Bread Making
There are few things as satisfying as creating a beautiful, crisp and individual loaf of bread. So whether you have tried before and been disappointed with the results or are starting from scratch, this is the bread making course for you.
During a packed day you will explore the influences of different flours, yeasts and techniques, understand a bit of the chemistry, physics and biology (don’t worry, it isn’t as bad as it sounds!) and create a variety of different breads yourself.
We start the day making sourdough loaves, including how to make and look after your own starter, then move on to fruit loaves, focaccia, brioche, pittas and naans. As we go along we will look at the effects of the subtle difference between the recipes, how the doughs are handled and shaped, proved and finally baked.
You will make all of your own doughs, with only the starters prepared in advance. The emphasis is on you developing a feel for breadmaking that you can apply at home - not on watching somebody else do it. You will leave with a folder of notes and recipes and a big bag of your own handmade bread.
One day course (10am - 5pm) including lunch
Price - £125 per person
Upcoming dates:
Friday 8th March 2024, 10am to 5pm
Thursday 13th June 2024, 10am to 5pm
Typical day structure:
Discussion about bread history and ingredients
Make sourdough and learn kneading technique
Make fruit loaf
Break
Make brioche dough
Make focaccia dough
Make pittas for lunch
Lunch
Loaf shaping
Bake fruit loaves
Break - Tea and fruit loaf
Bake sourdoughs
Bake brioche
Finish and bake focaccia
Pack up your loaves to take home
Bread making is one of those skills that is quite difficult to learn from a book. Gaining an understanding of the techniques, dough textures and the effects of the different ingredients is much easier to do hands-on.
We start the day looking at the history and fundamentals of breadmaking. This includes a look at how different types and qualities of flour absorb water and the nature of doughs they form. We move on to making a sourdough loaf, using my starter that has been live for over 15years now. We look at how to make a starter, look after it and use it, the critical factors in making a successful sourdough and different approaches you can adopt to make your bread making fit into your day.
We then follow a similar pattern as we make a series of other types of bread. Each loaf illustrates a different ingredient and how it influences the end result, such as yeast, sugar, eggs and oil. The loaves are cooked slightly differently as well, so that you can build an understanding of how the baking process itself will also change the nature of your bread.
We have a few breaks during the day, with fresh coffee, tea, and a few snacks. Plus you also have a lunch based around the pitta breads you will have made moments before.
By the end of the day, you will have made six very varied breads. You take these home with you, along with a set of notes giving you recipes for everything you have made, plus extra information on bread more generally.
I am also always pleased to provide an "after care service", should you have questions about your bread in the future.