A few years back I was approached by Different Drummer’s Kitchen to see whether I would be interested in teaching a bread baking class or two. Since then I have been sharing my passion for bread baking with anyone wanting to get their hands sticky in dough. The classes listed below are the current offerings at the Different Drummer’s Kitchen stores. I also teach private and in-home group classes as well. I have done classes for special occassions, like a bridal shower or just for a group of people who wanted to learn and have a fun evening doing something different. If you are interested in a private or group class you can select from some of my past classes or I will build a custom class to suit. Contact me anytime for more information.
Scheduled Classes:
7/21/12 – Breads of Italy (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Semolina Bread (Pane Siciliano) – Made from durum flour and sprinkled with sesame seeds, this loaf is golden in color and has a subtle sweetness from a touch of honey. We will learn how to shape it in the traditional Occhi di Santa Lucia shape, which pays homage to Santa Lucia, the patron saint of vision
Pane di Fichi (Fig Bread) – An easy to make bread that was once eaten only on Sundays as a special treat. This bread is enriched with honey, fruit and nuts and pairs wonderfully with some soft cheeses.
Grissini (Thin Bread Sticks) – Infused with olive oil these bread sticks are full of flavor and are delightfully crispy. They are delicious as an appetizer wrapped in prosciutto or served with a dipping sauce.
Biscotti Picanti (Sicilian Spicy Rusks) – These savory biscotti are more like crackers than cookies. They are made with semolina flour and studded with aniseeds and sesame seeds and then baked until crispy yet still crumbly.
6/23/12 – Glorious Multigrain Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Sourdough Raisin Rye Bread – This wonderful sandwich bread is studded with plump raisins and has a hint of cinnamon added to the dough. This bread is perfect for someone looking to make the switch to whole grains because it is made with a mix of white bread flour and a healthy proportion of rye flour.
Seeded Oat Bran Bread – Oat Bran gives this sandwich bread a lovely sweetness while packing in the health benefits of lots of whole grains.
Whole Wheat Boule – Baked directly on a baking stone, this free-form loaf is packed with freshly ground whole wheat flour. It has a delicious nutty flavor profile and a crisp crust.
6/2/12 – Bagels, Pretzels & Bialys (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Bagels – These traditionally made bagels have a chewy exterior and a soft interior, as a result of being hand rolled and boiled before baking. We will make flavored cream cheese to accompany our hot and fresh bagels.
Pretzels – We will learn how to knead, shape, and bake these deliciously salty treats. You will impress your friends and family with these classic soft pretzels. Dip them in mustard for a perfect afternoon snack.
Bialys – A traditional Jewish roll that originates from Poland this tasty relative of the bagel is filled with a light onion filling, resulting in a chewy and tasty breakfast delight.
9/17/11 – Breakfast Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Cream Scones – These flaky and buttery scones will be the perfect compliment to afternoon teatime or breakfast.
Brioche – A perfect breakfast treat, Brioche is rich and buttery, yet very light in texture. We will learn how to knead this dough to create a delicious accompaniment to homemade preserves or a slathering of creamy butter.
Muffins – We will learn how to create tasty bakery-style muffins at home. We will learn the creaming method, which produces a light and high rising muffin. An assortment of muffins including Pumpkin, Banana Crumb and Maple muffins will be demonstrated and will be ready for sampling.
9/24/11 – Breakfast Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Cream Scones – These flaky and buttery scones will be the perfect compliment to afternoon teatime or breakfast.
Brioche – A perfect breakfast treat, Brioche is rich and buttery, yet very light in texture. We will learn how to knead this dough to create a delicious accompaniment to homemade preserves or a slathering of creamy butter.
Muffins – We will learn how to create tasty bakery-style muffins at home. We will learn the creaming method, which produces a light and high rising muffin. An assortment of muffins including Pumpkin, Banana Crumb and Maple muffins will be demonstrated and will be ready for sampling.
10/11/11 – Wild Yeast Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Peasant Bread (Pain de Campagne) – This is the quintessential French Sourdough with a thick dark crust and a moist interior crumb. The use of a levain or sourdough imparts a slight tang and helps to bring out the natural flavor of the wheat.
