SOURDOUGH BREAD BASICS

with CHRISTIAN SZIMON

Thursday 23 March - 5pm to 8pm (3 hours)

Tough getting consistent results with sourdough at home? Did you get roped into the sourdough starter fad during lockdown but couldn't quite keep the wind in your sails? Come along to this rare chance to work with a German master baker and get to the bottom of getting the best results, keeping your starter going, and enjoying delicious bread from your own oven!

What to expect:

Join us at Kelmarna Gardens for this special opportunity to delve into the wonders of sourdough with German master baker Christian Szimon, who will guide you through the basics of baking sourdough bread, from starter to loaf. He will draw on his years of experience baking in Germany, as well as at specialty bakeries here in Aotearoa such as Bread & Butter and Daily Bread, to give you a crash course on the essential skills, tips, and tricks you need to get baking effectively at home.

The workshop will be mainly demonstration-based, showing you the detail of each step of the process from combining ingredients, to proving and folding, baking, and tasting fresh from the oven. Christian will take advantage of the time between steps (baking is a patient process, after all) to focus on the magic of the sourdough starter, how it should look, smell, how to care for it, and some of the best ways to make it easy and effortless to keep your own at home. He'll also show you why and how to score your sourdough in order to get the best results while crafting stunning patterns.

Christian will have a variety of sourdough loaves to taste as well, so that you can experience what's possible with sourdough through different recipes and a bit of creative license. Of course, be sure to bring all of your pressing sourdough questions to get answers from a real master of the craft. And, don't forget to bring along a small, sterilised jar so that you can take home a bit of the bug -- some of Christian's sourdough starter, that is!

Tickets include: admission and guided instruction, including demonstrations, Q&A, and tastings!

What to bring:

Essential:

a refillable water bottle (to stay hydrated)
a small, sterilised jar (to take home some starter!)
weather appropriate gear (to keep comfortable)

Recommended:

a notebook and pen (to take notes)
all of your sourdough questions (to get expert answers!)
a face covering or mask (if you prefer to wear one)

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Christian Szimon is a German master baker with over a decade of experience as well as distinguished qualifications. From Germany, he started his baking journey in 2011 at his first role. Following university study and 8 years of baking experience, he received a masters degree in baking and decided to travel to New Zealand to test and improve his skills abroad. Since coming to Aotearoa, he has worked for various specialty bakeries such as Bread & Butter and Daily Bread, the latter at which he currently bakes.

Over the years and from his experience, Christian has mastered the sourdough method and even innovated a number of his own recipes. He's excited to have the opportunity to host this workshop at Kelmarna Gardens, to mark his time in Aotearoa New Zealand by sharing with you his knowledge, skill, and passion for baking!

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At Kelmarna, we strive to make education accessible for everyone. So, where possible, we offer a 35% discount on our workshops to valid Community Services Card holders. If you book one of these tickets, please email us a copy of your valid Community Services Card, and remember to bring it along to the workshop. Please note that this option does NOT include Super Gold Card holders. Ngā mihi.