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Last Updated: May 11, 2026
Artisan Breads Q&A With R&D Manager Mai Lee
HIGH-QUALITY, SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
ROBUST FLAVOUR
HAND-CRAFTED TASTE
It’s no wonder that artisan breads and rolls are beloved for all they bring to the table. And here at Rich Products—from ciabatta to boules—we’re making it simpler than ever to serve these delicious options to your customers.
HOW WE BAKE
THE ARTISAN DIFFERENCE
The delicious taste and crisp final products of our finest breads and rolls start with the work that happens at our Artisan Bread plant. We sat down with R&D Manager Mai Lee to discuss the process that sets our products apart.
A:
Here, artisan bread is made with quality, simple clean label ingredients and a natural sourdough starter (called levain) that delivers flavour and texture through its long fermentation process—rather than other loaves that use just flour, water and salt. We also bake our breads in stone hearth ovens and continue to add our own hand-crafted touches.
Q:
We often hear about “fermentation time” in artisan bread making. Could you tell us why we take so much more time with our bread, and what difference it makes in the taste and texture of our final product?
A:
Fermentation begins with the starter, and we do bulk fermentation of the dough and proofing in a controlled temperature and humidity proof box. This builds both flavour and texture. Our high hydration and stress-free make-up let us to maintain gas in the dough, which produces a moist, open crumb. The bread is baked in a stone hearth oven with steam. The stone transfers high heat to the bread to generate oven spring and help set the crisp crust.
Q:
We’re proud of using traditional methods in our bakery. Could you walk us through some of these traditional techniques and explain why they’re still important in modern breadmaking?
A:
Our boules are carefully shaped by hand, and our loaves are individually scored – a proud testament to our commitment to craftsmanship and preserving the artisanal integrity of our breads.
Q:
There’s a lot of talk about “starters” or “mother dough” in artisan bread making. Could you explain what these are and why they’re so important to our process?
A:
The sourdough starter is the life of artisan bread. A starter is made by combining flour and water and allowing it to ferment over time. Although it sounds simple, there are complex reactions going on. During this process, lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeasts are found in wheat flour and the environment interacts with sugars naturally present in the flour, creating a balanced starter culture to leaven breads and create bold flavours. Our starter is unique due to our environment and how we maintain and feed it. Being close to San Francisco, it contains lactic acid bacteria, which is what’s found in the city’s famous sourdough breads. Our starter produces complex lactic and acetic sour flavours and has strong leavening power. You only get this through years of maintaining a stable starter.
Q:
Here at Rich’s, we’ve developed a unique way to bake authentic artisan bread on a larger scale while maintaining its craft quality. Could you share what makes our process special and how we’ve managed to preserve the artisan characteristics while producing at scale?
A:
Our artisan bread is produced using traditional methods with a focus on quality ingredients and utilizing stress-free equipment for large-scale production. We’ve been able to maintain the traditional aspects of artisan bread while achieving a larger output. Although there’s plenty of new technology that lets us automate some processes, we still use manual methods which offer flexibility and create that handcrafted touch.
JOIN RICH’S ACADEMY
ELEVATE YOUR BERADS.
Join us for Breads Around the World, a free, on-demand course from Rich’s Academy that explores how you can easily and quickly transform frozen dough, adding new and unique flavours to your menu.
Get the best of both worlds: fresh-baked breads and rolls that simultaneously ease back-of-house labour pressures. Our parbaked portfolio helps you serve up the taste customers crave with scratch-quality products that offer easy handling.
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