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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2 Day Sourdough School BALM Boule Workshop
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Sourdough bread on the table
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50% wholegrain sourdough
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2 Day Sourdough School BALM Boule Workshop

£29.99 / month for 3 months + £499.00 registration fee

2 Day Personalised Bread Workshops

  • 9th – 10th May 2024
  • 13th – 14th June 2024
  • 17th – 18th October 2024

We will be working on the Sourdough Boule from page 116 of the Sourdough School Book. This is the classic 80 – 85% hydration boule. We will also add diversity to this boule by milling our fresh botanical blend flour.

TYPE: In Person 2 Day

WORKSHOP FEE: £499

FOCUS: Retarded Sourdough High Hydration Boule

LEVEL: From beginners, but some sourdough baking experience is advised, and students are provided with a pre-course online schedule with video lessons.

How to Book

Please select your workshop dates below.

  • Once you have checked out, you will automatically be sent an email containing a link with everything you need to attend the class. The step-by-step page includes links, directions, and instructions on enrolling. You will be asked to register as a student and then book a quick 1:1 chat with Vanessa, and you will be asked to bake three loaves before your class date to ensure you get the most out of the course. This ensures that all students are familiar with terms and means you get the most out of your course.
  • Your 3-month pre-course monthly fees give you access to the online lessons for baking the boule.  It also gives you access to speaking to Vanessa post-course about how you got on baking and applying the knowledge to your bread when you get home.
  • The links to the recipes and lessons are in the step-by-step guide.
  • You may remain a student after the course for as long as required.
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SKU: N/A Category:

We invite you to join a small group in-person workshop for an immersive, hands-on workshop at The Sourdough School, led by Dr Vanessa Kimbell. This workshop follows your initial and first consultations, where Vanessa gains an understanding of your unique needs. Here, you’ll be part of a small, carefully selected group of individuals who share similar requirements, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Workshop Logistics:

  • Duration: Thursday and Friday. The course runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and 10am – 4pm on Friday.
  • Pre-Workshop Information: Participants will receive detailed information on accommodation, transport recommendations, and workshop location

The workshops offered by Dr. Kimbell on Sourdough Boule with a focus on high hydration and milling botanical blend flour are indeed exclusive and limited in number, adding to their appeal and value. Here are some aspects that highlight the exclusivity and unique educational experience of these workshops:

These workshops are more than just a learning opportunity; they are a chance to immerse oneself in the world of artisanal bread making in a setting that promotes both personal growth and communal learning. The exclusivity of these workshops, with their limited availability and small group sizes, ensures a bespoke and intensive learning experience that is both rare and valuable.

The Experience at The Sourdough School: This workshop is more than just learning to bake bread; it’s about understanding how bread can be a part of your health journey.

SUPPORT: Students may continue to access the live support sessions and the libraries post-course with the monthly fees until they feel confident. When ready, they can unsubscribe from the support services.

HOURS: 2 days

An Overview of the Workshop

BALM Sourdough Boule Workshop

Overview and Objectives:
The BALM Sourdough Boule Workshop is an intensive, hands-on course focusing on the long, slow, fermented, retarded sourdough boule. This workshop aims to teach participants the techniques of creating a nourishing sourdough boule within Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM) framework. Key skills include understanding and increasing flour diversity, controlling fermentation, and optimizing bread for nourishment and gut microbiome support.

Target Audience:
This workshop is suitable for anyone interested in nourishing bread, from home bakers to professionals, including healthcare providers. Prior basic knowledge of sourdough baking is recommended for participants to extract maximum value from the course.

Course Content and Structure:
The two-day course covers the 10 stages of sourdough bread making, including:

  • Starter development and the ‘leaven’ process.
  • Mixing techniques, including bassinage.
  • Understanding autolyse, salt’s role, and bulk fermentation.
  • Bread shaping, volume increase, and proofing.
  • Scoring techniques and maximizing oven spring.
  • Personalized instructions and sensory connections.