Raisin-Nut Levain (Pain au levain aux noix et raisins) – This wonderful bread has a crisp crust with an open interior crumb that is laced with sweet raisins and toasted nuts. It pairs wonderfully with mild cheeses.
Baguette a l’Ancienne – An artisanal baguette made utilizing delayed fermentation and a levain, with a slightly thicker crust and a dusting of rye flour on the exterior, this bread has more character than the standard baguette.
Cultivating our own sourdough or wild yeasts – We will learn how to cultivate our own sourdough at home. We will learn how to care for and how to use our sourdoughs for baking all sorts of breads. Everyone will go home with their own bit of sourdough culture.
10/15/11 – Flatbreads Class (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
These quick and easy breads utilize the straight dough method of kneading and preparing. We will discuss proper kneading, long-slow fermentation, and the use of seasonal ingredients to impart new flavor profiles to these breads.
Focaccia – A close cousin to the pizza, this bread is excellent served plain or lightly adorned with toppings. We will brush ours with a garlic sage oil and top with roasted butternut squash.
Pizza – This everyday dough has many variations, but I will show you a version that yields a crispy, yet chewy artisan crust.
Pita Bread – A classic bread that can be stuffed with sandwich fillings or dipped in hummus. I will show you how quickly and deliciously they can be baked at home.
10/27/11 – Breakfast Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Cream Scones – These flaky and buttery scones will be the perfect compliment to afternoon teatime or breakfast.
Brioche – A perfect breakfast treat, Brioche is rich and buttery, yet very light in texture. We will learn how to knead this dough to create a delicious accompaniment to homemade preserves or a slathering of creamy butter.
Muffins – We will learn how to create tasty bakery-style muffins at home. We will learn the creaming method, which produces a light and high rising muffin. An assortment of muffins including Pumpkin, Banana Crumb and Maple muffins will be demonstrated and will be ready for sampling.
11/29/11 – Multigrain Breads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Sourdough Raisin Rye Bread – This wonderful sandwich bread is studded with plump raisins and has a hint of cinnamon added to the dough. This bread is perfect for someone looking to make the switch to whole grains because it is made with a mix of white bread flour and a healthy proportion of rye flour.
Oat Bran Bread – Oat Bran gives this sandwich bread a lovely sweetness while packing in the health benefits of lots of whole grains.
Seeded Whole Wheat Boule – Baked directly on a baking stone, this free-form loaf is packed with seeds and made with stone ground whole wheat flour. It has a nutty flavor profile and a crisp crust.
7/28/11 – Sweet Doughs and Fillings (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Sweet breads are a wonderful treat. With commercial yeast and the straight dough method, students will make a dough that is enriched with sugar and eggs and then transform it into decorative or filled loaves and cinnamon buns. Melissa will cover proper dough texture and how to shape and fill loaves.
Challah Bread – This sweet egg bread is extremely versatile and can be formed into many shapes. It makes excellent bread for French toast or bread pudding.
Cinnamon Buns – Using the same sweet dough from the challah we will fill it with butter, cinnamon, sugar, nuts and raisins to create gooey cinnamon buns, topped with a cream cheese and butter icing
Apricot Filled Pastries – We will use the same basic sweet dough, but add extra layers of butter to the dough. These tasty pastries can be prepared in advance and baked before serving.
7/9/11 – Flatbreads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
These quick and easy breads utilize the straight dough method of kneading and preparing. We will discuss proper kneading, long-slow fermentation, and the use of seasonal ingredients to impart new flavor profiles to these breads.
Focaccia – A close cousin to the pizza, this bread is excellent served plain or lightly adorned with toppings. We will brush ours with a garlic oil and top with fresh herbs.
Pizza – This everyday dough has many variations, but I will show you a version that yields a crispy, yet chewy artisan crust.
Pita Bread – A classic bread that can be stuffed with sandwich fillings or dipped in hummus. I will show you how quickly and deliciously they can be baked at home.
6/25 – Croissants Workshop (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Who can resist the crisp buttery exterior and soft melt in your mouth of a homemade croissant? In this hands-on workshop you will learn the technique of incorporating layers of butter into rich yeast dough to create the classic French croissant. Talented baker, Melissa Langenback will also explore with students the many sweet and savory fillings that can be used with this classic dough.
