The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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[email protected]
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What Makes the Diploma such a unique course?

The Sourdough School Diploma is an engaging, collaborative learning experience

Of course, I would say this: It is far better to listen to students who have attended the courses and what they have to say. You can see a video of one of our graduates, Melanie, here talking about how she uses BALM protocol and applies the knowledge.

Here how we teach personalisation of bread and baking as preventative healthcare and lifestyle medicine

  1. You Follow a Dynamic Weekly Modules:
    • Each module features its own unique live discussion, typically updated towards the end of the week. This allows students to prepare and engage actively in the upcoming week’s topic.
  2. You attend Interactive Live Feedback Sessions:
    • Scheduled either on Tuesdays or Thursdays, these sessions are vital for real-time feedback and discussion. Students can submit questions in advance, which are then addressed during the session, often with screen sharing to guide them to relevant resources within our extensive library.
  3. You access Comprehensive Lesson Libraries:
    • Our course includes over seven hundred hours of lessons. While the Diploma course is curated to a concise format, students have access to this expansive resource for deeper exploration.
  4. We Have a Community-Based Learning Approach:
    • Emphasising community learning, our course fosters a collaborative environment where diverse questions and perspectives enrich the learning experience.
  5. Accessibility and Inclusion:
    • Live sessions are recorded with captions to cater to diverse needs, including different time zones, languages, and learning paces. We also accommodate dietary requirements and provide glossaries to support students with language barriers.
  6. I run Drop-In Open Sessions:
    • Regular drop-in sessions at 4 pm allow students to seek clarifications or assistance on the syllabus, as well as receive technical support. These sessions provide an opportunity for personalised interaction and ensure that all students, regardless of their specific needs, are fully included in the learning process.
  7. Your experience is Essential for Personalisation and Application:
    • The course includes personalised elements, such as the blood sugar module, where students observe their own responses to different breads. This practical application of the Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) protocol allows students to understand the impact of bread on a personal level.
  8. Living Life as Inquiry:
    • Our teaching philosophy is rooted in ‘living life as inquiry’, an academic approach that encourages students to create their own knowledge through experience and reflection. This methodology supports a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of baking, nutrition, and wellness.
  9. We welcome Transdisciplinary Perspectives:
    • The course brings together a diverse range of students, including farmers, gastroenterologists, and nutritionists, creating a rich learning environment. This diversity encourages students to consider multiple perspectives, enhancing their understanding of systems change and sustainability in food production.
  10. Your Assessment is Through Participation:
    • Participation in live discussions is a key component of our assessment method. Engaging in these dialogues allows Dr. Kimbell and the team to understand each student’s progress and provide tailored guidance.

Learning Outcomes: By participating in this course, students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of baking as lifestyle medicine, including practical skills in sourdough bread-making and a deep knowledge of the nutritional aspects of bread. They will also develop the ability to apply these principles as personalised nutrition, enhancing both their health and that of their clients and customers.

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