My love for baking has reached an entirely new level. Forgive me if this post is a bit on the “rambling” side! While I could legitimately chalk it up to jet lag and many late nights in British pubs, in truth it is more likely due to the fact that I haven’t completely sorted out all the wonderful experiences from the past days and weeks.
Fougasse, focaccia, puff pastry, natas, choux, millefeuille, eclairs, salted pastry, pizza, brioche, croissant, pain au chocolat, sweet pastry, quiche Lorraine, Tarte aux Pommes, pear bourdaloue, chocolate liegeois….my time spent at The Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School was nothing short of magical.
Over the past winter, I spent a great deal of time searching for “just the right place” after deciding that I wanted to try a cooking school experience. I found all kinds of craziness…a place in Montana where you can hunt for your dinner and learn to haul it back to base camp and prepare it, for example. Or foraging for veggies and cooking them up in a clay oven in a field. I mean…there is certainly something for everyone.
Knowing, however, that I don’t necessarily care to learn how to butcher a pig or make twenty kinds of pasta, I turned to my greatest kitchen love: baking.
There are many cooking school options out there. I can very honestly say: I found the perfect fit.
The Bertinet School is located in the heart of Bath, England and was created by Richard Bertinet. Richard is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Julia Child Award and the James Beard Award. He was named BBC Food Champion of the Year in 2010. Richard also holds an incredibly high standard in his kitchen classroom and refills your wine glass before you’ve even realized it is empty. His expertise and teaching style are nothing short of inspiring.
The school itself is situated on a beautiful little cobblestone road and is filled with sterling people and an incredible wealth of baking knowledge. Lunch was filled with wine and charcuterie alongside our bakes of the day. Each morning included a briefing on the lessons before we were instructed to “crack on, then,” getting to work in our groups of four, and each afternoon we left with boxes and bags full of mouthwatering pastry.
I learned that bread from Subway is loaded with over 50 additives, and that our store-bought options are not much better. I learned the origins of the croissant and that the French have not kneaded their dough since 1775. I learned that table salt should be tossed into the bin and that seawater has around 30 grams of salt per liter. The particular salt I am now using was hand harvested from Chesil Beach.
I learned that a nice rose wine at 10am puts you in good company and that bread making is an art form.
I met a wonderful group of new friends who believe that butter should not be molded into a stick shape, that the paper copy of the recipe is not nearly as important as understanding how the dough feels in your hands, and whose kindness and laughter are something I will forever carry with me.
Now back home in the US, I spent the afternoon searching for ingredients that will match the caliber of what I just learned. It is not easy. I learned to take great care with the food I am selecting…every detail matters. I would encourage you to be selective in your choices as well.
I am so looking forward to sharing my new skills with you as summer turns to fall and then into another cold and cozy winter.
The dough is busy rising, the recipes are sorting themselves into priority lists, and all that I can remember from my classes is taking shape within my own kitchen. It is a beautiful life that we live.
Crack on, then!
Hillary Danaher 