You will also learn a quick puff pastry recipe that can be ready in just hours with very little work. This is great dough for other pastries such as turnovers and palmiers.
6/18/11 – Sweet Doughs and Fillings (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Sweet breads are a wonderful treat. With commercial yeast and the straight dough method, students will make a dough that is enriched with sugar and eggs and then transform it into decorative or filled loaves and cinnamon buns. Melissa will cover proper dough texture and how to shape and fill loaves.
Challah Bread – This sweet egg bread is extremely versatile and can be formed into many shapes. It makes excellent bread for French toast or bread pudding.
Cinnamon Buns – Using the same sweet dough from the challah we will fill it with butter, cinnamon, sugar, nuts and raisins to create gooey cinnamon buns, topped with a cream cheese and butter icing
Apricot Filled Pastries – We will use the same basic sweet dough, but add extra layers of butter to the dough. These tasty pastries can be prepared in advance and baked before serving.
6/4/11 – Croissants Workshop (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Who can resist the crisp buttery exterior and soft melt in your mouth of a homemade croissant? In this hands-on workshop you will learn the technique of incorporating layers of butter into rich yeast dough to create the classic French croissant. Talented baker, Melissa Langenback will also explore with students the many sweet and savory fillings that can be used with this classic dough.
You will also learn a quick puff pastry recipe that can be ready in just hours with very little work. This is great dough for other pastries such as turnovers and palmiers.
5/21/11 – Sweet Doughs and Fillings (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Sweet breads are a wonderful treat. With commercial yeast and the straight dough method, students will make a dough that is enriched with sugar and eggs and then transform it into decorative or filled loaves and cinnamon buns. Melissa will cover proper dough texture and how to shape and fill loaves.
Challah Bread – This sweet egg bread is extremely versatile and can be formed into many shapes. It makes excellent bread for French toast or bread pudding.
Cinnamon Buns – Using the same sweet dough from the challah we will fill it with butter, cinnamon, sugar, nuts and raisins to create gooey cinnamon buns, topped with a cream cheese and butter icing
Apricot Filled Pastries – We will use the same basic sweet dough, but add extra layers of butter to the dough. These tasty pastries can be prepared in advance and baked before serving.
5/7/11 – Croissants Workshop (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
Who can resist the crisp buttery exterior and soft melt in your mouth of a homemade croissant? In this hands-on workshop you will learn the technique of incorporating layers of butter into rich yeast dough to create the classic French croissant. Talented baker, Melissa Langenback will also explore with students the many sweet and savory fillings that can be used with this classic dough.
You will also learn a quick puff pastry recipe that can be ready in just hours with very little work. This is great dough for other pastries such as turnovers and palmiers.
4/6/11 – Flatbreads (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Northampton, MA)
These quick and easy breads utilize the straight dough method of kneading and preparing. We will discuss proper kneading, long-slow fermentation, and the use of seasonal ingredients to impart new flavor profiles to these breads.
Focaccia – A close cousin to the pizza, this bread is excellent served plain or lightly adorned with toppings. We will brush ours with a garlic oil and top with fresh herbs.
Pizza – This everyday dough has many variations, but I will show you a version that yields a crispy, yet chewy artisan crust.
Pita Bread – A classic bread that can be stuffed with sandwich fillings or dipped in hummus. I will show you how quickly and deliciously they can be baked at home.
3/9/11 – Sweet Doughs and Fillings (Different Drummer’s Kitchen Albany, NY)
Sweet breads are a wonderful treat. With commercial yeast and the straight dough method, students will make a dough that is enriched with sugar and eggs and then transform it into decorative or filled loaves and cinnamon buns. Melissa will cover proper dough texture and how to shape and fill loaves.
Challah Bread – This sweet egg bread is extremely versatile and can be formed into many shapes. It makes excellent bread for French toast or bread pudding.
Cinnamon Buns – Using the same sweet dough from the challah we will fill it with butter, cinnamon, sugar, nuts and raisins to create gooey cinnamon buns, topped with a cream cheese and butter icing
Apricot Filled Pastries – We will use the same basic sweet dough, but add extra layers of butter to the dough. These tasty pastries can be prepared in advance and baked before serving.