Country French Bread with Master Baker Lionel Vatinet

Lionel Vatinet, La Farm Bakery’s owner and Master Baker, leads this introductory, hands-on bread class about the basics and fundamentals of le pain francais. In this special class, you will learn the essential elements of great French bread including Lionel’s signature kneading technique and shaping of the dough. Experience the sensory pleasure of kneading dough and making bread in this unique opportunity to work side-by-side with a Master Baker.

With Lionel’s expert guidance, each student will make and knead their own batch of dough. Then, he’ll demonstrate four ways to form the dough (rolls, batard, baguette, and boule). Students will select the one form they want to create, and will take home that loaf to bake. Lionel will have pre-baked bread in class to both illustrate the process and for tasting.

About Lionel Vatinet:
As the owner and Master Baker of La Farm Bakery in Cary, NC, Lionel is a pioneer of American artisanal bread baking. His first artisan bread book - A Passion for Bread: Lessons from a Master Baker – Seven Steps to Making Great Bread, is an extension of his lifelong goal to demystify bread baking for professional and home bakers. Vatinet’s training began in France at age 16 when he apprenticed in the prestigious French guild, Les Compangnons du Devoir; seven years later he emerged with the celebrated and hard-earned title of Maitre Boulanger pledging to devote his life to teaching, sharing, and preserving the ancient art and science of bread baking. After consulting for many of the most respected bread brands worldwide, Vatinet opened La Farm Bakery in 1999 - a modern bakery that continues the centuries-old baking traditions and techniques and honors the ordinary yet extraordinary boulangeries that once flourished in every little town in France. Authentic European breads, inspired combinations, and locally grown and milled flour distinguish Vatinet’s high quality breads. Vatinet’s breads have received praise in Food & Wine, O Magazine, and Saveur named La Farm Bakery one of the “Top 20 Bread Bakeries in America.” To learn more, please visit www.lafarmbakery.com.

Photo courtesy Gordon Munro.

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What To Expect:

Great cooking isn't about recipes—it's about techniques. In our classes you'll work together with other students in a fun, hands-on environment led by our professional chef instructors.

• Learn fundamental skills for a lifetime of great cooking
• Work side-by-side with other students to prepare each dish
• Interact with classmates and the instructor for a rich learning experience
• Classes are 2 to 2 1/2 hours, unless otherwise noted above, and each student enjoys a generous taste of every dish
• Held in our professional teaching kitchens, each class is led by an experienced chef instructor
• Students receive a 10% discount coupon to use the week after the class