Schedule:

  • Day 1: Arrival at 10 am, followed by a comprehensive hands-on session. Ends 6 pm.
  • Day 2: 10 am start. Continuation and completion of the baking process. Ends 5 pm.
  • Pre-arrival: Induction video provided for familiarization.

Instructor:
Dr. Vanessa Kimbell, a renowned expert and experienced baker, leads the workshop, offering insights from her extensive knowledge and baking experience.

Learning Outcomes:
Participants will gain tacit knowledge and sensory experience in bread making, enabling them to replicate and adapt the sourdough boule baking process at home.

Materials and Equipment:
All materials and equipment are provided. Participants are encouraged to bring a keen sense of observation and participation.

Assessment and Feedback:
Ongoing during the workshop through personal interaction and post-workshop through the submission and review of a baked loaf at home.

CPD Accreditation:
The workshop does not offer CPD points, but this may be considered upon request.

Post-Workshop Support:

  • Three-month access to detailed video tutorials and the workshop syllabus.
  • Participants are required to purchase The Sourdough School book for ongoing reference.

Why attend in real life?

We appreciate that most people learn to bake online.  Vanessa teaches online, and through books, but we want to explain some of the key things that how the in-person learning experience at The Sourdough School, under the guidance of Vanessa Kimbell, enriches the understanding of each aspect of bread making,

  1. Understanding Flour Types and Quality:
    • In-Person Advantage: At The School, students directly engage with various flours, including milling the botanical blend flours. This tactile experience allows you to appreciate the texture and quality differences, which is not as palpable through online resources or books.
  2. Milling Process:
    • In-Person Advantage: Students gain hands-on experience in milling grains. This practical involvement helps you to understand the nuanced changes in flour quality and texture, and smell  – something that is challenging to grasp just from written descriptions.
  3. Hydration Levels:
    • In-Person Advantage: Managing high-hydration doughs can be quite challenging. By being physically present, students learn through direct manipulation of the dough, observing and feeling the changes in the touch and feel of the dough and even the smell as hydration levels vary.
  4. Leavening Process and Sourdough Starter Maintenance:
    • In-Person Advantage: Students observe the starter’s behaviour in real-time, learning to identify visual and olfactory cues for optimal health and fermentation – aspects that are very difficult to convey through text or video.
  5. Kneading and Dough Development:
    • In-Person Advantage: Techniques like stretch and fold are best learned hands-on. Students can feel the dough’s resistance and transformation, an organoleptic experience that guides their understanding far more effectively than theoretical learning.
  6. Shaping and Scoring:
    • In-Person Advantage: Shaping and scoring require a nuanced touch and precision that students can develop only through practice. Personal guidance from Vanessa helps in refining these skills, which are hard to perfect from online tutorials alone.
  7. Retarding and Cold Fermentation:
    • In-Person Advantage: Experiencing the dough’s textural changes during the retarding process allows students to understand the subtleties of fermentation, which is a sensory experience that cannot be fully appreciated remotely.
  8. Baking Techniques:
    •  Understanding oven temperatures, steam introduction, and baking times are greatly enhanced when students can observe in real time and participate in the baking process, witnessing the transformation firsthand.
  9. Tasting and Analysis:
    • In-Person Advantage: Tasting is, in our opinion, an essential part of learning. Being present allows students to experience the flavour and texture differences caused by various techniques and ingredients, a crucial aspect of learning that cannot be conveyed through reading.
  10. Troubleshooting and Tips:
    • In-Person Advantage: Interactive discussions and problem-solving sessions offer immediate feedback and solutions, enabling a deeper understanding of addressing common baking issues.

 While theoretical knowledge and documented recipes are precious, the hands-on, sensory-rich experience of baking alongside Vanessa at The Sourdough School offers an unparalleled depth of learning. This tacit knowledge, gained through direct experience and sensory engagement, is instrumental in mastering the art of sourdough bread-making

Teaching style

BALM Workshops at The Sourdough School: A Unique and Holistic Experience

Unique Workshop Experiences at The Sourdough School: Our workshops at The Sourdough School, curated by Vanessa, offer a distinctive and in-depth baking experience. Limited to a maximum of six participants, these workshops are not merely instructional courses; they represent a comprehensive and artistic exploration of the craft of baking as a form of lifestyle medicine.

