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Hervé Boutin has spent decades teaching up-and-coming bakers across the country, and now he brings his skills to Wagga through a range of TAFE courses and on-the-job training. The master chocolatier – who prefers to drop the “master” from his title because “there is always continuous improvement to be made” – hails from France but is now based in Wollongong and travels the country sharing his love of baking. “We’ve made great progress, especially in the Riverina-Murray area and the south coast, because there’s an audience in remote areas, country towns where you have a bakery but the colleges are too far from the bakery,” Boutin said. “So my job is to go out there, visit apprentices, help them with their course…and we have sessions here on campus to do specific work.” At the TAFE campus in Wagga, Mr. Boutin currently offers three courses, in addition to his sandwich course: a bread course, a combined bread and pastry course and a specific cake and pastry course. “[The course is] quite effective and provides opportunities for young people living in small rural towns to acquire qualifications; something we take for granted,” he said. In addition to the practical side of baking, Mr. Boutin hopes to develop a love of the craft among his students. “If you don’t have the passion in you, how can you expect a youngster to be inspired?” he said. “It’s something you have to convey to people, it’s not not a book, it’s not written anywhere, it’s me for you.” in France, in 1976, when he was just a boy. He began an internship in the bakery of a friend of the family and immediately fell in love with them. “I was immediately captivated by what was happening in the bakery; the feel, the smell of baked goods and the love of doing things like that,” Boutin said. He persevered and gained his professional qualifications in France, working for a decade in various bakeries and hotels before coming to Australia. to learn how to make your own hot cross buns and chocolate Easter bunnies like the pros do, with instructions from Hervé Boutin. To make Mr Boutin’s traditional hot cross buns, you will need: the community. Here’s how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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WATCH: Chocolatier Hervé Boutin teaches you how to make chocolate bunnies and hot buns just in time for Easter this month.
Hervé Boutin has spent decades teaching up-and-coming bakers across the country, and now he brings his skills to Wagga through a range of TAFE courses and on-the-job training.
The master chocolatier – who prefers to drop the “master” from his title because “there is always continuous improvement to be made” – hails from France but is now based in Wollongong and travels the country sharing his love of baking.
“We’ve made great progress, especially in the Riverina-Murray area and the south coast, because there’s an audience in remote areas, country towns where you have a bakery but the colleges are too far from the bakery,” Boutin said.
“So my job is to go out there, visit apprentices, help them with their course…and we have sessions here on campus to do specific work.”
At the TAFE campus in Wagga, Mr. Boutin currently offers three courses, in addition to his sandwich course: a bread course, a combined bread and pastry course and a specific cake and pastry course.

GOURMET: Chocolatier Hervé Boutin prepares hot cross buns for a cooking tutorial, available on the Daily Advertiser website. Photo: The Smiths
“[The course is] quite effective and provides opportunities for young people living in small rural towns to acquire qualifications; something we take for granted,” he said.
In addition to the practical side of baking, Mr. Boutin hopes to develop a love of the craft among his students.
“If you don’t have the passion in you, how can you expect a young person to be inspired?” he said.
“It’s something you have to pass on to people, it’s not a book, it’s not written anywhere, it’s me for you.”
Mr. Boutin’s passion for pastry began in France in 1976 when he was just a boy. He started his professional experience in a family friend’s bakery and fell in love right away.
“I was immediately captivated by what was going on in the bakery; the feel, the smell of the products being baked and the love of doing things like that,” Boutin said.
He persevered and gained his professional qualifications in France, working for a decade in various bakeries and hotels before coming to Australia.
Watch below to learn how to make your own traditional hot buns and chocolate Easter bunnies like the pros do, with instructions from Hervé Boutin.
To make Mr Boutin’s traditional warm crossbreads, you will need:
- 1000g baking flour (high in gluten)
- 10g salt
- 100g of sugar
- 30g yeast
- 280ml milk
- 250ml water
- 100g of butter
- 150g raisins, raisins and fruit
- Spice mix and cinnamon powder
- Mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast, milk and water. Stir in butter and raisins/raisins/fruit last. The dough should have an elastic consistency.
- Divide the mixture into 100g portions and roll them into tight round buns
- Place the buns on a tray and allow them to rise, either by placing them in an oven at around 30-35 degrees Celsius with 60% humidity, or by letting them rest
- Once the buns have puffed, pipe the cross on top using a mixture of flour, water, sugar and a little shortening, blended together to a pipetable consistency
- Let the buns rest and rise again, then place them in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for ten minutes
- Remove from the oven, coat the brioches with a mixture of water, sugar and mixed spices using a brush, and sprinkle with a little icing sugar.
- Excess batter can be stored in the fridge overnight
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