“Naturally. My pastry store collects for everybody” the elements and procedures to organize sweets, fried and leavened
Antonella Silvestri
June 6, 2024 at 08:34
In “Naturally. My pastry store for everybody” (revealed by Mondadori Electa) Damiano Carrara was in a position to mix the Italian custom of pastry making with modern wants, paying specific consideration to the “gluten free” theme. The pages of the e-book include quite a lot of desserts, fried and leavened merchandise that fulfill not solely probably the most demanding palates but in addition the wants of those that should observe a gluten-free food plan. Inside the recipe e-book, readers will discover clear and detailed directions, together with invaluable recommendation on different flours, starches, thickeners and yeasts allowed for individuals who should keep away from gluten. This method permits anybody to get their fingers on issues, whether or not to have fun particular events or get pleasure from a culinary expertise that evokes recollections or culinary journeys to distant lands.
Damiano Carrara, born in 1985 in Lucca, started his skilled profession within the Tuscan metropolis, earlier than shifting to California in 2008. Right here, collectively along with his brother Massimiliano, he opened the pastry retailers Carrara Pastries, constructing a strong confectionery empire . On account of his expertise and dedication he created an import-export firm to convey the perfect merchandise from Italy to his pastry retailers and a centralized kitchen to make sure the standard of his creations. His tv profession started in america, but it surely was in Italy that Damiano gained widespread fame, as a choose on Bake Off Italia on Actual Time in 2017. Since then, he has hosted varied packages similar to “Cake Star. Pastry retailers in a problem”, “Recipes an dreamer”, “Fuori Menù” and “Tarabaralla So long as there’s dessert there’s hope” on Meals Community Italia. Since 2023 he has been a part of the solid of the present “È Semper Mezzo” broadcast on Rai Uno and in 2024 he’ll take part within the journey sport “Pechino Specific” on Sky Uno.
In 2021, Damiano realized a dream by opening a pastry store in Lucca, the Atelier Damiano Carrara, which he manages along with his spouse Chiara. The atelier presents a variety of utterly gluten-free merchandise, reflecting the couple’s dedication to creating pastries accessible to all, with out compromising on high quality.
Damiano, what impressed you to write down a contemporary pastry recipe e-book accessible to all, together with those that should observe a gluten-free food plan?
«First, it’s a pastry e-book and it’s accessible to everybody. Better of all, it is all gluten-free. Let’s simply say that it displays a little bit of the pastry making philosophy that I’ve been pursuing for nearly three years since I opened the atelier. I wished it to be a e-book the place everybody might make desserts and everybody might eat it, so a complete e-book in each method, proper?”.
How did you select the elements and substitutes for the gluten free recipes?
«It’s years of examine as a result of virtually having the ability to exchange gluten, due to this fact flour or cereals inside that flour, is all the time troublesome, so we all the time attempt to have a combination of corn flours freed from gluten like oats, wheat flour, brown rice. rice flour, millet flour, all gluten free flour due to this fact inside, then blended with a proportion of starch, starch that may be corn, tapioca, or starch. In any case we all the time attempt to make a mixture of this type”
Have been there any specific challenges in sustaining conventional flavors and textures?
«The a part of the leavened merchandise was very advanced, particularly in relation to the a part of the croissants and the croissants as a result of there isn’t a gluten, with out this bond that’s shaped naturally because of the protein contained in the wheat and its would give the elasticity of the product. In our case, working with gluten-free, we work with starches. Starches clearly attempt to replicate what gluten does, simply not in the identical method as a result of they gel and, by evaporation, entice a small quantity of air. However then when doubled, they fail to triple and all the time are likely to deflate. That is why you’ll want to make a reasonably mushy dough and attempt to work it inside a container so far as porridge merchandise are involved. For some merchandise similar to shortcrust pastries, muffins, sponge muffins, whipped plenty, some fried merchandise it was quite simple as a result of I changed 70 % rice flour and 30 % with corn starch and it isn’t even seen. ..”.
Among the many recipes within the e-book, is there one that you simply significantly like or that displays your favourite pastry-making philosophy?
«I’ve no doubts: the recipes within the final chapter are all related to creating my pastries. The muffins that stand out to me, fashionable desserts and in addition some classics, are those I current to my clients every single day. For these new to pastry making, it is enjoyable as a result of there are such a lot of completely different preparations.”
What recommendation would you give to these about to make gluten-free pastries for the primary time?
«My suggestion is to begin with some fundamentals, that’s, to grasp what’s gluten and what’s gluten-free and, above all, why sure selections are made. My e-book is certainly helpful as a result of it permits you to examine the entire a part of starches, together with the a part of substitute flour in comparison with these with gluten. I like to recommend just a little examine and testing with a prescription all the time available. And, with this, my e-book may help rather a lot.”
What are the widespread errors to keep away from?
« These associated to changing the flour with different gluten-free flour, for instance in the event you attempt to take 00 flour in a porridge product and attempt to exchange it with gluten-free rice flour, it’s clear that it isn’t it’s binding and due to this fact it could by no means be binding. the identical factor. In my e-book there are indications and options on this sense.”
The place do you discover inspiration for brand spanking new taste mixtures and methods?
«Somewhat in every single place, generally within the night earlier than going to sleep, generally from nature itself… Once I stroll down a hill and discover some lemon balm leaves it makes you consider choosing them up and mixing them with one thing. For instance, the opposite day I made lemon balm liqueur to attempt a brand new dessert. Our herbs, all seasonal produce are those that give me probably the most inspiration. I wish to work on seasonal merchandise and mix them collectively. I imagine that we get inspiration from every thing, from what we do in the course of the day, from the locations we go to in our life and, so far as processing methods are involved, we all the time attempt to renew them by dedicating ourselves to ‘the reorganization of the work system,. take note of the occasions, enhance and strengthen them”.
Do you assume gluten-free pastry making has influenced conventional pastry making?
«In my view it mustn’t have an effect on it, I merely say which you can make gluten free pastry and never notice it’s gluten free. You can not assume: “I make pastries for everybody and anybody eats the identical “processed” dessert…”.
What impressed you to dedicate your self to this area of interest?
“We had been in quarantine in the course of the Covid interval and I used to be fascinated with opening the place. It was my dream to open the atelier along with my spouse who’s, amongst different issues, celibate. The truth is, the inspiration and the chance got here exactly because of this. After we obtained out to eat, it usually occurred within the restaurant that we had been all completely happy and it was all the time left empty. He needed to settle, each time, for a salad or a packaged product. So I believed I wished to create one thing that might be good for everybody: a gluten-free and lactose-free pastry too…
Have you ever acquired very helpful suggestions from those that have already tried your recipes?
«All of the individuals are very completely happy. Most need recipes. They ship me images of muffins made, very, very lovely. The e-book has had a very good response, it means we have completed a very good job.”
After this e-book, do you have got different initiatives in thoughts associated to gluten free pastries or pastry making generally?
«I’m working on this planet of pastries generally, whether or not gluten or gluten-free, making a dedication to take away sugars at any time when potential to create an more and more lighter product. In our pastry store the tiramisu doesn’t even attain 180 energy and which means the sugars are very low. The precept is to create a product that’s gluten free however as wholesome as potential on the identical time. These days folks need balanced desserts and the palate can be refined for many individuals. You must create a very good product that you do not really feel responsible about in the long run, invent your self and take a look at new mixtures. Amongst my initiatives is the opening of different facilities all through Italy and I don’t rule out different components of the world as nicely. We’re working diligently to convey our venture overseas and proceed to broaden the atelier.”