San Diego Sourdough Bread Hands-on Workshop & Class

READY TO LEARN THE BASICS OF SOURDOUGH BAKING?

Imagine the delicious aroma of freshly baked sourdough bread wafting though your very own kitchen - and better yet, knowing that you are the crafty one who put it all together!

Well great news, this CAN be you! In-home Sourdough Workshops are now available to folks living in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. You can enjoy hosting your friends and family from the comfort of your home.

I'll bring everything to you, and in just a few hours you and your friends will learn everything you need to know to begin your sourdough baking right away!

Sourdough Workshop Interest Form

Are you interested in hosting a Sourdough Workshop in your home? Please fill out this form to get started!

Fill it out here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

In this Sourdough Bread Beginner's class, your guest can expect to leave knowing:

- How to create, care for & store a sourdough starter (a.k.a. making a levain)

- How to put together a dough

- How to do stretch & fold's

- Bulk fermentation - the difference between room temp and cold fermentation bulk rises

- Shaping a boule (a.k.a. round loaf)

- How to bake a loaf

- Final rise & proofing

- What tools & tips you need to have a successful and easy baking process

...and so much more, including things like helpful sourdough terms, baking timelines, FAQ's, and troubleshooting.

This is an in-person workshop, you can make your event whatever you desire it to be, a mom's day/night out, couples night, homeschool groups, or a class for families & kiddos!

SOURDOUGH BAKING WORKSHOP - WHAT TO EXPECT

Attendees will receive about 3 hours of instruction, with time to mingle in between.

In real time, we will go through the entire process of feeding the starter, using it to make a dough, going through sets of stretch and folds, bulk rises, shaping and scoring your dough, and then baking your loaf!

Each guest will be putting their new skills to test before they even leave your home! Everyone will be given the ingredients needed to put their own loaf together to bring home and bake the next day!

EACH WORKSHOP ATTENDEE WILL RECEIVE:

- About 3.5 hours of in-person & hands-on instruction

- Everything you need to know to get started baking with sourdough

- The Basics of Sourdough Baking Guidebook

- Active Sourdough Starter

- All ingredients needed to put together a dough loaf to bring home & bake

- Access to a list of my favorite baking supplies and tools

- FREE BONUS: A printable download of some of my favorite sourdough recipes

- *Sourdough Tools Package* (optional, purchased for an additional cost)

Workshop cost: $100 per person (host & attendees)

Prior to your event, your guests will receive an email with instructions on what tools & ingredients they need available at home to begin caring for their starter and baking straight away.

In addition to the workshop cost, all guests have the option to purchase the

Wise Women Medicine Sourdough Tools Kit containing all the tools that make sourdough baking even easier!

Our high-standard baking kit is meticulously and thoughtfully curated for your convenience, taking out all the guess work, enabling the new baker to craft flawless loaves of bread. It comes complete with all the specialized baking tools necessary for producing traditional round and baton loaves, boasting soft, delectable interiors and perfectly golden crusts.

The Wise Women Medicine Sourdough Tools Kit (valued at $160) includes:

- digital kitchen scale (absolutely needed for sourdough baking)

- oval banneton basket with cloth liner

- round banneton basket with cloth liner

- bread lame with extra razor blades

- bench scraper

- bowl scraper

- mesh sifter

- silicone spatula

- weck jar 743

- hand-dyed flour sack towel

Wise Women Medicine Sourdough Tools Kit cost: $100

I recommend adding the Sourdough Tools Kit to your workshop registration. With this kit, you can walk away from the workshop with all the useful tools you need to get started immediately.

HOW TO HOST A SOURDOUGH WORKSHOP

Hosting a Sourdough Workshop for friends and family is easy! To be a host you must be located in San Diego County (or surrounding areas), provide access to a kitchen with a sink and oven, and have enough table/counter space to accommodate your attendees. As I will be driving to your space, it is important that you fill out the Sourdough Workshop Interest Form so we can chat about the minimum amount of guests required to schedule your event!

Want to host for FREE? As a host, you have the opportunity to have your $100 workshop investment refunded when you have a minimum of 10 friends register!

Julie in Carlsbad

Rachel is the best teacher! When I took her workshop I knew absolutely nothing about sourdough. Her step-by-step process and workbook made learning a new skill a breeze. After the workshop, I was able to bake a loaf from start to finish and troubleshoot on my own!

Lauren in San Marcos

I had the pleasure of hosting Rachel’s sourdough workshop in my home! I was already an avid sourdough baker but it was incredible to gather with friends in my own space and pass along this valuable skill. Rachel’s course is so thorough and intentional so it is perfect even if you have no knowledge of baking at all. This class is such an incredible value as this is a skill that can be passed along through the generations not to mention being able to have delicious homemade sourdough bread all the time. I loved being able to take away new tips and tricks for my own baking routine and be able to watch my friends go home with their loaves and starter and begin to bake. I also refer to the workbook and discard recipes included with the workshop almost every time I bake. This class is worth every penny and Rachel is a gem!

