Artisan II: Baking Sourdough, Levain, and Wild Yeast: Artisan II builds off of all of the theory and skills learned in Artisan I and explores the intricacies of levain. Learn how various starters affect the flavor, texture and appearance of bread. Learn the advantages of and how to maintain different feeding schedules, 1 a day feeding, 2 a day feedings, 3 a day feedings. See how using liquid levain versus stiff levain as well as the quantity of levain in the final dough affects the working properties and flavor of the bread. This course focuses on shaping boules and batards, primarily using white flour so that you can really see, feel and taste the differences between the types of levains used. You will also produce sourdough rye, multigrain, whole wheat bread and challah (using commercial yeast). And to make sure you haven’t forgotten the baguette, you will make a baguette using both levain and commercial yeast. Retarding techniques are also explored. Upon completion of this course, you will have a deep understanding of how to produce, maintain starters, and create naturally leavened breads.

In this workshop you will learn how to bake several different Sourdough breads with liquid and stiff starters, San Francisco Sourdough, Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread, Sourdough Rye, Sourdough Multigrain, Sesame Semolina, Ciabatta, Sourdough with Walnuts and Raisins, Olive Bread, Challah, Baguettes.