KitchenAid London Experience Store baking with Richard Bertinet

Bread glorious bread was on my mind today before heading to KitchenAid London Experience Store to learn how to bake with master baker Richard Bertinet.

I and Haydy another community member of Love Pop Ups London headed on down on a complimentary basis to learn the art of baking by Richard Bertinet.

KitchenAid

KitchenAid was founded back in 1886 by Josephine Cochrane who revolutionized the world of cooking.  She patented an invention that would in time become the dishwasher as we know it today. Nine of her incredible machines were exhibited, sold and used in restaurants. Some found a place in respected luxury hotels. Driven by the desire to popularise her invention, Joséphine adapted a model for household use just before her death in 1913.

From revolutionary inventions then took birth in 1919 with the first mixer and this is how the brand KitchenAid was born.

Almost a century ago, Ohio engineer Herbert Johnson invented another miraculous machine that was going to revolutionise the lives of cooking experts and gourmets: The H5, the first household eggbeater.

While testing the eggbeater one of the company directors unknowingly invented the brand name KitchenAid when she exclaimed “I don’t care what you call it, it’s the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had” and with that the KitchenAid name was born.

Over the years, inspired by the professional world, the brand has never stopped inventing and improving innovative solutions for gourmets and cooks.

KitchenAid appliances provides Professional Performance, Artisan Quality and have an Iconic Design.

Read more about KitchenAid’s history via clicking here.

KitchenAid Experience Store

KitchenAid Experience Store is stylishly arranged over two floors, letting kitchen designers, budding bakers and serious chefs alike discover more about KitchenAid. Not only are KitchenAid’s famous small appliances on display but also the recently launched range of major appliances which offer a perfectly balanced mix of iconic design and professional performance.

The whole space has a fully functioning demonstration kitchen as well as a cookery school at the back which holds a rolling schedule of events, offer budding cooks the opportunity to experience professional results which KitchenAid appliances can produce within their London store situated in Wigmore Street.

This year they are celebrating 100 years so there are a number of special events popping up throughout the year. Keep an eye out on their Facebook page for announcements.

Richard Bertinet

Richard Bertinet is a Breton baker who now bakes and teaches in Bath, Somerset.

He originally moved to the UK in the late 1980s, where 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 2004, he set up plans for The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath and his cookery school opened in September 2005, the same month that Richard’s first book Dough was published. Richard published his second book Crust in 2007 and Cook – In A Class of Your Own in 2010.  Two immensely popular books have followed Pastry in 2012 and Patisserie Maison in 2014.

He is acclaimed as a food champion by the BBC in 2010 and a host of other awards for his baking books DOUGH and CRUST which has revolutionised home baking for many.

Baking with Richard

Sitting around a workstation we firstly learnt a little more from Richard about why he got into baking. He got into baking when he was 14 when he opted himself to bake a loaf at school this is where his passion then grew for baking.

He then told us he will be teaching us how to make bread, tarts and sausage rolls.

Bake Bake Bake

It was now time to bake.

Firstly Richard taught us a lesson in making Fougasse bread.

This consisted of flour, salt, fresh yeast and water. Firstly we had to break the fresh yeast first into the flour.

Then after giving it a good mix along with the salt it was time to add the flour and water into the mixing bowl and mix it up via using a dough hook within a KitchenAid mixer.

After a while the dough started to form and was slapping the side of the mixing bowl and forming into a ball.

Turning it onto the work surface and using the scrapers I had to move it around a few times until smooth as Richard called it walking the dough.

Then placing back in the bowl and leaving to prove for about 30 minutes (should be longer about 2 hours) it was then time to turn out the dough again. Flouring it and cutting it in half it was then time to make the pattern of a Fougasse. Once done in the oven it went on 220 for about 8 minutes.

This is the finished result, OK this is not mine as it was not photo worthy but this is Richards.

We also learned how to make raspberry and pear tarts. Richard demonstrated how to pipe the filling in pre covered tart holders and then we all had a go ourselves and added pears and frozen raspberries to them.

