The table below provides additional information about different complex processes for the School-assessed Task (Unit 4, Area of Study 1). It includes the stages and decision making involved in the complex processes, examples of foods produced using each particular complex process and examples of related foods or processes that could not be considered complex.
Unit 4, Area of study 1, Implementing a design plan, key skills includes ‘use appropriate techniques, including simple to more complex processes’. What are complex processes? Please provide a list of complex processes.
Response:
Complex processes refer to ‘hands-on processes’ that typically involve (a series of) decision making that directly affects an outcome (usually the food product that results from combining ingredients, equipment and processes). Selection of the correct processes and application of these processes is paramount to the success of the outcome. This may include, for example, timing/addition of ingredients, order of addition of ingredients and rate of addition of ingredients that are critical to the outcome, and often includes making a judgement on cooking times, or application of the exact amount of heat (for example, to achieve a rolling boil for jam).
The following is not an exhaustive list of complex processes; rather it provides typical examples of frequently used complex processes used in production work in VCE Food and Technology. The table also indicates the conditions under which a process or food can not be considered complex.
|Process |Stages and decision making in the complex process |Examples of foods produced|Not a complex |
| | |using this process |process |
|Pastry making |Short crust pastry |Shortcrust pasty |Making a pasty from |
| |Correct proportion of ingredients | |a pre-prepared |
| |Rubbing-in of shortening |Puff pastry |pastry mix |
| |Judgement of liquid ingredients | | |
| |Kneading |Rough puff pastry |Using frozen pastry |
| |Resting/gluten relaxation | | |
| |Rolling |Choux pastry |Using a pre-prepared|
| |Chilling/testing | |commercial pastry |
| |Baking/judging temperature/time/ doneness | |case |
| |Puff pastry | | |
| |Correct proportion of ingredients | | |
| |Judgement of liquid ingredients | | |
| |Spreading of shortening/folding and rolling dough | | |
| |Chilling/resting/gluten relaxation | | |
| |Rolling/shaping | | |
| |Baking/judging temperature/time/ doneness | | |
|Process |Stages and decision making in the complex process |Examples of foods produced |Not a complex
