AT LAST!!!

We have brought up the new web site for our classes. It's still very much under construction, but the information is there. Oddly enough, it looks a lot like this web site.

For the lastest class information, surf over to Bake With Mike!

We hope to see you in class real soon now!

























A big part of our "sourdough and baking evangelism" is teaching classes. We love teaching classes, and can't do it often enough! We teach classes in the Sanger, Texas and Evergreen Colorado areas. We are also willing to teach classes in your area. If you'd like us to offer our courses in your area, drop us a note through the "Contact Us" page, and we can talk.

To make it easy to find out about upcoming classes, we've started a mailing list to send out updates. If you'd like to receive automatic notifications of our classes, surf over to our Class Announcements mailing list web page and sign up. We'll NEVER sell - or even loan out - your contact information, you'll just get updates about our classes (and a monthly reminder that we haven't forgotten about you.)

Upcoming classes: We've moved and we're just a few weeks from offering classes in Sanger, TX. We're also hoping to have some more classes in Evergreen, Colorado this summer. So, remember to join the Class Announcements mailing list to get all the hot news! (Of course it's hot news! It's as hot as bread from an oven!)

Class Descriptions: Our classes are very hands-on. In each class, our students take home two or three loaves of bread, two pies, two cakes, or some other baked goods they have made. We also send students home with a booklet containing all the recipes used in class. If it's a baking class, students also get to take home a sourdough starter (if they need one). We have lunch together, usually a pizza, or some other sort of baked good, we have made together - in our last sourdough class, we made Kaiser Rolls and had hamburgers (or veggie burgers for our vegetarian friends) on them.

Sadly, to get the breads made during the class, we usually have to cut some corners. In particular, we cut out one rise, and increase the amount of starter in the dough. This means the bread is merely very good. When the students repeat the recipes at home, they will turn out GREAT! We talk about the sharing that is at the heart of breadmaking, why we should mess with sourdough, tools techniques and toys that are helpful to the sourdough baker, and more.

I've found that the biggest thing students need to learn is what dough should feel like. Most beginners put too much flour in their dough. So, this is a very hands-on course, and here the students are kneading their dough and trying a windowpane test.

Class policies - because we limit our class sizes to match our facilities and instructors ability to give groups the attention they need, we ask you have reservations before attending. Please drop us a note through our "Contact Us" page, or call us at 970-209-8068. Please note we are in the Central Time Zone, and please don't call after 9:00 PM local time.

Our first course is "An Introduction to Baking" This class is aimed at people who have never baked bread before, or who have tried and had bad luck at it. In this class, we make three breads, starting with a very easy whole wheat bread, moving to an English Muffin Bread, and then a basic white bread. As we wait for the breads to rise. the students make lunch - Pizza! We cover kneading, rising, and the feel of dough. As is usually the case. we have a few surprises in the class. Students will take home the three loaves of bread they made, any pizza leftovers, and the class handouts that will let them repeat their successes at home!

Our second class is: "An Introduction to Soudough." While most of our students have baking experience before taking this class, we welcome beginning bakers. While this is the perfect class for the beginner baker, the beginning sourdough baker, or the total beginner, it's a good class for almost any baker. In this class, we make a loaf of San Francisco style sourdough bread, black bean chipolte pepper bread, and a sourdough pizza. All the students will take home with them two loaves of bread, their pizza left overs (if any), a printed copy of our "Introduction to Sourdough" cookbook (which normally sells for $15.00 by itself), a jar of sourdough starter, and lots of great experience. Students with email access will also receive a lifetime subscription to the "Introduction to Sourdough" cookbook. If you can't make to one of our classes, the "Introduction to Sourdough" can be purchased from Mike's Bread Shoppe.

Our third class is: Advanced Baking Techniques - Preferments. In this class, we focus on ways to get the most taste out of your ingredients. We work with long slow rises and preferments. In this class, the students make three different breads and our obligatory pizza. They also learn how to create pre-ferments and how to use them. At the end of the class, the students will take home three loaves of bread they have made, their pizza leftovers and our 32 page book on preferments. Of course, they also get a lifetime subscription to updates to the book. If you can't make it to one of our classes, the "Advanced Baking Techniques - Preferments" book can be purchased from Mike's Bread Shoppe.

