bake - November 2018 - 20

he fell in love with baking. "I was walking home from
school in France and noticed a bakery in the window.
The amazing aroma of freshly baked bread stopped me.
I peeked in the window and saw the baker loading the
loaves with the oven peels and the big ﬂame heating
the brick oven. My mother asked if I could watch the
baker work one morning when I didn't have school. I
will never forget that day. It was one of life's deﬁning
moments, when my passion for baking was born," says
Rosada, a Master Baker and vice president of operations
at Uptown Bakers in Hyattsville, Maryland.
For many in the baking industry, Rosada holds a
special place as a mentor and professional instructor.
He spends countless hours at training and educational workshops across the country.
"Didier Rosada taught me about fermentation,
understanding the variance in ﬂour and to respect
the baking process," says Jory Downer, owner of
Bennison's Bakery in Evanston, Illinois.
Rosada holds a Brevet de Maîtrise from the Institut
National de Boulangerier-Patisserie. He coached four
Team USAs to medals at the Coupe du Monde de la
Boulangerie. His honors include The Golden Baguette

as ciabatta. "To me, ciabatta is like a baguette. A

Award (now the Raymond Calvel Award).

baguette can be very good or very bad," says Rosada.
"To make it the proper way, it can be really good."

He also owns Red Brick Consulting, serving the
baking industry. Through the years, he has become

The short mix method produces dough that is very

familiar with baking traditions from many countries.

wet. All ingredients (ﬂour, water, fresh yeast, salt

His goal is to share that knowledge with students, so

and polish) are mixed in ﬁrst for ﬁve minutes. This is

they have a well-rounded repertoire and viewpoint

followed by a long ﬁrst fermentation (three to four

on the world of baking. "I live my dream everyday -

hours with at least three folds). A long fermentation

baking the best artisan breads and pastries using the

time aids the formation of aromas, improves the ﬁnal

same old-world techniques that make artisan baking

product ﬂavor and leads to longer shelf life.

so unique," he says.
Bakeries should decide on their preferred mixing
Perhaps more than any other bread, ciabatta is truly

method based on overall needs and production

spectacular when done right, and particularly awful

scheduling. In one of the most important steps for

when done wrong. To compare it to the wine world,

all, Rosada recommends using a double hydration

you might call ciabatta the Pinot Noir of artisan

technique when making ciabatta. Flour, preferment,

breads. It is delicate and ﬁnicky. It must be handled

yeast, salt and a portion of the water are incorporated

with care. Above all, it requires a lot of love. Sadly,

in ﬁrst speed, and enough water is used to achieve a

according to some expert bakers, a few bakeries are

medium soft dough consistency. The dough is mixed

known to take baguette dough, bake it and cut it

in second speed until medium gluten development.

into squares, passing it off to unknowing consumers

The rest of the water is added little by little.

20 < NOV 2018 | bakemag.com

JOHN UNREIN

DIDIER ROSADA

Didier Rosada remembers he was 10 years old when
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