ABOUT US

WHO ARE WE?

Artisan Bread School was established by Carl Shavitz to promote the revival of artisan bread making. Carl provides a unique learning experience for anyone who wants to discover the art of artisan bread-making. Class sizes are strictly limited so that you receive personal attention. Courses are given in the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and the United States.

At Artisan Bread School you will learn the techniques that will enable you to produce true artisan bread. Naturally we use organic or biodynamic ingredients. We each create our own sourdough culture, learn about roller milled and stone ground flours and how to deal with their differences, how to control dough temperature and mould breads into a variety of shapes. We do everything entirely by hand. Our sourdough breads contain no commercial yeast, our focaccias absorb an unbelievable amount of extra virgin olive oil (without weeping afterwards) and our breads take an astonishing amount of time to produce.

You will go home from Artisan Bread School with the skills to bake delicious, nutritious and healthy artisan breads in your own kitchens.

The School’s hands-on courses specialize in European breads – sourdoughs, as well as a wide-range of Italian specialties like focaccia, ciabatta, and grissini.

CARL SHAVITZ

Founder/Director of Artisan Bread School

Lutanist to glutenist. Having toured the world for 20 years as director of an early music ensemble, Carl hung up his lute and became an artisan baker & teacher. As a practicing artisan baker, Carl continues to supply his breads to restaurants and specialty shops in the Cambridge area. Carl started Artisan Bread School over 20 years ago and holds regular sold-out courses in Italy, The United Kingdom, The United States & Canada. In addition, he is in demand as a consultant, working with professional bakers in Europe & the United States. Basically self-taught, Carl worked at The Village Bakery in Melmerby, Cumbria and The Three Crowns Inn in Herefordshire before becoming an independent artisan baker. He lives in the Cambridgeshire Fens of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.

Carl is delighted to have been invited to become a member of the judges panel for Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food in London.

 

WHO ATTENDS OUR COURSES?

We get the entire spectrum of people attending Artisan Bread School courses including: those who have never baked a loaf of bread in their lives; experienced bakers; those who want to become professional bakers as well as those who just want to make bread for family and friends; professional bakers and chefs wanting to expand their horizons; professionals wanting to learn about sourdough, and people wanting to “change direction”. We get medical doctors, medical specialists & physiotherapists, media moguls, international industrialists, professional athletes, actors and TV presenters, café owners, pizza impresarios, people who are “green” and city dwellers who are fed up.

Over twenty alumni of Artisan Bread School have opened their own bakeries. Several more have this as a future plan.

People come from around the world to attend courses at Artisan Bread School : Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America.

OUR ALUMNI

UNITED KINGDOM

West Street Bakehouse, Comberton, UK.
Flour Water Salt, Macclesfield, UK.

 

Langley Loaves, Macclesfield, UK.
e5 Bakehouse,Hackney, London UK.
Nata & Co, Cardiff, UK.

FRANCE

Doyotte

PUERTO RICO

Mrs Potts, Porto Rico.

USA

The Breadery, Willsboro, NY, USA
Blue Skies Bakery, Columbia River Gorge, USA
Companion Breads, Minnesota, USA
WildFlour Artisan Bakery, Indiana, USA
The Flour Shoppe, Cincinnati, USA
Blackberry Hill Farm, Athol , NY

CANADA

Hildegard’s Bakery, Winnipeg, Canada.
All Seasons Catering, Canada.

MEXICO

Ensenada, Baja, California

TURKEY

Mini Brioche, Turkey

LATIN AMERICA

Albertina Paes, Brazil
Bakers Dozen, Nosara, Costa Rica

AUSTRALIA

Home Grain Bakery, Aldinga, South Australia.

Plus all those who who have attended Artisan Bread School courses and make and sell bread at Farmers’ Markets, supply shops, restaurants and other institutions, or run bread-making courses. In addition, all the dedicated home bakers from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Porto Rico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and The United States of America who have attended Artisan Bread School courses.