You wouldn’t notice them in something like noodles, but for delicate pastries, they can make a real difference."

’I’m learning so much!’

Su Chen knew asking Old Ba to consult had been the right call. He hadn’t even started kneading the dough and he’d already learned two crucial tips.

Then, Su Chen began to work the dough in the bowl of fat.

Watching Su Chen’s technique, Chen the Eighth clicked his tongue in approval. "Not bad at all, Boss Su. It’s only been a few days, and your kneading skills have already improved this much!"

The last time, when they were making pan-seared noodles, Su Chen had also kneaded dough on the fly a few times. Chen the Eighth could tell back then that Su Chen was a total novice when it came to dough work.

’But the man could already make so many delicious dishes, which was impressive enough. It was only natural that his dough skills weren’t on the same level. What chef could possibly master everything?’

But seeing him now, his technique, his strength—everything about how he kneaded the dough was a world away from last time. It made Old Ba marvel.

’Damn, this has to be what happens when you combine talent and hard work.’

’In fact, Chen Wenliang wouldn’t have been surprised if Boss Su had done nothing but secretly practice kneading dough every single day since he’d left Jingzhou.’