Amazing Artisan Homemade Bread

If you’ve spent any time around Kemp Town, you’re likely familiar with the scent of fresh dough coming from Open Bakery on St George’s Road. On Saturday, 14 March, the bakery is opening its kitchen for a workshop titled Amazing Artisan Homemade Bread. Led by Csaba Bozo, who has been the Head Baker since 2015, the session is built around the idea that baking shouldn't be an intimidating or overly complex task. Instead, the focus is on showing how it can be a therapeutic activity that fits into a standard daily schedule. It’s a practical, five-hour deep dive into the mechanics of bread, aiming to clear up common misconceptions about how difficult it is to get a good loaf at home.

The afternoon is quite comprehensive, covering the entire lifecycle of a loaf. You’ll spend time learning the correct ways to knead, how to manage dough development, and the specific techniques for shaping. The curriculum includes four distinct types of bread: a hand-moulded farmhouse loaf, a seeded spelt tin loaf, authentic focaccia, and brioche burger buns. A useful part of the instruction is the comparison between baking in professional stone ovens and standard domestic ones, ensuring that what you learn can actually be replicated in your own kitchen. Whether you are just starting out or have been experimenting with flour for a while, the guidance is tailored to help you get a better feel for the dough.

Between the kneading and the baking, there is a scheduled lunch consisting of a vegetarian quiche served with a house salad. They also include a break for tea or coffee, accompanied by a moelleux au chocolat. The workshop runs from 12:00 to 17:00 and costs £140.00 per person. This price includes all the tuition, ingredients, and the meal. In terms of who can attend, it’s open to adults and enthusiasts; those under 16 are welcome but must be accompanied by a paying adult and have their own place reserved. It’s a straightforward way to spend a Saturday afternoon at 63-64 St George's Road, picking up a skill that usually takes years of trial and error to figure out on your own.