British Classics Workshop at Bread Ahead Bakery

Yesterday I attended a day course at Bread Ahead Bakery and School, located inside London’s Borough Market. I’ve followed this bakery on social media for years, added their cookbook to my Amazon wishlist, and even sampled a few of their treats on past visits to the market.

Although I’m studying in England, the training at Le Cordon Bleu focuses (obviously!) on classic French techniques. Aside from one demo day learning a few desserts like Eton mess and sticky toffee pudding, we haven’t spent much time exploring British cuisine. So I was excited to sign up for the British Classics workshop at Bread Ahead. It seemed like the perfect chance to learn some traditional British bakes and see what the school is all about.

I really enjoyed all three of the recipes we learned in this half-day course.

Potato Bread

First, we prepared a potato bread with rosemary and thyme:

The finished product was not only delicious, but beautiful to look at, too! And, I’ve decided that I definitely need to purchase a Banneton basket to make all of my future bakes this pretty:

English Muffins

Next, we prepared traditional English muffins (or, just “muffins,” as they’re called here!) After mixing the dough, we scaled it into individual portions. Then, we rolled each one into a ball and flattened them on a baking tray. Finally, we topped each muffin with a dusting of semolina:

These taste very little like the store-bought version sold in the US (no ‘nooks and crannies,’ for starters…) but they’re absolutely delicious. Plus they made for a perfect breakfast this morning!

Welshcakes

Finally, we watched the chef demonstrate how to make a traditional Welsh cake. This was the portion of the class that I was most excited about. I’ve tried to make Welsh cakes a few times in the past, but never managed to get them exactly “right.” After watching the demo, I’m excited to try again and see if I can produce something with a more authentic taste.

All in all, this was a fun way to spend an afternoon, and explore some new techniques in a laid-back environment. The school offers quite a few other courses I’d love take at some point in the future, including a Middle Eastern Flatbread Workshop and one on Eastern European Baking. If in London, I’d definitely recommend giving one of their workshops a try!

Want to read about some of my other day course adventures? Check out this post on the Sugar Techniques workshop I attended at ICE in New York!

If you’re inspired by this post, or if you make any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!