Dough: Simple Contemporary Bread

by Richard Bertinet

Richard Bertinet is renowned for his revolutionary and inspirational approach to breadmaking and his award-winning book Dough is an invaluable and beautiful guide to making simple, contemporary bread, with a 30-minute DVD giving additional guidance and step-by-step recipes. Richard brings fun to breadmaking and with his easy approach, you will never want to buy a supermarket loaf again. Each of the five chapters begins with a slightly different dough - White, Olive, Brown, Rye and Sweet - and from this 'parent' dough you can bake a vast variety of breads really easily. Try making Fougasse for lunch, bake a Ciabatta to impress, create Tomato, Garlic & Basil Bread for a delicious canape or show off with home-made Doughnuts - each recipe is a delight. Since it's publication in 2005, the book has been translated into 8 languages and sold over 100,000 copies. It won the Julia Child Award, the IACP Best Cookbook of the Year Award, a Guild of Food Writers' Award and a James Beard Foundation Award and was shortlisted for an Andre Simon Award and a Glenfiddich Food & Drink award.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Originally from Brittany in north-west France, Richard trained as a baker from the age of 14. Having moved to the UK in the late 1980s, he started cooking and his catering background included stints at the Chewton Glen Hotel, as head chef at both the Rhinefield House Hotel in the New Forest and the Silver Plough at Pitton in Salisbury where in 1990 he was awarded the Egon Ronay, Pub of the Year and American Express Magazine, UK Pub of the Year. In 1996, a position as Operations Director with the Novelli Group of restaurants brought him to London where in 1998 he started advising small food related businesses. The business flourished causing Richard to set up the Dough Co, his consultancy business, in 2000 and to split his time between consultancy work advising on the development of new products for several supermarket chains, teaching and writing.

In 2004, with a young family, Richard and his wife Jo decided that it was time to leave London and head West to be closer to Jo’s family. The plans for The Bertinet Kitchen began to take shape and they found the premises at 12 St Andrew’s Terrace, Bath at the tail end of that year.

The cookery school opened in September 2005 in the same month that Richard’s first book Dough was published to critical aclaim and a host of awards (IACP cookery book of the year 2006, James Beard Award for Best Book (Baking & Deserts) and the Julia Child Award for Best First Book). Richard published his second book Crust in 2007 (World Gourmand Award for Best UK Book -Baking) and Cook – In A Class of Your Own in 2010. Two immensely popular books have followed: Pastry in 2012 and Patisserie Maison in 2014.

Richard was named the BBC Food Champion of the Year 2010 at the BBC Food & Farming Awards on 24 November 2010.

Richard makes regular TV appearances on programmes such as Saturday Kitchen and An Extra Slice.

Reviews

[DeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard's book has revolutionized how I make bread...and I make bread a lot. After learning his methodology, I've been able to keep the KitchenAid under the cabinet, and gave my bread machine away. I do everything with just a scale, a mixing bowl, a bowl scraper and a clean counter top. It takes no more time than doing it in a planetary mixer, but I feel so much more involved in the process, and I believe that I've become a much better baker by being able to handle and learn the textures of "live" dough.

Following his recipes, I have never had a failure, and I've used all but the dark bread recipes. (Those are on my list, if I can ever find the right flours.)

I love that his recipes are by weight, rather than by volume. I prefer the exactness of weight measurements. His "by-hand" methodology has taught me so much about how the dough should feel, and respond. It's brought the whole aspect of baking back as an enjoyable zen way for me to spend time in the kitchen.

I really love this book, and recommend it highly to anyone who likes to bake.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

After learning about Richard Bertinet's excellent slack dough kneading method, I've wanted to read this book for a while. I was so excited to finally get it from the library.

French bakeries are hard-working places but they have a magic, too. There was a particular moment that I still miss, at around four o'clock in the morning when the ovens were emptied, and there was no sound, except for the newly baked bread "singing" [...] the crackling sound that big loaves make when the crust breaks as it cools down—listen for yourself [Introduction, p8]

What a let-down the book is! The only really useful things in it are the DVD at the back of the book, "bread talk" (what is needed to bake bread) on pages 10-11 and 14-16, and "make the dough" on pages 22-25 with its accompanying photo essays.