Once cooked they looked amazing and tasted fantastic and was creamy and crunchy. I loved the raspberry ones the best.

We then learned how to make puff pastry and for this class it was to make sausage rolls with.

He told us that you should never use warm butter but cold butter and before adding the cold butter to the mixer to make it soft to bash it with a rolling pin and then break into lumps and add to the mixer.

He then added to flour and water and salt and lemon juice.

Once mixed together he made it into a rectangle and wrapped in grease proof paper as cling film sweats things. Then it is placed in the fridge for 30 minutes for the purpose of this class but is suggested to leave it in the fridge longer.

Here is a video I found online explaining step by step how to make puff pastry.

Now it was time to mince the pork shoulder and pork belly along with breadcrumbs, parsley, grated nutmeg and onions using the KitchenAid food grinder attachment which cut the pork beautifully.

It was then time to pipe in the sausage mix onto our pre made puff pastry by Richard. Mine came out a bit too thick maybe I squeezed it a little too hard.

Then time to mark my beauties before egg washing them with some egg wash which has been whisked in along with some salt (leave for a few hours to absorb) which apparently will give the pastry a lovelier looking glaze as the salt cooks the eggs.

Once cooked at 180c for approx 15 minutes I must admit the glazing did look very shiny and the sausage rolls looked ever so moorish. So I could not resist and I quickly ate one whilst burning hot and it was so yummy full of flavour and the pastry was flaky and tasty.

After 2 hours of fun baking it was time to pack up with our baking delights and grab an amazing goody bag from KitchenAid to aid us in our cooking and baking at home from measuring spoons to Richard Bertinet Crumb book.

KitchenAid appliances & utensils

During the baking course we used KitchenAid multi function ovens, their colourful stand mixers and a variety of utensils.

KitchenAid multi function oven

The Twelix Artisan Oven gives three different cooking options in just one appliances: pure steam, steam assisted, and convection. Thanks to the pure steam feature you can enjoy savouring mouth-watering vegetables and even seafood cooked in a natural, healthy way.

This technology optimises airflow and heat distribution within the oven, reducing pre-heating and cooking times and guaranteeing that the air circulates uniformly and your dishes are properly and evenly cooked.
Cooking with the Twelix Artisan Oven will be a piece of cake, but also cleaning it: the Pyrolitic function save your time and effort.

Learn more via clicking here.

Stand Mixer

The stand mixer is so much more than just mixing as there is a number of attachments to be added to the mixer from pasta making machines to attachments to make sausages.

Discover all attachments via clicking here.

Plus at present there is two special KitchenAid Stand mixers available to buy from the Raspberry Ice stand mixer with all profits going to cancer research

and the 100 year birthday celebration stand mixer called Queen of Hearts.

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Utensils

KitchenAid also have a variety of kitchen utensils from peelers to spatulas to make all sorts of tasks within the kitchen easier.

Discover more via clicking here.

Bakelicious

Thank you to KitchenAid, FabComs and Richard Bertinet for a fabulous night of baking.

KitchenAid London Experience Store runs various classes throughout the year from chocolate making to edible Christmas gift cooking but on occasion they have special events by masterchefs such as Eric Lanlard in whom I also had the pleasure of cooking with the other week as my husband won their Facebook competition to attend.

Watching and baking with Richard Bertinet was a joy and he made everything look easy but when it came to our turn it was not. He was always on hand to help us though when it came to making our bakes. I came away with new tips on how to make the perfect bake.

Book

Find out more about KitchenAid cookery classes within the KitchenAid London Experience Store via clicking here.

Plus keep an eye out on Facebook for KitchenAid London Experience Store special events and competitions to enter.

Thank you to KitchenAid London for the invite I and Haydy another community member of Love Pop Ups London we loved baking along with Richard Bertinet. This experience was complimentary from them but all views are my own honest opinion.

Click link below to read all the write up by Haydy and write ups of other experiences I and other community members have had via KitchenAid.

KitchenAid