“I actually used to work in the dairy section of the hotel and I had my own job to do. But the moment I caught glimpse of all the baking action everything else lost its luster. I used to continuously peek through the window on the kitchen door. Sometimes I would even get a good telling off but it didn’t bother me. I was enamored with baking. Eventually the head chef gave up and let me in,” recalls Dahal with a chuckle.
In hindsight, that has certainly proved to be a good decision for all those who have a sweet tooth. Hygiene Bakery has a solid eight year of history and the Baker’s Den has also become quite the popular spot for all those on a quick coffee break.
Their croissants, in particular, are always in great demand. They apparently make 300-400 pieces of multiple varieties (plain, cheese, cream to pineapple) of croissants each and sell out every single day. Then there are the macaroons. Again here too you are spoilt with choices. Do you fancy various fruit flavors? Or would you like a taste of coffee in your macaroons? Perhaps, green tea? Almost nobody can resist picking a couple once they step into the bakery.
The popular spot allowed The Week a behind the scene access into all the measuring, sifting, and stirring that goes on in their kitchen.
When the light kicks in
‘Sweet, sweet Connie’ in Grand Funk Railroad hit dies at 66
We do have generators but it is already being used excessively these days. So whenever we have electricity, it’s a mad rush. We all get into gear. We have a staff of 10-12 and because of the fuel and electricity problem, we have to go the extra mile. At the moment, we officially have two shifts, evening and night. It begins from 10 pm. We knead the dough, prepare the mixtures throughout the night till 6 am. After that we have a two hour break and then everybody is back at 8 am. That’s when we start on the pastries for the day.
Chill, roll, rest
Croissants are one food item you just cannot rush with. It often takes a day after the preparation of the item to actually put it into the oven. We knead the dough, freeze it for 12 hours, knead or fold it with butter again and allow it to rest for another 12 hours, then chill it again. Bottom line: give yourself more time than you think for all the chilling, rolling and resting. Baking the dough right out of the fridge may cause the butter to seep out as butter melts at a significantly lower temp than the dough rises. If you are attempting this at home, good luck! This is a tricky one to master which is actually why when you do get it right, it feels pretty awesome.
The chocolate factor
If you want to give your homemade cake that professional look, two words: chocolate ganache. It is actually quite easy to make. All you need is cream and chocolate. The chef at Baker’s Den recommend fresh cream from dairy whereas chocolate is concerned, dark is the way to go. Now first heat the cream and melt the chocolate in it. You don’t actually need to boil or even simmer the cream to make ganache; it simply needs to be hot enough to melt the chocolate. Once melted give it a nice stir till it reaches the consistency you like. If you plan on pouring the ganache over a cake, pie, or pastry, it will need to be loose enough to flow but thick enough to stay on the pastry.
It’s also important to use your ganache while it’s at the right temperature for whatever you’re making. A still-warm ganache will pour beautifully over a cake and settle into a smooth glaze. If it’s too warm, though, it may be too loose and simply run right off; if it’s too cool, it will start to stiffen and won’t pour at all.
All things sweet and bright
Baker’s den follows a very simple philosophy while making their menu; they stick with what customers follow the most. Macaroons, the delicate and finicky French sandwich cookies certainly make the list. For many Nepalis, they still are a rather exotic treat.
If you have wondered what they are made of, the correct answer would be ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar. Perhaps the best part of this treat is that the possibilities for fillings are endless, but again, another challenging task stands before you. Baking after all is mostly science so achieving the right consistency is key. Sticking to your recipe completely is definitely recommended. Almond meal (finely ground almonds) will save you a lot of time, but you can also use regular almonds that you can grind yourself with a food processor. They do not have to be blanched.
Another secret: other nuts such as pistachios or hazelnuts also work so you can have some fun experimenting.
Text: Priyanka Gurung
Photos: Pratik Rayamajhi
