One of the workshops I attended at the Asheville Bread Festival was led by Lionel Vatinet. Vatinet is a Master Baker extraordinaire. During the workshop, Vatinet demonstrated how to shape different types of breads. Watching a Master Baker at work was really something to behold.
I hope you enjoy this slideshow of Lionel Vatinet shaping breads at the Asheville Bread Festival as much as I did learning from him. He has a such passion for his craft; it was a joy watching him work. He’s also funny and engaging which made learning experience all the more enjoyable. Take a look at the information below the slideshow to learn about Vatinet’s background.
Lionel Vatinet, Master Baker Extraordinaire
Vatinet joined France’s prestigious artisans’ guild Les Compagnons du Devoir as an apprentice at age 16 and 7 years later earned the title of Maitre Boulanger (Master Baker). Since then, he has dedicated his life to sharing his knowledge, consulting nationwide and training bakers in Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America, Canada and the United States. In 1995, Vatinet was the founding instructor at San Francisco Baking Institute, the first school of its kind in the US.
In 1998, he fulfilled his lifelong dream and opened La Farm Bakery in Cary, NC. La Farm Bakery is a modern bakery that continues the centuries-old baking traditions and techniques and honors the ordinary yet extraordinary boulangeries that once flourished in every little town in France. At La Farm Bakery, Vatinet produces 15 different styles of breads, and an additional 20 seasonal breads throughout the year using a European-style hearth oven. He’s best known for his signature “La Farm” sourdough bread – an impressive 5-pound boule with an intense flavor, similar to those still enjoyed on farms throughout France.
Click here to learn more about Lionel Vatinet’s prestigious background.
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