Ji Hoon unwrapped the dough from the plastic bag. Frost clung to the plastic, and the surface was icy cold. He had used the bag because he feared freezing the dough completely, but it had protected it well.
After waiting a few minutes—just in case it was still too solid—he pressed his fingers against the dough. Indents appeared. It was ready.
He picked up a rolling pin and began working the dough, rolling it back and forth. He paused to check the size, then reached for the tart baking tin. It looked about nine to ten inches across. He decided to roll the dough out to twelve inches so he'd have enough for the walls.
With steady hands, Ji Hoon flattened the dough into a wide sheet. Then, with practiced ease, he rolled it over the pin. The dough wrapped neatly around the cylinder, and he carefully unrolled it again into the tart tin.
Once in place, he pressed the edges gently against the walls without stretching them—an important step, since the walls would serve as the tart's support.
Taking a knife, he trimmed the excess dough from the edges into a perfect fit. With a fork, he docked the center, pricking small holes across the surface.
He paused, considering whether to chill the dough to firm it up. Normally, he would—but another frost ball performance was too risky.
Glancing around, he noticed the crowd's attention was elsewhere, fixed on the Grace twins. Even Lior was gone, fetching ingredients from the storeroom.
Ji Hoon turned his back toward the wall, whispering so softly only he could hear.
"Alchemy activate… Tier 1: chilling."
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[ Chilling the desired content… ]
[ Chilling is complete! ]
Cooldown: 18 seconds.
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A faint blue glow flickered in his palm as he touched the dough. The chill spread evenly through it. He smiled. The skill worked perfectly.
His gaze shifted to the oven. It looked surprisingly similar to a modern one, with a glass window and structured frame—but the controls were different. On top sat an intact Ignis ruby stone, pulsing faintly. Next to it was a dial-like control. No temperature markings.
'No wonder the twins scorched their tart earlier. This must take serious judgment to master.'
It would be difficult for him too… unless he used 'that'.
'That' was his
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Use: Identify the properties of a variable substance.
Cooldown: None.
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Basically, it allowed him to track changes—like reading through the properties of a quick property changing substance in real time.
Ji Hoon placed his hand on the oven dial and muttered, "Inspect, level two. Temperature."
The skill triggered instantly.
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[ Detecting temperature of object… ]
[ 50°C… 77°C… 98°C… 120°C… 190°C… ]
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At 190°C, Ji Hoon stopped turning the dial. Perfect. He deactivated the skill and opened the oven door.
A customer shouted. "What the hell is he doing?"
Others joined in.
"What? He's baking the tart without the filling?"
"Hahaha! He must be so nervous he forgot it!"
"Good thing I didn't bet on him."
Alister and the twins laughed openly. Even Marcus, who had been watching with hope, now looked disappointed.
Ji Hoon ignored them and slid the tart shell into the oven.
Just then, Lior returned with the rest of the ingredients. They quickly set them out and began working fast.
Lior cracked four eggs into a bowl, adding two more yolks without the whites. He whisked them quickly.
Meanwhile, Ji Hoon set a medium pot on the counter, adding half a cup of butter and one cup of granulated sugar. He grabbed a lemon and, with a fine zester, scraped bright shards of zest into the mix.
Lior squeezed the lemon, straining out half a cup of juice, then handed it to Ji Hoon. Ji Hoon poured it into the pot.
Then Ji Hoon placed the pot onto a stove which had a triangle symbols above the controller: a one triangle on the left side, two tringles on top and tree on the right, which Ji Hoon knew was to indicate the heat level.
Turning it into the two triangles' side, he started cooking it at a medium heat. Butter melted, sugar dissolved, and the mixture began to bubble, sending out a tangy, sweet fragrance that made mouths water across the room.
Now came the tricky part: tempering the eggs.
Ji Hoon slowly drizzled some of the hot mixture into the bowl of whisked eggs by Lior earlier, heating them gradually so they wouldn't scramble. Once tempered, he poured the rest in, whisking quickly before returning the smooth mixture to the pot.
This time, he cooked it on low—one triangle. With constant stirring, the mixture thickened into a glossy lemon curd. No lumps. No curdling. Perfect.
By then, Lior had retrieved the tart shell, baked for about twenty minutes. Its surface shone with a golden hue. Ji Hoon smiled at the sight.
He strained the lemon curd through a fine sieve, leaving only silky custard behind. Then, carefully, he poured it into the tart shell, shaking it gently to even out the filling.
He adjusted the oven again, using his
The crowd erupted again.
"Did he really put it back in the oven?"
"Now he realizes he needs the filling—too late!"
"He's just ruining it more!"
Alister smirked, certain of victory. The twins exchanged knowing looks. Even Marcus sighed, his hope slipping away. To them, it looked like pure blundering.
But Ji Hoon knew exactly what he was doing.
This wasn't a mistake.
It was blind baking.
Not "baking blind," but a classic technique from his world—used since the 18th century for pies and tarts. By pre-baking the crust without filling, bakers ensured it stayed crisp and golden instead of soggy once the custard went in.
That was why he'd baked the shell first, then returned it to the oven with the filling.
The mocking voices didn't matter. What mattered was the result.
He checked the hourglass—forty-five minutes left. Eight minutes later, he pulled the tart out again, letting it cool for the rest of the time. While waiting, he and Lior cleaned their station.
The crowd murmured in surprise. A noble, cleaning up after himself? That was a first.
Finally, after half an hour, the tart was ready. Ji Hoon set it on a serving tray, topping it with powdered sugar berries and a swirl of meringue he had whipped earlier with leftover egg whites and sugar he made while he waited for the tart to chill.
"Time is up!" Minister Marcus called.
The Twins were the first to present their pride dish: a custard tart that they perfected and even got them their 8th and 9th place on the ICC.
They turned to look at Ji Hoon and Lior with a smug, behind them Alister patted their large backs, as he laughed like he had already won.
Ji Hoon didn't mind and lifted the tray, placing it on the judge's table. Marcus leaned forward, eyes narrowing with interest. Some customers leaned in, to see what kind of messy mixture this noble had made.
Ji Hoon lifted the tray and there it was:
A lemon tart with a blind-baked crust, golden brown, filled with smooth lemon custard, topped with powdered sugar berries and soft peaks of meringue.