Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 976 - 480: Never Eaten Pork, But Seen a Pig Run

"The first thing to learn in kneading dough is applying force skillfully, using gentle strength. It's not just pressing outwards with both palms and pulling back. During kneading, you need to use your tactile senses to judge the dough's status. Take buns for example, whether you want chewy buns or soft and fluffy buns depends on the dough's status. This is all about feeling; you need to sense it, you know what I mean..."

Qin Huai didn't finish his classic sensory explanation because he saw the confusion in An Youyou's eyes.

Zhao Cheng'an, seeing Qin Huai and An Youyou turning a simple bun lesson into a confusion, commented with a wry tone: "What Qin Huai means by 'feeling' is the final result the dough needs to achieve, whether you're close to the end result or not. If you're close, you have the feeling; if not, you don't. If the dough is too hard, knead it softer; if it's too soft, find a way to firm it up. Too many air bubbles indicate a problem in technique and need to be kneaded out. If everything seems almost right, but still slightly off, it suggests an issue with the fermentation time. Keep trying, and have someone watch you as you practice."

An Youyou: !

Qin Huai: !

"I understand, thank you, Master Qin. I'll go knead dough right away," said An Youyou excitedly.

"Don't rush back just yet. Watch Qin Huai knead dough more. His movements are quite standard, as long as he slows down a bit. At your current level, you can definitely learn a lot. In snack making, theoretical knowledge is secondary. Don't pay too much attention to those recipes with their fancy details about where to exert force or how to knead circles. It's all fluff. The most important part is practice, and everyone's actions and habits are different. A hundred or a thousand words from a master can't compare to watching them do it once in front of you. Since Qin Huai is focusing on basic snacks these days, it's a rare opportunity you shouldn't miss. Who else spends time on plain white buns every day?"

"When Qin Huai first came to Zhiwei Restaurant, determined to seriously learn Finger Skill, he honestly watched Master Zhou and me make basic snacks for two days. Do you think you can be an exception? There's no shame in imitation, and it's no shame if your imitation isn't perfect either. Do you know why you can tell a master and their pupil, or brothers from the same school, at a glance? Because their techniques and habitual movements are the same, taught by the same master."

"Why can self-taught methods be spotted easily? Because if you learn various random techniques, you'll develop many irregular habits that are hard to change, nor do they need changing. Of course, there are exceptions, like Qin Huai and me; our movements and techniques are quite standard with almost no personal habits."

"Because of this, you must watch Qin Huai make snacks more. Where else can you find such standard techniques? You started by taking an unorthodox approach and are now transitioning to a formal one. It's a period when you're prone to feeling out of place. These textbook techniques from Qin Huai and me are your best teaching direction for a seamless transition."

Zhao Cheng'an went on and on, speaking a long stretch, and An Youyou kept nodding. Seeing An Youyou nodding continuously, Zhao Cheng'an transformed into a teaching mode and asked:

"Tell me, what did you just understand?"

An Youyou immediately replied, "My job now is to watch you and Master Qin make buns. Your skills are excellent, and I shouldn't practice recklessly on my own. Watching you and learning from you is the right approach."

Zhao Cheng'an nodded in satisfaction, showing an expression of 'a promising pupil,' and further probed, "Do you have any more questions now?"

"Just a small issue," said An Youyou. "What if I don't understand when watching, and can't imitate it correctly myself?"

"At Yunzhong Restaurant, I also frequently watched Master Pei and Master Li make snacks, but often couldn't grasp their techniques."

"If you don't understand, ask. If you can't pinpoint exactly what you don't understand, ask them everything, even if it means talking and gesturing. A master's role is not to teach but to demonstrate and answer questions. Truly teaching, no one can guarantee they can teach well, as they aren't professional instructors from a teacher's college. There are many masters who can't teach properly."

"However, everyone can answer questions. Without a professional to provide answers, you'd go astray and make mistakes. But if someone can answer your questions, you can follow a proper path, which is precisely the role of a master."

An Youyou was enlightened.

Qin Huai was enlightened too.

At that moment, Zhao Cheng'an exuded the golden light of a top-notch teacher.

Qin Huai immediately recognized what he should do, as it was a perfect fit for him.

Following Zhao Cheng'an's method, Qin Huai could continue practicing skillfully while teaching An Youyou how to make snacks, effectively guiding her to become an excellent breakfast shop master without revealing his lack of actual teaching skill.

Qin Huai continued to intensely practice the basics.

An Youyou watched Qin Huai making various basic breakfast snacks until 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., it was Master Zhou's teaching time. Since Qin Huai started intensely practicing, his practice with Finger Skill and laminated dough snacks had significantly decreased, but Master Zhou still continued teaching.

The two took turns teaching, deciding what to teach based on their mood, the duration of the lessons was also based on their mood, and their teaching methods were quite random.