Kim in Escondido

This workshop taught me everything I needed to know about starting my sourdough baking journey. Finally, a method that works, so easy my 6-year-old can do it! The course is jammed packed with clear and precise instructions by an excellent presenter who is very knowledgeable and experienced, as well as kind and funny. The teacher uses tools that are practical, inexpensive, and easily obtained. Also demonstrating in a home kitchen gave me the confidence that I could get similar results. It is a very professional course that has enabled me to successfully make sourdough bread with every attempt. I often refer to this excellent course and guidebook when needed as it is a great reference time and time again. I highly recommend it to those that are starting out on their sourdough journey as it is full of crucial information to make beautiful sourdough bread. Your family and their belly’s will thank you!

Vanessa in Lakeside

A couple years ago I started down the rabbit hole of making my own sourdough. I purchased a starter kit from someone on IG and just went for it. I found it not super difficult, but I was getting frustrated because my dough would not rise like the persons whom I purchased the kit from. Someone I follow on IG shared Rachel's story about a sourdough workshop so I said what the heck, let's try this out. I scheduled an evening and invited about 10 ladies who also wanted to learn. We had such a blast and got to even bake the bread during the workshop. What I loved most about it though was how easy it all was. She gave us little booklets with tons of information and step by step instructions. I was able to successfully bake a loaf with a great rise and keep my starter going easily. Aside from what I learned in the class, Rachel was very helpful to me if I had questions after the fact. Take a workshop, you won't regret it!

Adriana in El Cajon

I took Rachel’s sourdough class after I had been baking on my own for about a year. I was so glad that I did because it helped me finesse some steps I was having trouble with and made me even more confident. This is such a great class for anyone interested in learning to bake. She breaks the whole process and takes any overwhelm away from it so you are able to walk out confidently prepared to bake on your own.

CAN I HOST A WORKSHOP FOR LITTLES?

Absolutely, I created this workshop with all ages in mind! If you’re looking for a hobby to share with your child, then baking is a great choice! This class is wonderful for children from grade school to high school. It's especially a huge hit with homeschool groups and families! Baking is a great way to teach your children skills they will use throughout their lives, and will also help them find more confidence in learning new skills in general. Baking is quite fun and delicious! It can help you show your child more about the world, and give them vital skills they'll take with them into adulthood. Another special benefit of course, is a natural strengthening of the bond between you and your child. What hobby is better than that? The registration process & workshop cost looks a little different for these events, so be sure to fill out the Sourdough Workshop Interest Form so we can discuss this!The registration process & workshop cost looks a little different for these events, so be sure to fill out the Sourdough Workshop Interest Form so we can discuss this!

Frequently Asked questions

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

It's super easy! Once you submit your Sourdough Workshop Interest Form, I will contact you to discuss specifics, send you registration & payment info, and then we'll book a date!

WHAT IF I'M GLUTEN INTOLERANT?

There are many starter & sourdough recipes made with GF flours for those who have gluten intolerance. However, this workshop will not cover those. While the gluten in sourdough is drastically reduced during the long fermentation process, and can even be safe for consumption by those with gluten sensitivities, this workshop is not for folks with severe gluten allergies.

HOW SOON WILL I BE ABLE TO START BAKING WITH SOURDOUGH?

Immediately! I will bring enough active sourdough starter for each participant to put together a loaf of sourdough, and still have enough left over to take home and begin feeding.The loaf we put together during the workshop will be ready for you to take home, begin your bulk fermentation/rise, and then bake the next day.

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

By submitting your payment, the participant agrees that they understand refunds are only issued if the host or instructor cancels the workshop. If the participant cancels or fails to show to the workshop, their payment will not be refunded but it can be used at a future event if requested.

WHAT IF I DECIDE I WANT A WISE WOMEN SOURDOUGH TOOLS KIT AFTER THE WORKSHOP IS OVER?

These kits are only available at the time of the workshop. If you know or even think you might want one, please be sure to include that request in your registration.

IS LEARNING HOW TO BAKE WITH SOURDOUGH HARD?

No. I really don't think so. There is a learning curve for sure and does require some time management, but once you get the steps down you can easily work sourdough into your schedule!

WHY IS SOURDOUGH BETTER THAN OTHER BREADS?

There are a lot of reasons! One of the biggest being that its made with only 3 ingredients: flour, water, and salt. When you make bread from scratch, you can control what goes into it. When you make homemade sourdough bread, you can use all high-quality, organic ingredients that you know have no unnecessary fillers, stabilizers, or pesticides in them.

IS SOURDOUGH DAIRY-FREE OR VEGAN?

Yes and yes, with a caveat! While there are many sourdough recipes that are not vegan, your everyday artisan sourdough loaf does not have any dairy or eggs in it. These loaves are made with sourdough starter/levain (flour & water), flour, water, and salt.

Welcome to The Basics of Sourdough Baking Workshop!