The Bertinet Kitchen opened in September 2005 in the centre of beautiful and historic Bath. Owned and run by French baker and chef Richard Bertinet, the school offers a range of relaxed and fun courses for food lovers of all abilities and specialist baking and bread making courses for amateurs and professionals alike. Bertinet has made a name for himself in the international arena of chefs and bakers, earning awards for both his cooking school and his publications
Based on Richard’s award winning book Dough, you will learn how to make and work the dough to create a range of breads from a white and an olive dough. One of the most important aspects of learning how to work dough, is really by studying and observing the hands of a master like Bertinet. Being critiqued on your own technique during this course, will also ensure you really understand the breadmaking secrets used by generations of professional bakers and shared with top chefs.
By the end of the course you will have created fougasse, tin loaves, bread sticks and focaccia amongst others. The collaborative learning environment will give you the opportunity to share your ideas and creations with others in the classroom, and will get you to the top of your breadmaking game!
White Dough
By the end of this lesson you will understand how dough works, giving you the foundation to make the perfect base dough every time. You will learn the techniques needed to make a white dough, and will be learn how to avoid sticky dough and overcome common mistakes. You will then learn how to make Bertinet’s iconic fougasse.
Enriched Dough
You will build on the foundational skills you acquired in the last lesson to make an enriched dough, and will learn how to mould and shape this for loaves of any shape and size. By the end of this lesson you will have made the perfect Pain de Mie.
Olive Oil Dough
Now you know how to mix dough by hand, Bertinet will teach you how use an electric mixer. By the end of this lesson you will have learned how to make a delicious, richly coloured olive oil dough, pizza and breadsticks.
Brown Dough
In the final lesson you will be learn how to make a brown dough, and will be introduced to techniques which will allow you to roll and cut your dough into different shapes. You will be taken through making a fruit and nut loaf, seeded breads, and how to create innovative shapes with your dough, including stars and plaits.
