Bella Baita's 1st Handcrafted Artisan Bread Workshop

Udite! Udite!

Announcing Bella Baita's  

Handcrafted Artisan Bread Workshop

May 22-25, 2015  (2 Days / 3 Nights)

Learn to make gorgeous handcrafted breads in the beautiful Italian Alps using natural leavening and commercial yeast to produce incredible tasting bread with a longer shelf life.

Ralph's Trademark Lattice loaf

I am more than a little excited to invite you to join us to participate in our 1st Handcrafted Artisan Bread Workshop coming up this May 22-25.  

Fabrizio and myself, Marla will be hosting this 2 day workshop with our very special guest teacher, from Holland, the very talented and masterful baker Ralph Neiboer. 

Ralph Neiboer and some of his breads

I met Ralph online through an Artisan Bread Baking Group where he not only posted some of the most incredibly beautiful and tempting breads, but I noticed he seemed to be helping everyone with with his friendly and encouraging expertise. When I saw that he taught workshops it didn't take us long to contact him and decide to offer this bread making workshop.

 Ralph is a self taught baker whose passion for making bread that is well made using a variety of grains and methods for crafting bread that is incredibly flavorful, but are works of art in themselves. Ralph followed his passion in 2012 and began Bakkerij or Breadworks Workshops , as a way for him to teach his gospel of authentic bread made by your own two hands. He teaches in and around Schagen, Netherlands and also further from home around Europe. He also attends several master classes in bread making taught by masters like Josep Pascual and others whenever he can. You will not want to miss this opportunity to bake with Ralph and learn what this humble bread master has to share with us. 

Ralph at home baking pizza in a wood fired oven

Ralph's Pizza

Classes will take place in our kitchen and dinning room where we normally host our cooking classes at Bella Baita. Our kitchen is set up for hands on classes, mixing everything by hand to get the feel for the dough. Techniques are easily adapted to mixers that you might use at home. 

Our dining area also has tables to mix and roll out doughs with plenty of room to spread out. 

Marla and guests

We will be baking in a convection oven, gas, and wood fired, so we will really get to see the differences they all make. Participants will be limited to no more than 8 people, so there will plenty of opportunity to get personalized instruction and attention to your questions.

Bella Baita's breads and pizza in our wood fired oven

The workshop will cover a variety of methods of bread making, including natural leavening often called sourdough, but more accurately described as wild yeast as well as some breads made with commercial yeast. We will be using different types of leavening, some that are liquid and some that are firm. You will be instructed on how best to maintain them. Best of all you are welcome to take some of the natural leavens home with you when you go. 

During the workshop you will be introduced to:

• The making of a wild yeast starter along with the care and feeding of it

• High hydration bread doughs and how to handle them

• Whole grain and heritage flour varieties, like durum, spelt, rye, einkorn

• Shaping of loaves making a variety of shapes

• Long cold proofing of loaves for maximum flavor

• Decorative techniques and styling

• Some of the possibilities that will be covered will be no knead bread, ciabatta, country batards, boules, rolls, lattice covered loaves, pizza and focaccia

Ralph's open holed structured bread

Marla's Einkorn loaves with sourdough scones made with stone ground wheat flour

Bella Baita with Monviso in the background

For those of you not familiar with Bella Baita, we are a small B&B Inn located 50km southwest from Turin's Caselle airport, in the foothills of the Italian Piemontese Alps, 12km west from Pinerolo. We are situated at 1,10 m (3,600 ft) in the chestnut and pine forest about 6 km up from the small village of Pinasca. 

As we are somewhat remote from town, we are making the work shop over a long weekend, arriving Friday in time for dinner where we can all relax and introduce ourselves. I will be demonstrating a focaccia dolce that we will have for breakfast on Saturday morning. 

Marla and Fabrizio

Fabrizio and I will be on hand to facilitate the workshop and make your stay with us a welcome one. We are both former chefs that have been running our B&B Inn for about 11 years. We teach northern Italian cooking and are passionate about our mountains, food, and promoting this area for its beauty and off the beaten path charm. We have an organic garden, actively shop our farmers markets, promote local food producers, artisans, and do our part to support all local businesses. We hope you will join Ralph and us as we share our passion for healthy genuine bread. 

Our dining and part of our work space 

The price for the workshop is €250 per person and includes:

• Three nights lodging
• All lovingly prepared home made meals with local wine or soft drink
• All materials and course fee for the workshop

**Inquire about pricing that includes includes all meals for non participating workshop guests sharing a room with a workshop participant. 

Please do not hesitate to call or write us now as places are limited and times is drawing near.  

Write us at  Info@bellabaita.com  
Mobile Tel: Marla (0039) 339 750 3940 
Mobile Tel: Fabrizio (0039) 347 984 2945

Visit our website to learn more about the area and our inn 

Bella Baita- Italian Alps Retreat

See you soon!!!!!!