Science of Sourdough Baking with Allison White and Hilary Austen

A Three Day Class

Creating consistency in baking and incorporating stone ground whole grains, can prove to be two big hurdles for both home bakers and those in larger scale cottage production. By learning how to use a pH meter, we can understand when our dough is ready for the next step which is particularly important when using higher percentages of whole wheat.

This course will provide you with hands on time and experience with new tools and teach you the information needed not only to maximize your production with the equipment you have, but also to feel confident in your ability to have consistent results time and time again.

Together we will mix doughs using a variety of stone milled whole grains and sifted flours with the goal of understanding their behaviors and performance. By utilizing stone milled grain- you can stand out in your community as a beacon of knowledge, flavor, and nutrition.

All baking will take place in a standard oven and the Campbell Rackmaster bread oven to create a realistic baking environment for the home and cottage baker.

This class is best suited for the intermediate baker, with good bench skills and a basic understanding of the following: starter health, bassinage, autolyse, gluten development, scaling, and shaping.

Skills we will cover to create consistency in your bakes:

• Using a pH meter for your levain and dough
• Understanding and exploring differences between a 3-hour and 12-hour levain and the effect on dough.
• Reading your dough: knowing when to move to next steps
• Learn to make executive decisions on bake temps, times, scoring, folds, and shaping depending on dough behavior
• Baking an open-crumb 100% whole wheat loaf
• Understanding and manipulating bakers’ math and spreadsheets
• Using stone milled flour to provide better taste and nutrition in your bread, and to differentiate yourself amongst other bakers.

A light breakfast and lunch are included.  

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Although masks and proof of vaccination are not currently required to participate in any courses at the Artisan Baking Center, masks are encouraged for any participants who wish to use them in order to stop the spread of infectious illness. Please stay home if you’re experiencing any symptoms of illness. Email us at [email protected] if this occurs to speak with a class coordinator.

Instructor Bio

Allison White, owner of Matriarch Bread in Morgan Hill CA, has been running her cottage bakery for 4 years. She focuses on using a variety of local freshly milled whole grains to create delicious and wholesome bread for her community. With a background in food science and fitness, her unique approach to bread baking has allowed her to carve out a niche product that keeps her customers returning weekly.

Hilary Austen is currently living and baking bread at Enso Village, a senior Zen-inspired community in Healdsburg, carrying on a baking tradition starting at the Zen Center’s Tassajara Bakery that opened in the San Francisco Bay area in the ’70’s. Over the past 10 years, Hilary has studied sourdough bread baking at the San Francisco Baking Institute, and with well-known baking teachers such as Graison Gill and Wayne Caddy. Also a graduate of professional culinary school, combining the flavors of different grains with creative inclusions is a passion. Recently, mastering the baguette has become a focus. You can see her breads @backyardterroir and @ensovillagegardenbakery.