Meet Jaylen Wickert (Class of 2017)
We were thrilled to catch up with Alumnus Jaylen Wickert (Class of 2017) recently. Jaylen initially fell in love with cooking on a family cottage vacation where the only thing they could find on TV was The Food Network. "I was hooked, dove in head first and wanted to learn everything." Growing up in London, Ontario, he started working in kitchens when he was 15. "My first job at a good restaurant was at The Springs in London where head chef and SCS graduate Andrew Wolwowicz (Class of 2001), was my first mentor. He took me in when I was just an energetic kid looking to get into the industry. He showed me how working in kitchens was no easy task, always to taste the food in front of you and slowly built a high standard within me. After a few years under his teaching I was trusted to run that line on busy weekends with him cooking alongside me, moments I will cherish forever."
"I worked with Andrew until I headed to Stratford Chefs School for my first year. In between my first and second year, and after completing the program, I’m proud to say that I was able to work for Chef Neil Baxter at Rundles in its final two years of service. What a truly humbling and amazing experience. This was food at its absolute finest. The standard was set so high with no room for error. I would not be where I am today without learning from chefs Baxter, Randi Rudner and Mike Booth. A truly amazing squad and the best of the best in the Stratford area. I could talk about my experiences at Rundles all day long. The three of them molded me into a chef with precision, efficiency, speed and above all high standards. After the final season of Rundles, I moved to Whistler, B.C. and joined the TopTable group. SCS alumnus James Walt (Class of 1991) and I have been working for them ever since. Seeing chef Walt's success in high volume restaurants is impressive. We have built a strong relationship over the last seven years and I am now running the newest location, Provisions, as Head Baker."
Current Role and Workplace
Jaylen currently runs Provisions in Whistler, B.C., a relatively new high-end cafe concept by the TopTable group that opened in December 2023 and produces fresh pastries, breakfast sandwiches and classic lunch favourites. Says Chef Jaylen about his role: "As Head Baker, my day revolves around dough. Early morning starts filled with scaling and mixing, afternoons of baking and shaping. Everything from our signature Japanese milk buns, sourdough and many forms of laminated dough work like croissants and cruffins. I love everything about it, I love the opportunity to be creative and troubleshooting to achieve the best results possible for each product."
Photo Album
Above: A variety of beautiful breads and pastries from Jaylen Wickert.
Q & A
What is your favourite restaurant and why?
My favourite restaurant for inspiration over the last few years has been Tartine. The movement they started years ago with high hydration sourdoughs and whole grain bread has become so popular. The books they have put out have helped me a lot when working with sourdough. I love the rustic approach of their bakeries.
What is your favourite cookbook and why?
The original Eleven Madison Park book has always been my favourite. I remember going through it at chefs school and being blown away by the photos of the food. Truly beautiful plates. The book is also super functional for chefs, the recipes work very well. I always find myself reaching for it for that one recipe or dish. I was also the student chef for the Eleven Madison Park Dinner lab at School so it holds a special place for me.
What is your guilty pleasure food?
I love a traditional shawarma with lots of garlic sauce.
What is your favourite knife or kitchen tool?
I used to be such a knife head as a young chef, collecting lots of Japanese knives, but now my most used tool is a bench scraper and ruler, haha!
What's your favourite ingredient to work with right now?
Recently we've been working with lots of nut pastes for cream and fillings. I enjoy the pure flavour and versatility.
What is a new technique or flavour you are experimenting with currently?
Croissants are always taking over my life. I'm always working with the ratios for the best results I can get.
Are there any recipes from your time at Stratford Chefs School that you still use?
In school we did a lot of work with bread so it helped me a lot to have some of the basics already down before I really started to get into it.
What is a fond memory from your time at Stratford Chefs School?
So many good memories. Some of my favourite memories would be larder class with Chef Instructor Mike Booth and working with the Guest Chefs. It's always fun seeing how another chef operates and their inspirations.
A Look Back: Video
Check out the video below with Jaylen and Guest Chef Scott Roberts telling us about their 2017 Dinner Lab which featured a seven course tasting menu, when Jaylen was Level 2 Student Chef.
Ciabatta Recipe
One of Chef Wickert's most frequently made breads is Ciabatta with Biga Pre-Ferment (biga is an Italian pre-ferment). Check out the recipe below!
Biga Pre-Ferment Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour 893 g
Water 536 g
Fresh Yeast 1 g
Final Dough Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour 1814 g
Water 1630 g
Fresh Yeast 20 g
Salt 55 g
Method: The night before, mix the ingredients for the biga. Use cold water and mix until all the flour is hydrated. Leave to ferment at room temperature in a covered container with room for it to double in size until the next morning. It can sit between 12-18 hours.
The next morning prepare the final mix. Weigh the cold water into mixing bowl along with the biga and all purpose flour. Mix until all ingredients combine smoothly at a gentle speed. Turn off the mixer and leave to rest for 20-30min. After the resting add the yeast and salt to the mix. Mix until strong gluten development forms and dough becomes smooth. Transfer to oiled bin and bulk ferment for 2 hours at room temperature. After the 2 hours give the dough a good fold by pulling it up and folding back onto itself to de-gas and strengthen the dough. Leave in the fridge over night.
For shaping, remove the dough from the fridge and gently flip out onto well-floured surface, trying to preserve a nice rectangle without the dough folding over itself. Generously flour the top and gently spread/pat down the dough into an even rectangle. Cut any desired shape you wish with a bench scraper. Move portioned pieces to a tray lined with parchment paper. Leave to proof for 30min -1 hour.
Cook ciabatta in high heat oven. We do 245 Celsius in a deck oven, so most likely highest heat for a home oven. Cook until golden brown with a bit of steam in the oven, by spraying with bottle or using some ice cubes. Enjoy!
Congrats Chef Jaylen on your success. Keep up the amazing work!
Top Photo of Jaylen Wickert by Allison Kuhl
Learn More
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