A world-renowned expert in decorative breads, Ciril Hitz is department chair of Johnson & Wales's International Baking & Pastry Institute at the Providence campus. Since 1997, he has taught classes in breads and rolls, cakes and tortes, and artisan, decorative and sculptural breads. Outside of the classroom, Hitz has achieved international acclaim for his pioneering use of vivid natural colors in his award-winning bread sculptures.
Hitz has represented the University spectacularly. His team won Best of Show at the 2004 Bread and Pastry Championship, televised on the Food Network. At that same competition he was also awarded Best Bread Showpiece. He also competed on the 2002 Bread Bakers Guild Team USA at the World Pastry Cup, helping the team to garner the silver.
He came to Johnson & Wales from Hauser Chocolatier in Westerly, R.I., where he was head pastry chef and product developer. Prior to that, he was head pastry chef at Cappuccino’s in Newport, R.I. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design where his final project entailed designing dinnerware. He realized he was more interested in making the stuff to go ON the plates, and went home to Switzerland to complete a three-year pastry apprenticeship.
Hitz was chosen to teach a five-day seminar at the World Pastry Forum in Phoenix in 2005, where he also served as a judge of the national pastry championship, and served again in the same capacity at the 2006 event. He also served as head judge for the bread component of the 2006 National Bread and Pastry Championship.
Hitz's first DVD series on decorative and sculptural breads, titled Bread Art, sold more than 2,000 copies, and he'll soon release a new, five-part DVD series on breads for the home baker. More details on these projects can be found at www.breadhitz.com.
Hitz is a member of the Bread Bakers Guild and has contributed several articles to Modern Baking, Baking Buyer, and Pastry Arts & Design.
Achievements
| • | The 2000 Publishing and Research Award |
| • | The 2001 Les Amis d’Escoffier Award |
| • | The 2002 Rising Star Award |
| • | The 2003 Pastry Service Award |
