Artisan Bread Schools

Flatbreads are an example of artisan breads

Artisan bread courses are offered as part of most culinary school programs. But to focus on bread, and only bread, non-professional students can take day or week courses on the subject. Creating artisan breads requires an understanding of baking chemistry and the various doughs and ingredients that may go into the breads.

French Culinary Institute

The French Culinary Institute in New York offers a 30-hour Artisanal Bread Baking course students can complete in less than a week. Classes are small with a 12-student cap. The course teaches bread-making from the beginning, so no experience is necessary. Students will learn how to create a wide variety of breads. Learn to make baguettes, bagels, pizza crusts, challah, flatbread and traditional loaf breads. Class price includes baking uniform, utensils and other supplies, books and daily meals prepared by students at the culinary school.

San Francisco Baking Institute

The San Francisco Baking Institute has introduction and intermediate artisan bread courses. The introduction course, Artisan Bread One, is a five-day course teaching the fundamentals of bread-making. Students learn what types of flour to use, mixing styles and baker's math. Breads created in the course include baguettes, braided egg breads, whole wheat breads and rye bread.

The followup course, Artisan Bread Two, covers the uses of wild yeast and sourdough starters. Students create olive bread, challah, raisin walnut bread and ciabatta using the created sourdough starters and also get to take home a custom made starter.

Pastry Training Centre of Vancouver

The Pastry Training Centre of Vancouver offers eight artisan bread courses consisting of two four-hour days each. The courses are, in sequential order, Introduction to Bread Baking, Italian Bread Baking, Rye Breads and Alternative Grains, Croissants and Breakfast Pastries, Sourdough Breads, Ethnic Breads, Danish Pastries and Doughnuts and Healthy All-Grain Breads. Snacks are served to students during the classes.

Le Cordon Blue

The culinary school Le Cordon Blue offers Chef's Series courses for non-professional chefs. The one-day, three-hour Artisan Breads course teaches how to make homemade breads in small batches. Students also prepare spreads to go with the breads produced. Classes are at all Le Cordon Blue campuses, which are located in major cities across the country.

References

• The French Culinary Institute: Artisanal Bread Baking
• San Francisco Baking Institute: Artisan One
• San Francisco Baking Institute: Artisan Two
• Pastry Training Centre of Vancouver: Artisan Bread Baking Classes
• Le Cordon Blue: Chef's Series Non-Professional Cooking Classes
• Le Cordon Bleu: Class Information