Guittard Guest Chef Series
CO-HOSTED BY GUITTARD CHOCOLATE AND KING ARTHUR BAKING CO.
This two-day class presented by Didier Rosada and Katherine Cruz will explain how to trigger and master the art of natural fermentation (sourdough) in a production environment.
Understanding how to start a sourdough culture, elaborate it and maintain it to achieve the desired characteristics of the final products is key for the bakers that want to improve the flavor profile of their breads but also take advantage of the positive effects of natural fermentation for dough and bread characteristics. Chocolate as an inclusion with sourdough breads will also be explored at length.
Each formula, with sourdough as a foundation, has been specifically selected to demonstrate the use of King Arthur flour associated to specific levains to create a variety of breads (sweet, savory and traditional) with unique texture and flavor profile.
Products:
Sourdough baguette
Couronne Lyonnaise
Tourte de seigle
Pand’oro
Chocolate praline brioche
Pain de Lodeve
Sourdough multigrain
Sourdough white chocolate apricot
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
ABOUT DIDIER ROSADA
Didier began his baking career in the traditional way: at age 15, with technical training at a regional French professional school and an apprenticeship under a local baker. But his love of bread and his desire to see the world soon set him apart — and his career on a very untraditional path.
After a few stints as staff baker in some exotic places, Didier’s abilities caught the attention of his employer, Club Med. He was assigned to the clubs with the most sophisticated clientele. Then Club Med noticed Didier’s organizational skills, and assigned him the task of opening new or remodeled bakeries at the company's resorts. Included in his responsibilities was training local bakers to work in these bakeries. In 1995, Didier returned to France to enhance his professional skills at the respected Institut National de Boulangerie-Patisserie in Rouen. After five months of highly technical and business oriented training, he was awarded a Brevet de Maitrise, a degree that we would call a “Masters in Baking.”
While working on a private research project for Bay States Milling Company in the United States, Didier became trainer of the 1996 Baking Team USA. His expert advice and patient guidance were important factors in the American team’s first place finish in the bread category at the Coupe du Monde de Boulangerie in Paris in February 1996. In February 1999 under Didier’s guidance the team USA took home the gold medal of the competition and in April 2002, the silver medal. He was also the official coach of the US Baking team that won the gold medal in Paris in April 2005.
Didier has also contributed many technical articles for newsletters and baking magazines His formulas have been published in the professional press and are considerate by the industry to set the standards of quality in Artisan Baking.
When the National Baking Center was created in 1996, Didier was selected to develop and teach the Bread curriculum. His other functions at the NBC included the supervision of various research projects and consulting for specialty bread bakers and millers across the United States, South and Central America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico), the Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica) Europe and Asia (Japan, Korea, Philippines)
In January 2002, he took the position of Head Instructor for the San Francisco Baking Institute where he continued to specialize in baking education and consulting, nationwide and internationally.
Since March 2005, Didier is the vice president of operations at Uptown bakers that serves customers all over the DC area. He also created his own consulting company (Red Brick Consulting) to continue to help the baking industry in the US and abroad.
Professional achievements:
In July 2010, Didier was selected as a Top ten best bakers in the United States
In June 2012, he received the honor to be elected as a member of the prestigious Academie Culinaire de France.
In December 2013, Didier completed his baking book: Pan, Sabor and Tradicion that won the Cookbook Award for best technical baking book in South America.
In June 2020, Didier designed an online training course and certification for US Wheat Associates
In March 2022, Didier was the keynote speaker for the American Society of Baking convention in Chicago, IL.
ABOUT KATHERINE CRUZ
Professional Chef and Pastry Chef from Bishulim Culinary School in Tel Aviv Israel, and training in Baking at the San Francisco Baking Institute in San Francisco, United States, and at the Italian Culinary Institute in Calabria, Italy.
Katherine has been in permanent contact with different areas of Gastronomy. She worked in Israel with the most renowned chefs, gathering experience in the culinary world and developing teamwork skills. In recent years she had shared her knowledge about bread by working with Master Baker Didier Rosada in international courses and classes on the subject in different countries.
She believes that knowledge and experience are the means to obtain the continuous improvement of people and companies. Knowing how to use leadership as a fundamental tool for good job development, management of staff, and the realization of ideas and projects, to find effective solutions that translate into results.