Posted by Gerard on May 29, 1997 at 00:14:42:
In Reply to: Re: Cheesecakes=Custard posted by Hans on May 28, 1997 at 20:30:36:
: : : Greetings to everyone! My name is Ashlyn and I'm in the process of starting a dessert catering business in Savannah. Does anyone know what the internal temperature of a cheesecake should be when it is finished?
:
: Ashlyn,
: A cheesecake is a custard by any definition and even counting the density of the creamcheese and initial temperature of ingredients (cold), should take only slightly longer than a true custard that was tempered. Since eggs have finished cagulating at 180ºF, it makes no sense to bake or poach it any longer than that. Anything past that and the product will be rubber with grit & holes. The fat in the creamcheese will be somewhat forgiving however.
: To bake it by feel or touch like a custard is not very reliable.
: The only thing that works is to time it. Start with 45 minutes to one hour, take the internal temperature with a calibrated thermometer until you reach close to 180ºF. Keep in mind that the temperature will rise 5ºF or so, after removal from the oven.
: Chill & check the next day. Then, if satisfied with the results, use the same time & temperature until shop conditions change.
: Sincerely,
: HWK, CMC
:
It depends what level skill you have, the more competant the less you need to rely on thermometers, I've never heard of baking with a thermometer and wouldn't teach it.I think thats guarenteeing a person will never develop the skill needed to work in a bakeshop.
Relying on touch , feel and looks is how we do it in bakeries, a baker has that skill. If I had to use those methods I'd never get through the day, its OK if all you do is bake cheesecake but I typically have 4 or5 different products in the ovens all the time, I never overbake but then I'm skilled and well trained. Imagine 5 different time clocks and trying to keep track. help!
And we NEVER bake by time, we take it out when its done, not when a clock says so. I have no clock in the kitchen, don't know how long exactly it takes to bake anything.
Maybe in a factory they do that but I don't call that baking, thats more like mfgering.
Its easy to over analyse and whilst cooking might be an art and baking a science the temptation is to turn it into rocket science, I prefer to keep it simple because it is.
Better to learn how to bake.!
You ever see a bricklayer using string to align his row of bricks? thats because he doesn't have the skill to work by eye.
Is CMC cert'master chef? , aren't you supposed to be a baker to be a master chef ? I was told that when I was apprenticing to be a (true) chef you need to take 2 years pastry. By 'take' I mean apprentice not academic. I told that to the chef at Le Mridien and he got kinda defensive. (hehe)