Bread Ahead Bakery School in Borough Market

 

Located in the heart of Borough Market, Bread Ahead offers in-person baking classes with their world class Expert bakers. Having signed up for a half day 'Introduction to Italian Baking Workshop' months ago, we were going to learn how to bake mouthwatering focaccia, ciabatta, and grissini "guaranteed to impress at your next dinner party". Based at the centre of London’s vibrant food scene in the renowned Borough Market, Bread Ahead has become a destination for foodies across the globe. Founded by Matthew Jones in 2013, he started his working life as a chef honing his craft working alongside well known names such as Shaun Hill, Simon Hopkinson and John Torode in restaurants including Bibendum, Pont de la Tour, Quaglino’s and finally as Head Pastry and Bakery Chef at Mezzo. He knows a thing or two about making great bread. He should do – a champion for English baking – he has been making it for over 25 years and has loved every minute of it!

Arriving at 9:30am for the sold-out 3-hour class, we were introduced to Victoria, the head baker who handed out our aprons and invited us to have a cup of tea and some warm freshly made croissants, before we began carefully weighing out ingredients for the Focaccia using fresh yeast, flour and salt. Luke warm water is then added to the dry ingredients and the dough is energetically mixed using our hands which was a very sticky affair. Victoria then instructed us to place the dough into a parchment lined baking pan which was then placed in the proofing oven to assist the dough to rise. The next recipe was preparing the dough for grissini, followed by ciabatta. 

Mid morning we broke for another cup of tea and warm freshly made doughnuts which were absolutely delicious. Once our focaccia was removed from the proofing oven, it had risen significantly and was ready to be massaged with olive oil and subsequently seasoned with rosemary, salt and chilie flakes. Placed into the oven for about 25 minutes, the focaccia was allowed to rest on the drying rack to cool slightly. Next into the oven was the grissini followed by the ciabatta. An outstanding morning with just twelve students, Victoria was knowledgable and delightful, leading us through a memorable morning of Italian baking, with all our personal baking goods wrapped up in Bread Ahead paper bags to take home and enjoy. A thoroughly wonderful day, we look forward to taking another baking course next time we're in London.

Warm croissants and hot tea were offered before we began the baking class

A great way to start the morning at our Bread Ahead Cooking Class

Fresh yeast used in making the focaccia, grisssini and ciabatta

Big bowls of flour for making the dough

Weighing the dry ingredients for our focaccia after which water is added

Victoria began the class showing us how to measure the yeast and dry ingredients for the focaccia

Using her hands, Victoria shows us how to mix the focaccia dough

With olive oil poured on top of the kneaded dough, the focaccia  is placed into the 

proofing oven for 15-20 minutes

While the focaccia is proofing, we began preparing the dough for the grissini

using a rosemary seasoned flour

Once mixed, the grissini dough is cut into six equal portions and then hand rolled 

into long thin strands

The hand-rolled grissini are ready to go into the oven

Before beginning the ciabatta, we stopped for a mid morning break with fresh warm donuts

Warm, squishy and full of chocolate ganache, the donuts were absolutely delicious

Condiments for the focaccia - rosemary, salt and chilli flakes

Out of the proofing oven, my focaccia has risen substantially 

The class are now ready to add toppings to the focaccia 

Olive oil is massaged in the dough using our fingertips, then seasoned with rosemary,

salt and chilies flakes, then drizzled with a little more olive oil

Our focaccia are placed on cooling racks once removed form the oven

My lovely golden fluffy focaccia

The ciabatta dough ready to go into the proofing oven 

Victoria generously flours the tabletop for laying out the ciabatta dough

The ciabatta dough is then gently scooped out of the bowl onto the floured surface

Once the dough is on the flour, it is split in half to make 2 ciabatta

Once proofed, the ciabatta dough is split into two portions and placed on a parchments lined

baking sheet, then baked for about 25 minutes

Golden brown and not looking too bad at all

The baked grissini turned out not too bad either — not as good as the ones we had in Sicily,

but they looked pretty good

Victoria and me with my ciabatta

www.breadahead.com/courses

Baking Focaccia at Bread Ahead

Baking School: The Bread Ahead Cookbook