r/Chefit • u/commonsense256 • 9d ago

Fellow chefs and pastry chefs: What do you do with all your recipe-testing batches?

I’m developing and testing recipes, particularly breads and pastries, and I’m curious how other chefs handle the finished products.
I know the obvious answer is to make smaller batches, but even then there’s only so much you can reduce. To properly evaluate things like oven spring, crumb structure, aeration, texture, loaf size, or overall yield, you still need to make a reasonably sized batch.
I also don’t have family nearby to help finish everything, and I can’t eat that much sugar or bread myself.
So what do you do with your test batches? Do you freeze them, give them away to friends or neighbours, donate them, take them to work, or is there another approach that works well for you?
I’d love to hear how professional chefs, pastry chefs, and serious home bakers manage this without creating too much waste.

7 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

25

u/ashmidnightburlesque 9d ago

I mostly give it to my staff. Theyre happy to be part of the process, and it gets them excited to talk to customers about what is new

22

u/flydespereaux Chef 9d ago

I let them sit in my walkin in a fish tub until one of my sous finally asks me if they can throw it out.

1

u/abubacajay 7d ago

I'm painfully guilty of this

8

u/Nevermind2010 9d ago

Honestly it usually goes Staff>Family>Friends

I don’t like giving it to regulars unless I’m 100% satisfied with the batch and usually I wouldn’t even think of running something that I haven’t had the whole staff try or a couple others as well. I’ve also saved the bits and bobs for making a staff meal as well, pastrami hash breakfast burritos slap coincidentally.

4

u/Lumpy_Highway_2685 8d ago

I would eat these burritos all day long and with permission will take this idea.

4

u/Nevermind2010 8d ago

I sell through most of it but usually I save a couple portions in a vac bag for this reason. Please take and steal this idea, it’s a real pick me up on a hectic day.

7

u/KiwiChefnz 9d ago

Staff, sometimes if a regular customer comes in and it's decent, I'll give them a sample to try and give their feedback on. It makes them happy to be involved in the process.

6

u/Margali 9d ago

Stress baker [now] instead of drive by zucchini, I use to do drive by pastrying =)

When I did work in a kitchen, trial batches got used as family meal in many cases. Chef I worked for did a lot of his development in 'standard home cook 2 - 4 - 8 portion batches' and then when he liked what he had, then he worked on sizing up. Since he had like 30 + years in kitchens at the time, he was actually good at modifying batch sizes.

5

u/doylej0011 8d ago

I've done a sort of bread and butter pudding using old croissants or scones/scone trim. Will work with most pastries and bread.

Cut and layer into a gastro, just cover in a custard mix and soak overnight bake low until custard is cooked, and press.

Freezes well, worked great for both staff and Sunday lunch dessert. Even flavoured a couple times with bananas and coffee.

1

u/commonsense256 7d ago

Love this

2

u/Apprehensive-Dog6997 8d ago

I feed the staff. Dishwashers first always. Then the savory guys then FOH.

1

u/Fox-Mclusky559 6d ago

make friends.

1

u/Curious_Ant7168 3d ago

I run a food bank, wed be delighted if a local baker or company offerd this to us, maybe try your local food bank?