Redbeard Historic Bakery Bread Baking Workshop
Each comprehensive full-day hands-on workshop covers:
- making your own sourdough leaven to harness the power of complex wild culture fermentation
- kneading, shaping and prooving loaves in tins, cloth and baskets
- a short history of baking and ovens, and how to get the most out of your oven
- using different types of flour and milling your own
- how to recognise well made bread
- cooling and storing bread
Who leads the workshops?
John Reid, founder of RedBeard, with almost three decades of sourdough baking experience leads the workshops.
- The cultural history of real traditional wildferment "sourdough" breads - why they taste so good and are so good for you
- To knead, shape, proof and bake classic "sourdough" loaves
- To make and maintain your own wildferment "sourdough" starter culture (leaven)
- Luscious locally-sourced lunch, bottomless tea/coffee and snacks from our café
- The loaves you shaped and baked, your new leaven, a bag of organic rye flour to feed it, and comprehensive printed notes including bread recipes plus valuable baking tips
- 10% discount off any baking equipment, flour, etc, purchased on the day
- On-going support for your bread-baking journey
- Your enthusiasm and an apron (or consider pre-purchasing a special RedBeard apron for the class to take home)
Comfortable summer wear - the bakery is always warm from the glow of our enormous 19th century wood-fired scotch oven. Closed toe, flat shoes.
Anyone interested in baking - over the age of 16!
Bookings may be refunded or moved to another available date up to two weeks before the date booked. Under two weeks no changes can be made.
Vendor since 2016
We bake handmade, authentic sourdough in a 19th century woodfired scotch oven in Trentham, central Victoria. Cafe, tours and classes.
Our authentic sourdoughs are leavened with a natural, wild culture of yeasts and healthy bacteria. We don’t use bakers’ yeast, preservatives or any other additives.
Our loaves are made with organic flour, shaped by hand and baked in a woodfired oven, built in 1891 - one of only a handful of Scotch ovens still operating in Australia.
‘The best bakery in the world. It’s been a privilege to be inside. This is all about heart, passion and a love for making great bread.’ George Calombaris, MasterChef, 2013
‘I had RedBeard sourdough for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious. RedBeard is doing a wonderful job to promote the resurgence of authentic sourdough and artisan woodfired baking.’ Maggie Beer, legendary cook and restaurateur, 2010
‘It’s relaxed and charming, the location is gorgeous and their bread is fantastic.’ The Age, 2011
Bookings may be refunded or moved to another available date up to two weeks before the date booked.
10 September 2018 • Redbeard Historic Bakery Bread Baking Workshop
The sourdough bread baking workshop is absolutely brilliant. Have to say that one of the highlights was when John ran outside because it was snowing. Haha. Wow, that oven is something else! I felt really privileged when we all got turns at loading our loaves into it and then there was the extra pressure of getting 3 loaves on the paddle when we had a go at getting them out. The loaves I gave away from the workshop, received rave reviews. I feel like my sister and I hit the jackpot with the group we were a part of. Each of the other participants added a really nice contribution to the day. My own sourdough starter that I received on the day is living in my pantry. I feed it every day without fail. It's easy to remember. I feed the dogs and then feed the starter. I split it into 2, in case something unexpected happens, so I have a backup. I named them after my grandmothers; Rose & Irene. It will be funny when I take them away with us on holidays. I made my first loaves with Rose on the weekend. I saved giving my review until I had made an attempt at home with my own facilities. I'm pretty impressed with myself for the first effort and I am looking forward to improving my technique and trying variations as I become more confident. Thank-you John for your sage advice, your pragmatic opinions and your infectious enthusiasm.
08 September 2018 • Redbeard Historic Bakery Bread Baking Workshop
I have wanted to do this course for 3 years and it didn’t disappoint, learning about bread making in this old bakery and using the oven is amazing. John is an excellent teacher with such a wealth of knowledge that he was happy to share with us. Well presented, great lunch, good coffees and we got to take quite a few loaves of sourdough home! Highly recommended.
27 August 2018 • Redbeard Historic Bakery Bread Baking Workshop