If half stars were allowed, and if the US editors had left well enough alone so that the metric weights remained, I would give this book 3.5 stars. Alas, the US editors have ruined the recipes, making them rather difficult to follow. Therefore, the rating is reduced to 2.5 stars.

Breadmaking doesn't need to be daunting or mysterious and you don't have to be born a baker. Baking is for everyone. [Introduction, p7]

Of course, Richard Bertinet is right. Baking IS for everyone and it needn't be daunting at all. Alas, the misguided American editors have managed to make the process daunting and mysterious. They have decreed that North Americans only understand ounces instead of grams. (Perhaps we should be thankful that they didn't insist on using pounds.) Also, most yeast and salt measurements are in teaspoons instead of by weight, in spite of the fact that Bertinet states categorically that he prefers to use fresh yeast (ie: cake yeast).

Clearly, the American editors failed to comprehend Richard Bertinet's words about measuring near the beginning of the book:

Baking relies on exact measurements, so I weigh everything, including liquids, which is more accurate than relying on a level in a measuring cup. [p10]

The Ciabatta recipe calls for "1/2 tsp fresh yeast". Ha!! Good luck pushing fresh yeast into a teaspoon!

Additionally, some of the shaping instructions are not at all easy to understand. What a shame it is that the book doesn't include 2 DVDs so that M. Bertinet could have shown all the shaping methods. Perhaps the people doing the filming would understand that showing the hands of the baker is much more informative than showing the top of the baker's head. Still, it's obvious that Richard Bertinet is a very good teacher. If it were possible, it would be well worth going to one of his classes.

For instance, the written instructions for "Pain Façon Beaucaire" are very confusing. It doesn't help that there is a typo: "sprinkle some or whole-wheat flour or cornmeal on top". Some what? Water? Seeds? Flour?

It was only after re-reading for the sixth or seventh time (with several hours and a couple of internet searches to see how others shaped Pain Façon Beaucaire that I finally (I think) understood how the final shaping method is done.

While Ricard Bertinet is quite right to note that each bread is a mere variation of one of five different sorts of bread (white, olive, brown, rye, sweet), it's a little annoying to have to flip back and forth within the book from "1 Batch" white/olive/brown/rye/sweet dough to see the ingredients. It's understandable that the instructions might be written out just once, but there aren't so many ingredients in the basic doughs that they couldn't be listed each time.

Also, the book is printed in smallish medium grey sans-serif font on white glossy paper that glares. Sure, this paper is no doubt ideal for photos, and the photo essays in the book are excellent. But the font colour and choice are inexcusable. The only parts that are easily read are those sections (headings) that are in bold face.

Finally, the book fails to address sourdough baking at all, except to state erroneously that "making it in the traditional fashion is a serious breadmaking event: a long process".

Still, there are a couple of the recipes that are intriguing:
• Cardamom & Prune Bread, p.100
• Oven-dried Tomatoes, p.76
• Poppy Seed Stars, p.107

+ + + + +

Anyone who decides to purchase this book would be well advised to use the internet to get the UK edition that includes metric measurements in the recipes.

[Vendaval · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es muy novedoso y las formas de algunos panes las encuentro súper extrañas... no me sentiría tentada de intentarlas si fuera la primera vez que hago pan. Lo bueno es que te da instrucciones clarísimas con fotos sobre cómo unir los ingredientes, las cantidades y el tiempo de reposo/leudado. También es bien específico con las temperaturas y tiempo de horneado.

Para el que quiere conseguir una práctica más sistemática y quiere probar varias veces recetas básicas, me parece bastante bueno.

P.D.: También incluye una forma diferente de usar la levadura fresta -una que al menos yo no conocía-.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite lovely for beginning bread makers. The DVD that accompanies the book gives you great visuals of the proper technique on how to knead the dough just right. I borrowed this from the library and only managed to make one loaf of bread from this before it was recalled on me, but I am looking forward to buying a copy of this for myself. This is an excellent cookbook to have on hand.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looks yummy, cannot wait to try the recipes, especially the lavender and honey bread and the guryere and cumin loaf.

More updates: tried the lavender and honey bread, it was GREAT!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The DVD is very amateur. The camera-work might have been done his wife or a friend I would guess, it’s not professionally filmed. And why they didn’t set up a table at a better height is beyond me …he is clearly stooping right over and most of the shots are either of his crotch (quite a few inches above the surface, or his head.)

