Over the past three days, ICE’s kitchens have been filled with the smell of baking bread as Chef Ciril Hitz taught baking professionals about artisanal breads.
The students in the class were learning new recipes and techniques from one of the best. Originally from Switzerland, Chef Ciril is a master baker and head of the International Baking & Pastry Institute at Johnson & Wales University. He competed at the 2004 National Bread and Pastry Team Championship where his team won first place overall and he captured all three of the individual bread awards. Hitz came to ICE to guide professional-level students through an intense workshop in bread baking. The class was part of ICE’s Center for Advanced Pastry Studies(CAPS@ICE). CAPS is a unique program where qualified professionals working in the pastry or baking field come to ICE to take classes with world-renowned experts.
The goal for the class was to learn how to get the most out of a few versatile doughs to make a wide range of breads and pastries. The students made sticky buns, brioche, doughnuts, baguettes, muffins, bagels, challah and more. Chef Ciril even found time to fit in a beautiful decorative bread with a wine bottle baked right into the bread. Even as the students were busy mixing dough and baking breads, Chef Ciril was sure to answer all their questions about bread, pastry and working in the industry. The students were all excited to go back to their own kitchens and bakeries across the country and put their new skills to work. Their customers will reap the benefit when they taste their new delicious treats.
For more information about Ciril Hitz, visit his website on follow him on Facebook.
