Sourdough Bread Making Workshop

If you've always wanted to learn how to bake fresh sourdough bread the old-fashioned way, this all-day baking class in Sevenoaks is the ideal opportunity to get acquainted with these time-honoured ingredients: flour, water, wild yeast, a pinch of salt, and nothing else.

The class begins with a demonstration of how to maintain your starter — the wild yeast that forms the basis for sourdough. Once made, your starter can be looked after at home, possibly for many years to come. Some starters have been around for decades and passed down from one generation to the next!

Under the supervision of your friendly host, you'll pick up a variety of breadmaking techniques, from the proper kneading skills to improve gluten development, to different shaping methods, transferring the dough to the banneton, proofing, scoring and finally the all-important baking.

Whether you're an old hand in the kitchen and want to branch out into baking or you're a complete beginner, you'll love learning these essential baking skills in a relaxed, supportive environment. You'll leave with a head full of newfound baking knowledge, plus a delicious freshly-baked sourdough loaf, the dough you've made and a host of goodies to get you started at home.

Please note: due to the extended time required to make sourdough from scratch, (including the proofing times), it will not be possible to bake your own loaf from start to finish. Rather you will go through the steps using the freshly prepared dough that your host will have made and proofed the night before. You will of course be able to take the finished loaves away with you, as well as the dough that you have already prepared in your host's kitchen, to bake in yours.

• All of the ingredients and equipment to make a baked sourdough loaf and some dough to take home with you.
• A jar of starter, banneton, scraper, apron and a bread scoring tool to take home.

This would also be a unique gift for her, gift for mum, anniversary gift or birthday gift.