ACF CWPC cheat sheet

Gluten forms when wheat flour proteins (glutenin and gliadin) hydrate and are worked; higher-protein flours (bread flour ~12–14%) yield stronger gluten than cake flour (~7–9%).

Laminated doughs (puff, croissant, Danish) alternate butter and dough layers; steam from butter moisture and fat separation create lift, so butter must stay plastic and cold (about 15–20°C/60–68°F) during turns.

Creaming butter and sugar incorporates air; butter at 18–21°C/65–70°F creams best-too warm and the emulsion breaks, too cold and it won't aerate.

Egg foams: whipping egg whites incorporates air; cream of tartar or lemon juice lowers pH and stabilizes the foam; copper bowls or acid help prevent over-coagulation.

Starches gelatinize in the 60–95°C (140–203°F) range depending on starch type; amylose retrogradation causes staling and syneresis (weeping) in chilled fillings.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) needs acid to react and releases CO2 immediately; baking powder contains its own acid and releases gas in two stages (moisture and heat).

Maillard browning occurs between reducing sugars and amino acids above ~140°C/285°F; caramelization of sucrose begins around 160–170°C/320–340°F.

Yeast fermentation produces CO2 and ethanol; dough temperature should be controlled (often 24–27°C/75–80°F) because fermentation rate roughly doubles per 8–10°C/15–18°F increase.

Plating rule of thirds: place the main component off-center on a thirds intersection; keep the rim clean and leave negative space.

Contrast on a plate should pair at least two of texture (crisp/creamy), temperature (warm/cold), and flavor (sweet/acid or bitter).

Ganache ratio by weight: 1:1 cream:chocolate for glaze/dipping, 2:1 for soft truffle filling, 1:2 for firm cut ganache.

Pâte à choux is cooked twice: the panade is dried on the stove until a film forms, then eggs are added until the batter forms a V when the paddle is lifted.

Crème anglaise is cooked to 82–85°C/180–185°F (nappe stage); above ~85°C/185°F egg proteins coagulate and the custard curdles.

Italian meringue: sugar syrup cooked to 118–121°C/244–250°F is streamed into whipping egg whites, which cooks and stabilizes the foam.

Tempered chocolate: dark chocolate is brought to ~45–50°C/113–122°F, cooled to ~27–28°C/80–82°F, then brought to ~31–32°C/88–90°F working temperature for snap and shine.

Portion control and yield: a 20 cm/8 in round cake split into three layers and cut into 10 slices yields 30 portions before trim loss.

Temperature danger zone is 5–57°C/41–135°F; time as a public health control limits food to 4 hours cumulative in this zone before discard.

Cold holding must be at or below 5°C/41°F; hot holding at or above 57°C/135°F.

Cook poultry to 74°C/165°F, ground meat to 71°C/160°F, whole-muscle pork/beef to 63°C/145°F with a 3-minute rest, and fish to 63°C/145°F.

Cool cooked food from 57°C/135°F to 21°C/70°F within 2 hours and then to 5°C/41°F within a total of 6 hours.

Handwashing: wet hands, apply soap, scrub at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with a single-use towel; required before work, after restroom, after handling raw animal foods, and after touching the face or phone.

Cross-contamination control: color-coded cutting boards (e.g., red for raw meat, green for produce, yellow for cooked poultry) and separate storage of raw animal foods below ready-to-eat items.

Sanitizer concentrations: chlorine 50–100 ppm, quaternary ammonium 200–400 ppm, iodine 12.5–25 ppm; test strips verify concentration.

Personal hygiene and exclusion: food handlers with vomiting or diarrhea must be excluded; hand lesions must be covered with an impermeable bandage and glove.

Baker's percentage: flour = 100%; every other ingredient is expressed as (ingredient weight ÷ flour weight) × 100.

Yield percentage = edible portion weight ÷ as-purchased weight × 100; as-purchased quantity = edible portion ÷ yield percentage.

Edible portion cost = as-purchased cost ÷ yield percentage; use this to compare true cost of trimmed or peeled ingredients.

Menu price using food cost percentage: price = portion cost ÷ target food cost %; a 30% target on a $2.40 portion cost gives $8.00.

Portion cost = total recipe cost ÷ number of portions; total recipe cost is the sum of (ingredient quantity × unit cost) for all ingredients.

Contribution margin = selling price − variable (portion) cost; use it to rank items by profitability rather than by food cost percentage alone.

Standardized recipe scaling: multiply each ingredient by the scaling factor (new yield ÷ old yield); note that leavening, salt, and spice may need non-linear adjustment at large scales.

Inventory turnover = cost of goods sold ÷ average inventory value; a low turnover signals overstock and potential spoilage in perishable pastry ingredients.

Mise en place is the advance preparation and organization of ingredients and tools before service; it reduces errors and ticket times.

The brigade de cuisine assigns stations (e.g., pastry chef, commis, demi-chef); clear station ownership reduces duplication and gaps during service.

HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and recordkeeping.

Labor cost percentage = labor cost ÷ total sales × 100; combined prime cost = food cost + labor cost, typically targeted below ~65% of sales.

Par levels set the minimum on-hand quantity to cover expected demand between deliveries; reorder point = average daily usage × lead time + safety stock.

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) document repeatable steps; they support training, consistency, and audit readiness.

Allergen management requires documented ingredient checks, dedicated tools, and clear communication of the 'Big 9' allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame).

Professional communication in the kitchen uses 'yes, chef' acknowledgment, call-backs for orders, and 'behind'/'hot'/'sharp' safety calls to prevent collisions and burns.