Bread Making Course

Learn to make three very different breads from a single dough, and go home with the confidence to bake them again in your own kitchen Bake your first loaves with Italian home baker, Pietro Pagani from The Alternative Table.

Bread making is easier than you think, you just need a little patience, a few techniques and practice. In this six-hour workshop, you'll make one simple dough by hand, then turn it into three breads: a classic tin loaf, a herb focaccia and a sweet cinnamon swirl. No mixer, no sourdough starter, no special equipment.

We work with stoneground strong white flour from Nonington Farms in Kent, grown using regenerative farming methods, and butter from Chiddingstone Dairy, a few minutes down the road from Bore Place. You'll learn how the flour itself changes the way a dough behaves, and taste the difference good local ingredients make.

The day is built around the dough's natural resting periods, so there's plenty of time to watch, practise, ask questions and eat. You'll mix and fold your dough, learn what gluten actually is and why hydration matters, then head out to the market garden to pick herbs for your focaccia (subject to availability). While the dough proves, you'll watch a live demonstration of the focaccia and the swirl going into the oven, and taste them warm over a shared lunch. In the afternoon you'll shape all three breads yourself, using three different techniques, and bake them.

You'll leave with three breads baked with your own hands, printed recipes, and, most importantly, the understanding to repeat it all at home.

This workshop suits complete beginners and anyone who has tried bread making and been disappointed by the result. It makes a good gift, and a very good day out for two.

Tickets must be booked in advance.