Sourdough Baking Class - Intermediate

Sourdough Baking Class - Intermediate

This English-language, intermediate-to-advanced Sourdough Baking Class is a 100% hands-on baking workshop for participants who want to develop practical skills in high-hydration dough handling, fermentation control, and sourdough starter management. The 5-hour class runs from 9am to 2pm.

Techniques Covered

• Handling high-hydration sourdough doughs.
• Incorporating wet inclusions into bread dough.
• Balancing acidity and fermentation for optimal flavor and texture.
• Manipulating starter ratios for consistent sourdough results.
• Controlling taste development and managing fermentation timeframes.
• Calculating Baker’s percentage and desired dough temperature (DDT).
• Using a sourdough starter for baking.
• Preparing a sourdough truffle mushroom batard and a sourdough stout and rye batard.

Who This Class Is For

The workshop is intended for intermediate and advanced bakers seeking practical experience with high-hydration sourdough, wet inclusions, starter ratios, acidity, and fermentation schedules. It is suitable for baking enthusiasts who want to deepen their existing sourdough knowledge through hands-on preparation rather than introductory instruction.

Participants can use the class to practice calculating Baker’s percentage and DDT, compare fermentation and taste-development timeframes, and work with two specific batard recipes. The class accommodates 4 to 8 participants, supporting personalized instruction and peer collaboration. Attendees should complete the Sourdough Fundamentals course before joining this intermediate class for optimal learning progress.

Included

• 5 hours of English-language, hands-on instruction.
• One sourdough starter.
• Two specific bread loaves.
• Full-color baking booklet.
• Bonus video tutorials for further practice.

Allergen and Dietary Information

The class contains gluten and is vegetarian friendly. No pork, lard, alcohol, or eggs are included. 

Care

A sourdough starter is made of flour, water and microbes, such as bacteria and yeast. These microbes consume the simple sugars aka “food” in the flour mixture, and produce carbon dioxide. This process of fermentation is what makes our sourdough starter and sourdough bread rise.

Starter growth: Produces a dome surface as carbon dioxide bubbles are produced in increasing quantities. Starter will rise in height slowly. Depending on the health of the starter, it can double or triple in height.

Starter peak: Starter is at peak when you see a bubbly flat top. Always make a new starter at peak. This will encourage a strong and healthy starter that is low in acidity.

Starter past peak: Starter will eventually run out of “food” to consume. As it can no longer produce carbon dioxide, it will deflate, and sink in height. Starter will also become slimy, foul smelling and acidic. 

Microbial activity is best between 24-28°C. Keep starter at this temperature for optimal growth.  Estimated time for Tropical Sourdough Starter feed cycle is between 8-12 hours dependent on ambient temperature.

Bookings are final and non-refundable. If event is cancelled, you will receive a full refund or offered an alternative 48 hours before event. Rescheduling fee ($50) applies within 14 days before event. No change permitted 48 hours before event without proof of medical emergency.Please send a substitute if you are unable to attend. 

Exclusive invite to private online group for students only. You will continue to receive guidance as you continue your baking journey at home. You will also have life time access to all pre-recorded tutorial videos.

For the purpose of the half day course, we will use 0.5% of instant yeast to help shorten fermentation time. We do this to maximise our time together during the workshop. However, when you go home to make your own sourdough bread, you should NOT use instant yeast. You should only use your sourdough starter, so that you can fully enjoy the benefits of long natural fermentation.