Sourdough Starter School Bread Ahead

"A lot of us experimented with sourdough over lockdown, those long weeks stuck indoors, allowing a prime opportunity to start a new life in your airing cupboard. It can be quite daunting to manage the mercurial nature of that ancient balance of wild yeast and bacteria. Beginning the process of making your own sourdough starter alone is challenging and unpredictable; the opportunity to do so with fellow beginners and a trained professional helps allay much of the mystery and stress."

"Founded in 2013, Bread Ahead has been baking and teaching from its London bases in Borough and Wembley for quite some time now. A new addition to their courses is a 90-minute sourdough starter school in Borough. While most of Bread Ahead's workshops are operated in special classrooms, this workshop took place in the bakery proper. We were surrounded by whirring mixers and ovens as well as the intoxicating smell"

"Donning our hairnets, we were a crew of mixed beginners and returnees, excited to understand precisely how the process of beginning a starter works. Our instructor, Lucy, with 8 years of experience and having graduated from the National Bakery School (when does that get royal patronage?), was happy to answer our many questions. We started with a comprehensive explanation of what sourdough is, what it can be used for and how to treat it."

Many people experimented with sourdough during lockdown, using long indoor weeks to start starters. Managing the balance of wild yeast and bacteria can be daunting and unpredictable for solitary beginners. Bread Ahead, founded in 2013, bakes and teaches from London bases in Borough and Wembley. Bread Ahead runs a 90-minute sourdough starter school in Borough held inside the bakery amid mixers, ovens, and the smell of caramelised creme brûlée doughnuts. Participants include mixed beginners and returnees guided by an instructor with eight years' experience and National Bakery School training. Attendees observed a baked loaf, then created their own starters and met the bakery's 12-year-old starter, Bruce.

Read at www.london-unattached.com