I’m a fan of the gentler stretch and fold, rather than bang and slap method that Bertinet uses here, but bread making (and particularly sourdough that I’ve been making for the last 4 years) has come on since 2005 when this edition was published. I wonder if he has changed his methods? I need to check out more recent publications or tv appearances.

However despite these points I will try some of the breads, I fancy making fougasse.

[marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Richard Bertinet and dream to someday visit his bakery in Bath and maybe, just maybe, take one of his baking classes. So I was surprised that these recipes didn't knock my socks off. I thought they were mostly OK, but then again, I'm not a great bread baker. The DVD is great and really shows you the textures and feel your dough should be reaching at each step of the way.

[OC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a 3 days bread making course with Bertinet a few years ago, and I came back with this book. The course made a huge difference in the breadmaking success, and this book has several recipes that I have happily made for several years now. I strongly recommend it to any beginner or intermediate baker.

[Elaine Fong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've discovered no knead artisan breads so most of the recipes here gave me more ideas about combinations of grains and other additions, than actual techniques. The smoked bacon and red onion rye sounds promising and will definitely try it out soon.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the crowded field of books with recipes for bread, this one is more about technique than ingredients. I have definitely become a better baker as a result of learning -- and practicing -- his techniques.

[Douglas Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful; but for advanced bakers.

[Stella Bolton]

Having done a bread making course with Richard this book is a must have and my original copy is in tatters. Richard has a unique style but once you get the hang of it you will be hooked.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The notion of no-knead bread has become commonplace in the last few years - The smell and flavor of fresh bread with minimal effort. After several failures at 'real' bread making, no-knead provided a magical shortcut for this tricky, humiliating, process. Several years later I gave kneading another chance, inspired by a video of Richard Bertinet athletically slapping the dough on his work surface and conjuring four perfect baguettes. Only kneaded bread can be shaped this way, so I mixed the four ingredients to his specification (flour, water, salt, and yeast) blundered through his simplified process, and removed my own perfect baguettes from the oven. Compared to the slightly cakey texture of no-knead bread, these were perfectly chewy with nice, rustic-looking holes. "Lucky," I thought, because I was no idiot, and I'd thumbed through several bread books that dedicate significant space to the delicate chemical balance that nurtures the yeast without killing it. But I've not failed with that recipe since. The kneading process is truly enjoyable, only takes about 5 minutes if using bread flour, and one can have an uncompromised loaf of the good stuff in less than three hours with only about 20 minutes of actual work. I have yet to explore all the variations on that basic loaf that this book provides, but there have been no false notes yet; it has restored my confidence as a baker.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, bread baking is easy as pie. Just buy this book and try. Some of the recipes are more complicated thatn others, but every information you need to be successfull you find in here. It's divided into a general part (all about bread baking, techniques, ingredients and equipment needed) and several chapters with different bread recipes originating from a specific dough, for example white bread dough, sweet dough, olive oil dough. The first recipe of the chapter is the basic dough, and the following recipes are variations of it (and they are definitively not boring). There are also some fancy ones like edible soup bowl.
The pictures are great - I usually get in the mood for bread baking just when I'm looking at them.

Recipes I've made so far and can recommend:
- lemon rols
- bread shots
- baguette
- tomato, garlic & basil bread
- sesame plats
- walnut bread
- Somerset Cider Bread
- Pain Viennos

[Barbara Morgenroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. Richard gives the reader a simple basic recipe which you can then go on to tweak with additions as you wish. 9 oz flour, 6, oz water, 1 teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon salt is my batch--so simple I can remember it without writing it down or looking it up. You do need a scale if you want to be precise about things. I did attempt his kneading method which produced better results but I wind up using my KitchenAid or the Cuisinart and for most of my purposes that's fine. I have his next book, Crust, and am looking forward to getting his book Pastry. His attitude is so reassuring and good-natured that even a beginner will find success if they follow the instructions. The books come with a short DVD showing his method. Very helpful.

[Libbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I much prefer Richard's way of working the dough. Somehow I never got along with kneading but I love this way, that is new to me. I happened to mention the book on my blog and Jo Bertinet commented and gave me great advice to use a floured linen tea towel to prove the dough on, so that it doesn't stick and thus make it difficult to transfer to your baking stone or tray.
I also bought one of the special scrapers but find a good silicone spatula works quite well - but the scraper is better for cutting amounts off the dough.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love to bake bread, and after reading a number of reviews, I assumed this book would change my life. Yes, I know that is a lot to ask, but nonetheless.

