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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Why we check your baking ability before you attend a Retreat

The Retreats are what we call a combined course, with a minimum of 6 months of online lessons on the Bake for Health online course before you attend in person

 

We want you to have an amazing week.  So this is really important that you follow the course syllabus on the Bake for Health Online before you attend.When you are going to spend time with people who are have baked before and learn from Vanessa then being familiar with the recipes and structure of the recipes will make a huge difference to your enjoyment of the course, and to the other attendees.

This means you are familiar with the basics, including sourdough starter refreshment, baking terms, and basic techniques.

It is mastering this basic knowledge that make the course go smoothly. We know it is sometimes hard to find the time, but we find those students who have followed the online lessons benefit immensely. We also know that if if you have not followed the online course then you will find the retreat style frustrating because it builds on the foundational knowledge learned before attending. 

To ensure you get the most out of your time at the school we ask that you practice our classic beginners sourdough formula before attending. This formula is also the classic 20% retarded loaf on page 114 of the sourdough school book.)

You are required to email us a photo of this sourdough bread, or equivalent at least 8 weeks before your in person course starts.

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