Press

Blending flours for flavor

Bakemag.com March 12, 2019 by John Unrein

Jan Schat, a professional bread consultant who is a Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie champion, agrees that flavor is playing a more prominent role in the craft bread world of today. There are more specialty ingredients (local grains) for bakers to work with, and although some can get expensive, bakers should be excited by the possibilities.

Schat has crafted breads that include a low percentage (10%) of a single varietal whole grain flour with wonderful results. He’s done so in classics like French baguettes, resulting in “phenomenal” flavors.

“Small additions of single varietals into liquid levains, or poolish, bring out interesting flavors. I find that to be exciting,” Schat says. “To me, it’s nice if you can transition people into better flavor and nutrition. It’s an exciting world of flavor that is definitely worth pursuing.”

Elevate Your Product Line

Bakemag.com April 17, 2018 by John Unrein

Jan Schat provided tips and techniques for making breads with a variety of local wheats and whole grains, offering comparisons on final results. One challenge addressed in the class was that local wheat flours can be more expensive, causing the final product to run higher in price than some customers may be willing to pay. Schat offered a suggestion: “I can use 10% of the expensive wheat and I still get incredible flavor.”

American Team Wins Bread-Baking Championship 

NY Times Feb. 24, 1999 by Florence Fabricant

Any doubts that bread in American shops and restaurants has vastly improved should be erased by the news from Paris, where last week the United States won bread-baking's world cup, the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie. The contest, pitting teams from 12 countries, began in 1992; an American team qualified in 1994 and came in sixth. Two years later, Americans won in the specialty bread and baguette category.

On the winning team were two instructors from the Greystone campus of the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, Calif.: Thomas Gumpel, who won in the artistic design category, and Robert Jorin, who baked sweet breads and pastries. Jan Schat, the third team member, responsible for baguettes and specialty breads, teaches bakers at Il Fornaio, a chain of bakeries in California.

Il Fornaio Baker to Be Featured on Food Network February 7th: ''World Cup of Baking'' Gold Medalist Jan Schat Demonstrates Chocolate Kiss Recipe Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Businesswire.com January 29, 2004

CORTE MADERA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 29, 2004--Jan Schat, head baker of Italian restaurant and bakery company Il Fornaio, will demonstrate how to make Baci di Alassio, chewy chocolate and hazelnut kisses joined by chocolate, on "Everyday Italian" with Giada de Laurentiis on Saturday, February 7th at 1 p.m. The program will be rebroadcast on Monday, February 9th at 5 p.m., Thursday, February 12th at noon, and Friday, February 13th at 10:30 p.m. Broadcast times are for both Pacific and Eastern Standard Time zones.

Schat was one of the three-member Baking Team USA that stunned the culinary world in 1999 by winning the gold medal at the "Baking Olympics", the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, an international competition held every three years in Paris and traditionally dominated by European teams. In previous competitions, the American team had never placed higher than fifth.

During the grueling competition, Schat handmade over 90 loaves of bread in eight hours, including 50 baguettes and 10 loaves each of four different varieties. "It was great to be recognized for our hard work to keep artisan bread on American tables," said Schat, "We demonstrated traditional bread baking skills but also impressed the judges with our new thinking and visual approach to baking."

Following this unprecedented achievement, Schat was featured on the pages of People and Gourmet magazines and on cooking shows across the country. As a recognized leader in the US baking community, Schat has been named a jurist for the selection of Baking Team USA for the 2005 Coupe. The national finals will be conducted at the Retail Bakers of America convention and trade show in Orlando, Florida from March 20-22, 2004.