Sourdough Bread Baking with ACRE Bakery
Times: 10am–3pm | Baker: ACRE Bakery

Spend a day learning the craft of sourdough with a baker from ACRE Bakery, our own Suffolk bakery producing naturally leavened bread using grain grown with soil health and flavour in mind.

This practical, hands-on course takes you through the whole sourdough process, giving you the confidence and understanding to continue baking great bread at home. You’ll learn how a sourdough starter works, how to mix and develop your dough, fermentation and proving, shaping and, importantly, how to recognise when your loaf is ready for the oven.

Working with Wildfarmed flour, water and salt, you’ll discover how just three simple ingredients can produce exceptional bread when given time and the right technique.

During the day you’ll learn

Understanding, feeding and maintaining a sourdough starter
Mixing and developing sourdough by hand
Fermentation, folding and proving
Shaping your loaf and using a banneton
Recognising when your dough is ready to bake
Scoring and baking for a crisp crust and great crumb
Making classic sourdough alongside sweet and savoury breads
How to adapt the process successfully to your own kitchen

There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and, importantly, understand not just what to do but why each stage matters.

What you'll take home

Because great sourdough can't be rushed, you'll leave with one freshly baked loaf and a second loaf ready to bake at home, so you can complete the process yourself.

You'll also take home a portion of ACRE Bakery's sourdough starter to feed, maintain and continue baking with.

All ingredients and equipment used during the course are provided, along with refreshments and a light lunch.

What you'll need

To continue baking at home, we recommend having a temperature probe, heavy casserole/Dutch oven and cane banneton. If you already have a banneton, please bring it with you. Alternatively, you can add a banneton to your booking, use it during the course and take it home afterwards.

Suitable for complete beginners as well as home bakers looking to improve their sourdough.