Crumb: Show the dough who's boss Richard Bertinet brings bread right up to date with his hallmark straightforward approach to achieving the perfect crumb. Richard shares his expertise through every step of the baking process, including the different techniques of fermenting, mixing and working - never 'kneading' - the dough. Richard shows you how to make everything from classic and rustic breads to sourdough using different flours and ferments. Learn how to bake a range of delicious sweet and savoury recipes from Cornbread with Manchego Cheese & Chorizo, Saffron & Seaweed Buns and Green Pea Flatbreads to Chocolate, Pistachio & Orange Loaf and Cinnamon Knots.
Crust Richard Bertinet's revolutionary and simple approach gives you the confidence to create really exciting recipes at home. He begins by mastering the mighty Sourdough and making your own ferments so that you can make bread anytime. And then he takes a look at speciality breads, using a range of flours and flavours - why not try making Spelt Bread or experiment with Bagels and Pretzels? He follows by exploring the Croissant and all its wonderful variations as well as covering other deliciously tempting sweet breads such as Stollen and Brioche. With stunning step-by-step photography, simple advice and helpful techniques throughout, Crust is a worthy following to a remarkable debut.
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.