Our baking students around the world continue to impress us.
We have been teaching people how to bake real bread, pastries and pizza ever since the financial crisis in 2008…
Today, as we face an even bigger crisis for the world, now easing our way tentatively out of lockdown, our aim remains unchanged: to help individuals become more resilient and more self-reliant while pursuing a healthier lifestyle – and having fun! More than ever, we are convinced that traditional techniques, organic ingredients and ancient or heritage grains offer keys to a more caring and more sustainable society.
Our students, past and present, are doing us proud.
Those who learned to bake before the lockdown are putting their skills to good use, making bread for their own households, and helping their communities by baking for those in isolation, or baking for small community shops.
Those learning to bake online during lockdown are also highly motivated, sending us messages from all over the world, with questions about baking, and pictures of their beautiful loaves. It is heartwarming to see our interests shared by bakers from such diverse locations and situations!
Most popular online courses for lockdown have been Mastering Sourdough Starters & Leavens (No yeast? No problem!), Deliciously Gluten Free Artisan Bread, Naturally Gluten Free Sourdough Bread, Know Your Dough and Effortless Artisan breads.
Dr.John Tankard
I just wanted to say that what you both have given to me over the weekend Helen and I were able to stay last year, has paid off. I am by no means a expert, but now getting consistent results and now supplying the people local to us that are isolating.
It has been 4 months since my induction into bread making. I just thought would send a few pics of my attempts (above). I noticed in your book that steam was not recommended in domestic ovens so I have been using casserole dishes which seem to work very well. (Great tip, John!)
John Morgan
Naturally Gluten Free Chestnut and Buckwheat Bread
I made my own buckwheat starter from scratch, and am delighted it has worked! So I now alternate between the brown rice pizza boule recipe, and the buckwheat and chestnut loaf . I have started adding fennel seeds or cumin seeds, and topping with chia seeds, which has turned out well. I love baking gluten free with your recipes, it is a joy.
Judith Hooper – gluten free baking 2-day course
Online success
Ian Holt nails it first time. 
Boris Smajgel refused to give up – and look!
From Daniel Fracalossi, online student on Master the Craft of Artisan Pizza, in Hobart, Tasmania:
Dragan’s Dough:I think this is my favourite pizza recipe so far, the pizza puffs up really nicely and is thick enough to hold plenty of toppings. The flavour is also really nice, even though I only did the quick one (4 hours total fermentation time). I think this might have to be my go to recipe!
Focaccia Dough:This one was delicious too, very quick and a great treat. The added benefit of this one, is you can cook it in a regular domestic oven, even without a pizza stone! I haven’t tried baking it in my appliance yet, but it would probably go well as long as I used some baking paper. This is great for an appetiser 🙂 I made this for my parents and family when we visited them on the weekend and they were very impressed.
Rocket Pesto:We had lots of leftover rocket leaves in the house, so this was the perfect thing to make! We used it for pesto pasta for lunch during the week, which was delicious. I also put it on some of the pizzas using Dragan’s dough tonight.
Fossil Cove Track:Unrelated to pizza, but this was a walk that my wife and I did today, down to a little rock beach with a rock archway and fossils! We live in Hobart, Tasmania, so a fair way away from you in England!
Hope you both have had a nice week!
