At number 26, VÃa Augusta in Barcelona, ​​the window of a well-known electrical appliance store draws attention these days above the rest: a large edible chocolate oven with all the details of a real one captures the eyes of passers-by. It is a tribute by the singular Christian Escribà to such an essential appliance for pastry chefs, who well know that, beyond a recipe or the quality of the ingredients, the final result of their creations is due to their cooking process.
To recreate the device, Escribà has used 50 kg of 70% dark chocolate and 2 kg of white chocolate in a process that has lasted four days, including heating the chocolate, placing it in a mold, unmolding it, polishing it and decorating it to make it look like a baking oven. TRUE. It is the first time that the pastry chef has built an edible oven, which measures 59.6 cm high by 59.5 cm wide and almost 57 cm deep. These are the actual measurements of the Combined Steam Oven, manufactured by the Miele brand, in which we have started this story. The copy is so faithful that it even has the same removable tray, the grill or the folding glass door.
Why this sweet tribute to an oven? It is useless to choose the best ingredients and pastry techniques if the baking process is not taken into account, which is what will determine the texture, flavor and final appearance of the cakes.
When making cakes, it is not only important to find the ideal temperature for each product, but also the precise humidity at each moment of cooking. A good part of that secret and what makes the difference in the finish is in the steam blows.
The good news: playing with this humidity during cooking, anyone with the instructions, the formula and the ingredients, can achieve the results of a professional pastry chef or baker in yeast doughs such as roscón, bread, brioche, panettone, etc.
By incorporating the burst of steam when the dough is placed in the oven, a glossy and shiny finish is achieved, with a golden color and a more homogeneous appearance. It also provides a fluffier and juicier crumb. That is why it is essential to choose a suitable oven.
To achieve professional results in all dishes, from golden dough to more tender and juicy meats, “the steam must be distributed evenly and quickly, in addition to achieving extra moisture.” To achieve professional results in all dishes, from golden dough to more tender and juicy meats, “the steam must be distributed evenly and quickly, in addition to achieving extra moisture.”
This is possible thanks to the “MonoSteam†and “Climate†functions, which the Miele DGC combi-steam oven has precisely. The programs of this steam oven are automatic to facilitate the preparation of the dishes. Through connectivity via the Miele@home app, you can control your preparation from your mobile phone or tablet.
Returning for a moment to Escribà ‘s edible oven, there is yet another surprise. On the occasion of Sant Jordi, this pastry chef who represents the perfect communion between tradition and modernity, in line with the brand of household appliances, gives us an exclusive recipe for vanilla cupcakes, which we can see inside the chocolate oven.
If, at this point, the reader has been awakened by the itch to enter the kitchen and get down to work with a pastry recipe, it is clear that the chocolate delicacies, such as the curious oven, are left in the hands of Christian Scribe. But we can prepare the cupcakes with Christian’s own recipe and the trick of steam blows and perhaps celebrate this Sant Jordi by debuting as “professional” pastry chefs.
