Tried & Tested: Sourdough Bread Baking Masterclass at Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School

We tried out the NEW Sourdough Masterclass at Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School. Did we love it? Are we now all munching on homemade sourdough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?*

Sourdough is having a bit of a moment. It’s darn tasty and even said to be a healthier bread (due to the wild yeasts neutralising the phytates in the flour, which releases micronutrients, and also makes the bread easier to digest). Sourdough is currently all the rage and in every good artisanal baker often goes for a hefty price. And now we know why! Making sourdough from the starter to the finished crackling crusty loaf really is a labour of love! It takes time, patience and mindfulness (you feed the starter twice day – a bit like a pet). But oh how we love the result! So can this life skill be learned in a couple of days by a bunch of multi-tasking mamas?

In a word, yes! Thanks to a brand new masterclass at Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School.

A 2-Day Sourdough Masterclass with Dean Brettschneider

Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School has just launched a new Sourdough Masterclass taught by founder of Baker & Cook, Dean Brettschneider himself. This sourdough masterclass is a two-day course for anyone who has already taken a basic bread baking class at Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School. Over the course of two days you’ll get to learn all about sourdough preparation and how to feed your starter, how to make the sourdough bread itself (with vital tips on kneading, how to check if your dough is ready, the stretch test and how to check if your bread is cooked through). In addition to regular sourdough you’ll be multi-tasking to make a few other speciality breads like Soy & Linseed Sourdough, Sourdough Crumpets, Apple Cider Sourdough, Sourdough Baguettes, Sourdough Challah and a Cheddar & Onion Sourdough.

Sassy Mama Review

Our Sassy Mama team went on down to Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School for some hands-on baking. How did we get on? Every person in our group from the daily bread baker to the can’t-cook-won’t-cook loved it! Dean is an affable teacher, combining theory with lots of hands-on practice. The kitchens are well laid out and you watch Dean demo in stages and then have a go at making the starter, kneading, and proofing yourself. As this is a two-day course you really get to understand each key stage of the course from the vital initial stage of waking up the sourdough to getting the right elasticity in the dough, to slicing the bread in different patterns and baking the bread with the right setting to get that crackly exterior. It’s also a downright hoot — go with a gang and take up the whole space or meet new fellow bakers all with the same keen interest in getting that perfect crumb.

The course includes lunch and a glass of wine (cooking fuel as every home cook knows!), plus the great coffee (or tea) that Baker & Cook is known for. The best thing about the course is the practical take-away skills. Plus we went home armed with all different kinds of delish breads to impress our family or cook up for a dinner party.

*And to answer the initial question, yes we are now eating sourdough for breakfast lunch and dinner — all baked at home! With the extra sourdough starter we have made sourdough pancakes for breakfast (immensely fluffy and a hit with the kids), we have the good ole sourdough for sandwiches at lunch, and for dinner sourdough pizza is the new Friday go-to. Thank you, Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School!

HOT NEWS: Sliced Sourdough at Cold Storage

Pssst! If you are gearing up for making your own sourdough but haven’t taken the beginner’s bread baking class then that’s your first step. In the meantime if you aren’t near a Baker & Cook to get your daily dose of sourdough there’s some exciting news we have to share! You’ll soon be able to get a new sliced sourdough bread range by Baker & Cook at your nearest Cold Storage! Look out for this pre-packed loaf at your nearest Cold Storage supermarket.

All the deets:

What: Sourdough Masterclass – 2 Day Intensive with Dean Brettschneider
Dates: Friday and Saturday 9-10 November; Friday and Saturday 1-2 December 2018
Timing: 10am to 4pm daily
Where: Brettschneider’s Baker & Cooking School (adjacent to Baker & Cook Greenwood), 1 Greendale Avenue, Singapore 289495
Price: $540 per person

www.bakingandcookingschool.com/sourdough