What's On

Learning to bake artisan bread at home is one of those skills that can feel almost lifechanging. There is nothing more satisfying than baking the perfect loaf. Be that to enjoy yourself with butter and crunchy sea salt, local honey or dipped into a bowl of extra virgin olive oil or for the gift of giving - you will become very popular with your friends and family if you bake an extra loaf or two at the weekend! There is a lot to learn to achieve mastery but to start the journey and bake your first loaf is really quite simple - all you need is water, flour and salt.

What to Expect
Take a deep dive into the world of sourdough for a day at Guardswell Farm. Your guide into the realms of wild yeasts and fermentation will be Iain, from our sister farm, Little Trochry. During lockdown Iain was our resident baker supplying the farmstand with sourdough bread, focaccia and his very popular cinnamon buns. Since then he went on to work as a sourdough baker with our friends at Aran Bakery before shifting his focus to setting up the market garden with his wife Kirstin. This year he is back, to share his knowledge and help demystify the art of sourdough so that you can begin your own journey.

Iain will introduce you to sourdough, before teaching essential techniques including making your own starter, selecting and sourcing flour, developing gluten through kneading, stretching and folding, proofing and of course, baking delicious sourdough bread. You will learn the simple science of bakers percentages - a helpful formula that allows you to take any recipe and make it your own. Iain will show you the equipment he uses at home to bake as well as his favourite sourdough cookbooks.

Sourdough goes well beyond the classic farmhouse loaf so as well as baking bread you will have the opportunity throughout the day to make pizza dough, pancakes and more sourdough snacks.

It will be a hands on day in the kitchen with a farm lunch using sourdough breads baked fresh in class, alongside some seasonal salads from Little Trochry Farm.

Whether you are a complete beginner or are looking to hone your technique, you will come away from the course with the skills and confidence to bake and enjoy sourdough at home. Not to mention a few sourdough snacks and your own starter.

Information published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.