Baking & Pastry Articles
Craft, technique, and the kind of detail that makes a real difference at the bench.
Why Your Pastry Dough Keeps Shrinking in the Tin
A close look at the structural reasons behind shrinking pastry, and what most home bakers overlook when lining tart cases.
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The Flat Cake Problem: What Goes Wrong with Leavening
An analytical breakdown of why cakes fail to rise properly, focusing on the chemistry of leavening agents and the timing errors that undermine them.
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Bread Crust Too Pale: Understanding Maillard Failures at Home
Why home-baked bread often comes out with a soft, pale crust instead of a deep golden one, and the specific oven conditions responsible.
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Choux Pastry Collapse: What the Structure Actually Depends On
A detailed look at why choux pastry deflates after baking, with a focus on the moisture and protein interactions that determine whether it holds its shape.
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Why Buttercream Breaks and How to Read the Signs Early
An analytical guide to the temperature and emulsification conditions that cause buttercream to split, curd, or turn greasy during mixing.
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About the Journal
Tableandplate covers baking and pastry from a practical standpoint - fermentation timings, lamination faults, temperature variables, and the decisions that separate a consistent result from a lucky one.
Each article is written with a working kitchen in mind. The focus is on process and material behaviour rather than trends. Since 2017, the journal has published pieces that hold up over time.
Meet the AuthorWhat gets covered.
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Dough structure and gluten development
Articles examining hydration levels, mixing methods, and how flour protein content affects final crumb structure in enriched and lean doughs.
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Laminated pastry technique
Detailed breakdowns of croissant and puff pastry processes - butter temperature, fold counts, and the specific points where things go wrong and why.
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Sugar work and confectionery
Caramel stages, pulled sugar, and the chemistry behind crystallisation - written for bakers who want to understand the material rather than just follow steps.
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Fermentation and sourdough
Starter maintenance, bulk fermentation timing, and how ambient temperature shifts affect the final loaf - with specific numbers rather than vague guidance.