Laminated doughs

This week I started a new course in laminated doughs/puff doughs, and we finally were able to move up to the 5th floor and switchs chefs. Laminated doughs can be a big pain in the butt when you first start them and they are so time consuming. Its called laminated because there is a butter (beurrage) part and a dough(detrempe) part and either you incase the beurrage in the detrempe or the detrempe in the beurrage. I prefer working with inverse dough which is detrempe incased in the beurrage, since the beurrage has flour added to it and makes for a more workable dough when pulled from the walk in. A lot of people prefer ordinary puff dough because they think it's easier, but the finished product looks nicer with inverse in my opinion. Once one is incased around the other you fold it with either tri-fold or 4-fold to get a mellifuille look or 1000 layers. After evey time you roll out and make another fold, you have to chill the paton(package) to ensure layers wont leak. After all turns are finished you roll or sheet out the dough to 3mm thick and cut out shapes to make your products and chill again... basically you chill after everytime you handle the dough, it get old real quick! We made all sorts of things this week, turnovers filled with an apple compote, fruit bands with pastry creme and fresh fruit, creme horns, jalousie, palmiers, cheese straws, chausson with apple compote, vol au vents filled with a mushroom newburd, bouchees filled with mushroom newburg, and pithiviers filled with almond creme ( this was my favorite). For our practical yesterday, in 4 hrs we had to laminate a puff dough of our choice and make one 8 inch pithivier, 4 apple turnovers, 4 bouchees filled with our choice, 4 vol au vents filled with pastry creme and topped with fruit. I wish I would have taken more pictures, especially of my products yesterday. I was the first one done with the best production, I also got the higest score of 95 and boths chefs in the class gave be wonderful comments. I was so happy! I can see such a huge improvement it everything I do, especially my work speed and efficiency, from when I started. Here is a picture of apple turnovers and chaussons from tuesday or wednesday, I really wish I would have taken pictures of yesterdays products, especially my vol au vents (they were gorgeous).