Instead this has to be the worst editing job of a book I have ever seen. Ingredients are left out and then mentioned later. Temperatures are off. Its a big fat mess with lovely, lovely pictures. On top of all of that I don't particularly like his method. It seems needlessly cumbersome and sticky.

I still prefer my trusty, stained, The Book of Bread

[Jakubukaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent. This completely transformed my ability to bake. I've been making bread for about a decade - this book showed me how little I actually knew, and completely revised my perceptions of how to make "real" bread. Unlike so many other baking books out there, this book isn't just a list of random ingredients that can be thrown into dough to make some kind of "novelty" bread. Quite the opposite, with Bertinet demonstrating that the transformation of flour, yeast, salt and water is a rich process, involving thought and skill.

[Jarkko Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

After trying every recipe from this book, I guess I can safely say I have read it :)

This was the book that got me hooked to making bread. Now that I'm an addict, I have already read many more books than this one, but I still return to Dough for some of the basic recipes when in hurry. Richard Bertinet is a great teacher, and I will wholeheartedly recommend his books as primers to cooking and bread making alike.

[Mara Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the layout sometimes confusing (e.g., inclusion of the pesto recipe where it seems to be in another recipe), but almost all of the breads have worked out beautifully. I alternate between his kneading method and what he calls "The English method" and have not noticed a significant different in the end result. I still like knocking my dough back a couple of times instead of just once to enhance flavours, but I am truly a fan of this book.

[Jane G Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite bread books--and something I give as a gift from time to time.

It even comes with a DVD. I've had a lot of fun with this bread book, and the most amazing thing it has done for me is to cure me of my fright of a moist dough. Lots of fun recipes--really like the basic mixes of sweet and French doughs. The photos are inspiring--makes your mouth water just paging through...

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way how Richard's way of making a dough is really good, more time efficient and I feel the bread is more airy. The DVD that goes with it is a must have making it easier to understand. Also his suggestion of keeping back a small dough in the fridge as a ferment and add to the next dough is more manageable than making sourdough. Especially when you travel a lot.

[Jane G Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having such fun with this book. I love the basic kneading process--so different from what one finds in other books, but what I used to witness in my dad's bakery. I'd recommend this book before any other to the brand new baker. His technique keeps moisture and flavor trapped in the dough and is light on the biceps!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book to teach myself how to bake bread, and it was the perfect guide. The doughs are simple to make, and Bertinet's methods are a little different but very effective. In particular, I recommend learning his method of kneading. This book comes with a useful DVD that illustrates some of the his techniques.

[El Sobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional book. I'm a rookie bread making and this was a great guide to begin with. Bertinett explains you easily explains you how to turn flour, yeast, salt and water into delicious breads. He doesn't overwhelms you with theory an techniques and puts you "hands on" almost immediately.

[Jerzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's got a really interesting way of working the dough, quite different from the usual kneading. The DVD that comes with the book shows it pretty well, and once you've gotten the hang of it, it takes much less effort than kneading. Plus the breads are tasty and fun!

[Luise]

Ich liebe dieses Buch.
Bisher ist mir jedes Rezept gelungen, wobei ich noch lange nicht alle ausprobiert habe.

Aber allein die Aufmachung des Buches macht Lust darauf, selber Brot zu backen. Oder Pizza. Oder Grissini.

Einfach herrlich.

[Wouter · Rating 1 out of 5]

sloppy descriptions, weird generalizations and simplistic formulas. I was really disappointed to find out it's that shallow but I did have very high expectations given the author's fame. It might be a good beginners book but there's nothing to learn for a more experienced bread baker...

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan got me this book for Christmas and I can't wait to bake some bread this weekend. This books breaks everything down so simply and all the recipes look delicious. The pictures in the book are gorgeous and it's going to be a great addition to my cookbook collection!

[Lizzie Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my go-to bread book before memorising the quantities.
The white bread is outstanding, the breadsticks and focaccia are wonderful.
I went to university in Bath where Bertinet has his school and cafes, and was shown how to make the pizza from this book by a friend. Haven't looked back.