Join us for bread making and pastry courses at our cookery school in Ironbridge, Shropshire.
Our cookery school specialises in small group tuition so that everyone gets plenty of personal attention and has the chance to ask plenty of questions. We focus on making sure that you have a great day whilst learning a new skill.
Upcoming cookery courses
Full-day course cost: £120 per person
Half-day/ evening cost: £70 per person
Please Note: We are currently closed due to the requirement to socially distance, please subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know when we reopen. We hope to reopen in June 2021 if the Government’s roadmap goes to plan. We have online bread courses available for you to take at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home.
To find out more about our courses please visit the contact us page and fill in an enquiry form or phone Kath on 01952 432910.
We offer discounts of 10% off for members of the Real Bread Campaign. Payment can be made by cheque, BACS or PayPal and gift vouchers are available.
What’s included in our cookery courses?
Our full-day cookery courses include refreshments throughout the day, homemade cake, a light lunch, a recipe/advice booklet and all of the goodies that you have made to take home as well as a scraper and discount voucher from BakeryBits.
Our evening and half-day cookery courses include refreshments, homemade cake and a pizza, a recipe/advice booklet, all of the goodies that you have made to take home and a scraper and discount voucher from BakeryBits.
We supply all of the equipment you need during the day including aprons to keep your clothes clean and bags and boxes to take your bread home in. All of our courses are very hands-on. You make everything alongside Kath, who guides you every step of the way.
Bread making basics
The full-day course runs from 10am – 4pm and together we bake a white dough, a spelt or wholemeal dough and a flavoured bread. We have plenty of time during the day to discuss techniques and common problems. We work on shaping techniques and how to get the best bake from your domestic oven. This course is suitable for beginners and those looking to perfect their technique.
The evening course runs from 6pm-9.30pm and the half-day course is from 10am -1.30pm. We will bake a white dough and a spelt or wholemeal dough along with a pizza to enjoy during the class. We cover lots in the time, including shaping techniques and how to get the best out of your domestic oven. This course is suitable for beginners.
Ciabattas and baguettes (Slow dough)
This full-day course runs from 10am – 4pm and takes your bread making to the next level. We work with a poolish and a biga (overnight ferments) to make ciabattas and baguettes that are full of flavour, last longer and are easier to digest. So if you have already mastered the basics of bread making and are looking to expand your skills then this is the course for you.
Croissants & Sweet dough
On this full-day course we make a laminated dough to make croissants and pain au chocolat and a sweet enriched dough to make a sweet goodies including Shropshire butter buns, iced fingers and chelsea buns. This course is suitable for both those who have mastered the basics of bread and beginners as I tailor the course to suit you.
Bread and butter
This full-day class combines the joys of making bread and churning your own butter to spread on it. We will make a selection of breads, much like the bread basics course described above, but will also turn cream into delicious fresh butter. This course is suitable for beginners.
The evening class and half-day class shows you how to bake your own bread and make your own butter. We make a white and wholemeal or spelt loaf and turn cream into a delicious butter to spread onto that bread. We also make a pizza to enjoy during the course. This course is suitable for beginners.
Sourdough
This full-day class will help you get the best out of your sourdough. We learn
- how to build a starter,
- the easiest way to maintain a starter,
- how to use this starter in different ways to make a sourdough dough,
- what to look for in fermentation of the dough,
- how to shape and bake your loaf,
- the best way to bake a sourdough loaf in your domestic oven
- how to use the starter discard to make crackers
Because this is a day class and sourdough takes much longer to ferment than a yeasted bread you will be working with doughs that have been started before the class. You will benefit most from this course if you have mastered the basics of bread making.
Using heritage wheats
This full-day class will show you how to make bread using some of the more unusual wheats available to the baker. We will bake with einkorn, emmer and khorasan wheats and will learn how to handle doughs using different flours. This course is suitable for beginners but you will benefit more if you have mastered the basics of bread making.
Baking with freshly milled flour
This full-day course makes use of my tabletop Komo Fidibus XL mill and shows you the difference that baking with freshly milled flour can make to the taste of your bakes. We will make bread, scones and biscuits on this course. This course is suitable for beginners.
Pastry and scones
This full-day course will help you to make the best puff-pastry you have ever eaten, we will also make shortcrust pastry and fruit and wholemeal scones. We will then use our shortcrust pastry to make delicious pies or tarts for you to take home. This course is suitable for beginners. (You will take the puff pastry home to freeze to use at your convenience)
NB: Courses may be slightly different from description as I like to tailor the course to each group.
Family, friends or corporate groups
We also offer tailor-made cookery courses for groups of people (maximum of five) on a mutually convenient date. So whether you are a group of friends looking for a way to spend a day together, a family celebrating a special occasion or a company looking for a corporate away day, get in touch with us to discuss details. Contact us to discuss your requirements.