That baker who yelled at me for using cold eggs in my buttercream

I was taking a weekend class at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont two years ago and this older baker named Helen just stopped my hand mid-crack. She said 'you're ruining the emulsion before it even starts' and made me warm the eggs in a water bath for 8 minutes. The difference in the final frosting was night and day, but her tone stuck with me more than the tip. Has anyone else gotten chewed out by a pro and actually appreciated it later?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_craig1d ago

That reminds me of when I took a pie class at a small bakery in Maine. The instructor caught me using a metal bowl for my pie dough and she literally pulled the bowl out of my hands and tossed it in the sink. She said the metal conducts heat and will melt the butter before you even get the flour mixed in. She made me start over with a glass bowl that had been sitting in the freezer. I was so embarrassed but now I only use cold glass or ceramic bowls for pastry. That one move saved me from years of sad, tough pie crusts.

mary83618h ago

Huh, I always thought metal was fine but this totally changes my mind.