Our newest class is: Back to Bagels or Bagel Mania In this class, the students will make classic New York style bagels. Crisp. chewy, bursting with flavor. At the end of the class, the students will take home 4 bagels they will boil and bake the next day, as well as our 24 page bagel cookbook. It's not just a bagel class, it's a lot of fun! If you can't make it to one of our classes, the "Back To Bagels" book can be purchased from Mike's Bread Shoppe.

Again and again, we've been asked to have a class on "Whole Grain Breads." We ask that students in this class have some sourdough bread baking experience so we can move on to more advanced topics. In this class, students will make a 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Bohemian Rye bread, and a whole wheat pizza for lunch. Students who don't like rye breads may make a mixed white and whole wheat bread instead. We will talk about how to handle whole wheat and rye flours, how to get the most taste out of these grains, and how to make healthy bread that your family will be willing to eat. All the students will take home two loaves of bread they made, any pizza leftovers, a printed copy of our whole grain sourdough breads recipe pamphlet, a jar of sourdough starter (if they want another one), and more experience.

Many bakers get into habit of using flour, water, salt and starter to make breads. For bakers wanting to spread their wings a bit, we offer our "Flavored breads" course. In this class, students will learn that there is life beyond the basic ingredients. Adding flavorful ingredients to bread adds another dimension to breadmaking. In this class, we'll talk about how adding additional ingredients to bread dough changes the bread making process. In class, we'll make Gorgonzola Cheese and Red Onion rolls, a Sourdough Olive bread, and a pizza with a flavored crust. People who don't like Gorgonzola cheese may use other cheeses in the rolls, make a dill-rye bread, or a seven-grain bread instead. All the students will take home the two loaves of bread they made, any pizza leftovers, a printed copy of our flavored breads pamphlet, a jar of sourdough starter (if they want another one), and broadened experience

Anyone whose memories of holidays are tied to special breads will enjoy our "Holiday Breads" course. Just about every holiday has breads that help make the holiday special to us. Which breads we will prepare will vary from season to season, however, the format will be the same as for our other classes. We'll make two holiday breads, and a pizza or foccacia for lunch. All students will be able to take home the breads they made, their lunch leftovers, a sourdough starter (if they want another one), a printed copy of our "Holiday Sourdough Breads" cookbook (which normally sells for $15.00), and a 1 year subscription to updated copies of the Holiday Sourdough Breads cookbook via email.

Slack doughs are made with more water than most doughs. They make breads like ciabatta, focaccia, and other rustic breads. Slack doughs are also used to make some baguettes. Kneading these doughs has been described as similar to trying to knead soup. Many bakers just give up and knead the doughs with a mixer. Still, if you know how, you can knead these breads easily by hand. Join us in making slack doughs. In this class, we will make a ciabatta, a Sourdough Olive bread, and we'll have a focaccia for lunch. Students will be able to take home the two breads they baked, any lunch leftovers, a printed copy of our guide to slack doughs, and more knowledge about how to knead soup.

"Sourdough Quickbreads and Cakes" explores the use of sourdough and soda to make quick breads and cakes. While most breads made with sourdough use the rising action of the yeast in the sourdough to raise the bread, there is another class of baked goods that use the chemical action of sourdough. They use baking soda and and the acidity of the starter to make gas. This can raise a wide variety of pancakes, waffles, biscuits, muffins and cakes. This is a fun class, and shows you a number of good ways to use excess sourdough starter. We'll make a variety of quickbreads and cakes, including chocolate sour-cherry cake, fruit muffins, and savory pancakes for lunch. Students will be able to take home a cake and muffins they made, as well a copy of our "Sourdough Quick Breads" cookbook and a one year subscription to the "Sourdough Quickbreads" cookbook updates.