I’m looking for an in‑person, hands‑on lamination refresher grounded in classical French technique — think feuilletage inversé, precise dough temperature control (24°C mix, 4°C rest), and 84% beurre de tourage — sometime in March for 4–5 days. If you’ve attended INBP Rouen, École Lenôtre (Rungis), or Ferrandi’s viennoiserie intensive recently, how was the rigor, class size, and butter/flour spec (T45/T55), and would you recommend one for an experienced pâtissier updating a teaching syllabus?
I’ve had better luck with AEB‑L around 60 HRC for a “15° edge on a ceramic rod every 30–40 minutes” — it holds bite without chipping if you add a tiny 17–18° micro‑bevel.
For segregation, I use LC200N around 59 HRC with an autoclavable polypropylene sheath that’s permanently green and embossed ‘HALAL ONLY’; it tolerates 82°C dip tanks and bleach without pitting, so sanitizing stays simple. If budget matters, 14C28N is a solid downgrade that just needs a few more touch-ups. Are you running a hot-water sterilizer or sticking to chem-only between runs?
Did École Lenôtre (Rungis) last March — 4 days, 9 people — very strict on ‘24°C mix’ and ‘4°C rest’ with 84% beurre de tourage. My one tip: keep an IR thermometer in your pocket and lock in only when both détrempe and beurrage read 13–15°C, otherwise the 84% butter either smears or fractures. Rigor was excellent; just note the tuition is on the high side and English support depends on the chef that week.
Ferrandi’s viennoiserie intensive last spring was 5 days with 8 students, very rigorous — “température pâte d’abord” all day, with feuilletage inversé on a tight schedule. Tip: bring a fast‑read needle probe alongside the IR, @leo_baker92, since they check dough core after the first lock‑in and won’t move on if you’re above about 18–19°C; keep 84% tourage around 16–17°C so it bends, not sighs. Caveat: the pace is brisk, so if you want more one‑on‑one, INBP Rouen felt a touch slower.
I did INBP Rouen in March — 5 days, 10 students — super strict on “24°C mix,” 4°C rests, and 84% tourage. , the only snag was the room creeping warm after lunch, so ask to laminate near the retarder and bring a needle probe, not just IR, to check core temp on feuilletage inversé. @amelia_bake2023 is right about watching temps; I also ask for butter blocks pre‑chilled to 6–8°C to keep layers clean.