David,
I bought the book/DVD from Bertinet on your recommendation. You are correct, the DVD is very good at explaining how to hand knead slack (high hydration) bread dough. I find that if you accept the fact that your hands will be a sticky mess, you will be successful. Generally the book is really good at trying to make dough handling and artisan bread making approachable by the average cook, and takes three different dough formulas and makes variations on each. I think he succeeds with the intention of making a variety of breads seem simple.
If you get a chance, try making the fougasses (leaf shaped breads) from French bread dough like Richard does on the DVD. They are pictured on the cover of the book. They are very simple to shape with a 1 lb chunk of dough and a plastic scraper.
The fougasses are spectacular breads!! The crust is chewy and crisp, the crumb is light and tasty, and their appearance will wow any body that sees them.
Another good dough handling DVD is "Artisan Breads" from King Arthur. This DVD is a little more suited to an experienced bread baker, but takes you into oven management and steaming. King Arthur Flour also has another DVD called "Sweet Dough" that concentrates on braiding and twisting loaves like challa. The technique for a faux braided loaf makes a killer looking stuffed pizza!
Tom