Workshop Structure and Approach:

Dynamics of a Small Group:

  • The workshops are conducted in small groups, enabling a profound and collaborative learning environment.
  • The limited number of participants guarantees individualised attention and fosters a sense of community.

Personalised and Varied Baking Experiences:

  • Vanessa tailors recipes to suit individual requirements, emphasising the practical application of knowledge.
  • Baking is a collective endeavour, with participants individually shaping bread or adding distinct elements to a communal dough.
  • Our scope extends beyond bread to include the creation of pasta, pancakes, cakes, and pastries.

Adaptable and Tailored Learning:

  • Each workshop is unique, with recipes and techniques varying in each session.
  • Activities may range from pasta crafting to pastry making, broadening the learning experience.

Engagement Through Immersion and Senses:

  • There is a strong focus on the sensory elements of baking – the aromas, flavours, and textures – integrating these as aspects of lifestyle medicine.
  • Workshops include principles like sequenced eating and concentrate on specific ingredients like polyphenols and probiotics.
  • Diverse techniques, such as ambient and retarded methods, are employed, enhancing the uniqueness of each workshop.

Beyond the Workshop Experience:

  • The learning journey extends beyond the confines of the workshop, inspiring participants to modify recipes at home in line with their digestive responses and personal needs.
  • The workshops are designed to be transformative, influencing not only baking skills but also the approach to wellbeing and mindfulness.

The Holistic Experience: Each workshop at The Sourdough School is an unparalleled experience. It is a blend of structured learning and creative expression, where baking converges with therapy and wellness. Participants are encouraged to engage not only in the process of baking but in a holistic journey encompassing breathing techniques, stress management, and a deep connection to the food they craft. It is an opportunity to evolve, enrich, and redefine one’s relationship with baking into a therapeutic and nourishing endeavour.

What makes these workshops so special?

The Course is Taught by Professional Baker Vanessa Kimbell who will impart Understanding like no one else

Vanessa an extraordinary combination of experience and skills.  She has been baking Sourdough for over 4 decades, having trained as an apprentice in worked in various bakeries in France, she has taught for over 20 years and her Doctorate is in Baking as Preventive Medicine.
Generally we have six participants, these workshops are about getting hands on, and you will actively engage in every stage of the baking process – from mixing and shaping to the final bake, gaining practical skills and insights that go beyond the ordinary.

Practical tips, tricks and techniques you will actually use when you return home

Our workshops include delightful lunches, and the chance to live the lifestyle medicine in a way that makes sense so you can go home with practical ways to change the way you bake eat and share bread.

Students share their thoughts about the Workshops

Interactive Bread-Making Journey:

Individualised attention, capped at six participants, is paramount in each workshop, ensuring a learning experience that resonates with each student’s skill level. The environment is inherently collaborative, allowing participants with similar baking proficiencies to exchange ideas and insights, enriching the learning journey.

Focused Mastery in Artisanal Techniques:

A special emphasis is placed on mastering the creation of a long, slow-fermented, high-hydration sourdough boule, a technique renowned for its complex textures and flavours.

The interactive and hands-on workshops engage students in every facet of the bread-making process – from mixing to the final bake.
This tactile and immersive approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of each stage, emphasizing the sensory aspects crucial in artisanal baking.

Specialisation in High-Hydration Sourdough Boule:

The focus is on mastering the specific technique of crafting a high-hydration sourdough boule, offering an in-depth exploration of its unique texture and flavour profile through slow fermentation.

Full-Day Sensory and Community Engagement:

Each workshop spans an entire day, including a communal lunch, fostering discussions around routines and techniques, thereby building a community of like-minded bakers. The workshop transcends the mere act of baking; it’s an all-encompassing sensory journey, engaging participants in both the art and science of sourdough bread making for a holistic and enriching experience.

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