LAS VEGAS –Today’s consumers are constantly seeking validation for their food choices, and when it comes to indulgent pastries, the more permission they can be granted, the better they’ll feel.
For many pastry bakers, savory pastries can achieve that goal.
During a demonstration today at the International Artisan Bakery Expo, being held Aug. 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Solveig Tofte, owner of Sun Street Breads in Minneapolis, mentioned that savory pastries — especially those that tout vegetable fillings — are very popular for that reason. Consumers can feel better about eating buttery pastries when they pack a veggie punch.
“We have strong ties with our farmer’s market, so we use a lot of veggies in our products,” Tofte said. “The trend we see is really what’s in season, and vegetables are always good. We’re all butter all the time, but I also think people like to feel good about what they’re eating.”
During her demo, she shared formulating and production tips for several items including focaccia bundles, a popular pastry at Sun Street. It’s a technique she learned to master while working with Craig Ponsford, owner of Ponsford’s Place in San Rafael, CA, and bakery coordinator and consultant at the Artisan Baking Center and Central Milling in San Rafael.
Although Tofte develops her dough by hand onsite, savory bundles can made from commercially produced or frozen dough and are a great way to use up any savory ingredients in a foodservice establishment.
“You can slough off anything savory you want for these,” she said. “You can just pull frozen squares out in the morning, let them thaw out and put the fillings in, let them proof and they’re ready to go.”
Tofte recently discovered Artisan Fleurage, a new topping and inclusion application from Lesaffre Corp. that is available in Seeds or Artisan Semolina varieties, to top the bundles prior to the bake.
During the demo, she used the Seeds variety to top the pastries. “I really like the texture contrast they add,” she noted.
According to Lesaffre’s proprietary research, consumers are seeking more sensory experiences with their foods, and Artisan Fleurage can add a crispy texture to the top of artisan products such as these savory focaccia bundles.
Fleurage is also a good alternative for vegan applications because it offers an umami taste that can’t be easily achieved in a vegan formula.
The Seeds won a 2020 Flavor of the Year award in France, according to Lesaffre.
“Our main goal is to make sure our customers’ palates don’t get bored,” Tofte said. “There should be flavor up front, flavor in the middle and a good finish.”
To learn more about the artisan topping, visit Lesaffre’s website.
