Matthews Cotswold Flour is thrilled to announce the appointment of Rich Payne as its first ever Pizza Ambassador. Renowned for his pizza passion through his Instagram account, Dough and Behold, Rich inspires bakers and food enthusiasts worldwide. Rich’s creative approach and obsession of perfecting the art of pizza aligns perfectly with Matthews Cotswold Flour’s dedication to crafting quality ingredients and love of baking.
Rich’s baking journey started in his mid-20s when he turned his hand to baking bread.His passion ignited further when he bought an Ooni 3 pizza oven in 2017 and his quest for creating the ultimate Neapolitan-style pizza began. In 2017 he started documenting his journey through his Instagram handle @dough_and_behold as he became absorbed in watching tutorials to hone his craft, connect with baking communities around the globe and experiment with techniques.
Through his role as a Pizza Ambassador, Rich will share his tips and techniques with home bakers. He believes that baking should always be fun and that failure is simply part of the learning process. “I’m not an expert, and I don’t claim to be. I love to experiment, sometimes fail, and then share those experiences with the community,” he says. “For me, baking is about discovery, joy, and sharing the excitement when something amazing happens, whether it’s a successful loaf or a bubbling focaccia. Even now I can’t quite believe how my life has been changed thanks to flour, water, salt and yeast!”
Bertie Matthews, MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour says, “We’re delighted to have Rich Payne on board as our Pizza Ambassador and look forward to the knowledge, passion, and energy he will bring. His authentic approach and love for creating delicious, homemade pizzas will inspire bakers everywhere to reach for the best ingredients and enjoy the process of pizza making as much as the end result.”
Rich draws inspiration from his background in visual effects, applying the same learnings to pizza making. “I think of pizza as a colour wheel, looking for colours that complement each other, and then matching ingredients to those colours. It’s a visual process that guides my recipe development.”
He continues, “For me, baking and pizza making should always be fun. I will never, ever, not get excited about a steaming hot pizza coming out of an oven, lifting the lid of a combi cooker on a loaf of sourdough and gasping at either the success or failure, or flicking a focaccia bubble and popping it with your finger! It’s all good, all of it. There are of course rules to learn, but you can have great fun testing them too!”
Q&A with Rich Payne
Favourite flour?
“My go-to flour for pizza is Matthews Cotswold Pizza Flour. It’s a dream for creating lively, puffy and pillowy dough. Whether I’m making a classic pizza or focaccia, it always delivers a great result. I’m always experimenting and this flour gives me the flexibility to create doughs that are both full of flavour and visually stunning.”
Top tip for making the best pizza?
“Time is crucial. Good dough needs proper fermentation. I spent years rushing through dough recipes, but now I know the magic happens when you let it rest and develop overnight. I always encourage people to make their dough on Friday night – by Saturday afternoon or evening, you’ll have pizza dough that’s truly special.”
What’s one ingredient or tool in your kitchen you can’t live without?
“Salt, I love salt so much. I hold back adding it to meals as I cook them, just so I can add copious amounts on top once I’ve made them. Olive oil, good olive oil is essential and since turning 50 I absolutely have a tablespoon every day! Is it working? I’m not sure. Tool-wise? It has to be my pizza dough spatula. I’m lost without it.”
