Hourly Schedule
Time
- 09:00
- Arrival, registration and refreshments
- 09:30
- Course starts
- 13:00
- Lunch
- Seasonal lunch prepared by our catering team.
- 14:00
- Course End
- Course ID MiBrIW
-
What’s included
- Learn from expert tutors and technicians with demonstrations, guidance, and support throughout the day.
- Enjoy a seasonal artisan buffet lunch showcasing ingredients sourced from the Welbeck Estate and the surrounding local food community.
- Access our state-of-the-art facilities, with all ingredients and specialist equipment provided.
- Help yourself to unlimited refreshments, including tea, coffee, and cordials throughout the day.
- Wear a School of Artisan Food apron in class, with the option to purchase one to take home after your course.
There is something deeply satisfying about making bread by hand. From mixing and shaping the dough to sharing a freshly baked loaf with others, the process encourages us to slow down, focus on the present moment and enjoy the simple rewards of creating something from scratch.
On this unique hands-on course, baker and tutor Ian Waterland combines the practical craft of bread making with the principles of mindfulness. Drawing on his years of experience teaching baking and his passion for the therapeutic benefits of working with dough, Ian will guide you through both the theory and practice of mindfulness while helping you create your own artisan sourdough loaf.
Throughout the day, you’ll explore how mindful techniques can enrich the bread-making process, developing greater awareness, focus and enjoyment while learning valuable baking skills.
What You’ll Learn
Through a combination of guided mindfulness exercises and practical baking, you will:
- Explore the principles and practice of mindfulness
- Learn how mindfulness can be applied to everyday activities
- Develop greater awareness through sensory experiences and focused attention
- Understand the therapeutic benefits of bread making
- Learn the fundamentals of sourdough baking
- Gain confidence in handling, shaping and baking dough mindfully
- Mindfulness Topics Covered
During the course, you’ll explore:
- The history of mindfulness and its origins in Buddhism
- Mindful breathing techniques
- Using the senses to enhance awareness
- Mindfulness in everyday practice
- The benefits of mindfulness and mindful living
- Bread-Making Topics Covered
Alongside mindfulness practice, you’ll learn:
- The characteristics of different flour varieties
- The no-knead bread-making method
- Dough handling, shaping and baking techniques
- How to become a more mindful bread baker
What You’ll Bake
During the course, you’ll make:
An artisan sourdough loaf
Who Is This Course For?
This course is perfect for anyone interested in baking, mindfulness or personal wellbeing. Whether you’re completely new to bread making, curious about mindfulness, or looking for a more meaningful and enjoyable approach to baking, you’ll leave with practical skills, new perspectives and plenty of inspiration.
No previous experience of either mindfulness or bread making is required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn alongside fellow food lovers.
Please Note:
Whilst we make every effort to adhere to best practices regarding allergen control and cross-contamination at The School of Artisan Food, we sincerely regret that we are unable to cater for severe food allergies or coeliac disease. This is due to the continuous and varied use of our teaching spaces, common areas and food preparation areas.
If in any doubt, please contact us to discuss your individual circumstances prior to making a booking, as this will then enable us to produce a personalised Risk Assessment based on your own specific circumstances and better judge if we can safely accommodate you on site.
Your Tutors
Tutor
-
Ian WaterlandAfter a career in health and social care, spanning both clinical and management roles, primarily supporting people with mental ill health, it was time for a rest, Ian took the plunge in 2013 and re-trained as a real bread baker.
The seeds of this radical life change were sown growing up, with a mum who made all of the families bread. Ian dabbled over the years making his own, with mixed results. A chance visit to a real bread bakery in Lyme Regis and a one day bread course got him thinking.
Fast forward a few years and Ian bought his wife a patisserie course at The School of Artisan Food. She loved the place, casually mentioned there was a year long course in bread and said “why don’t you do it?”
A few short months later and Ian was starting the Advanced Diploma at The School.
At the end of an amazing and inspiring course, plans were ready and within three months Knead Good Bread Artisan Bakery was born. Knead Good Bread ran successfully for eight years, building a real bread community in its rural Leicestershire location. The bakery grew and evolved over that time operating weekly pop ups from “The Bread Bus” in different villages, the addition of a wholesale offering and latterly a subscription and delivery model.
Ian always aimed to spread the word with ‘breaducation’ initially in his bakery and then more widely in the community, online and at The School of Artisan Food, where he teaches a number of short courses and was a founding tutor on the Foundation Degree in Artisan Food Production. He has developed a real passion for the therapeutic aspects of bread making and enjoys sharing the lessons he learned from establishing and running his own bakery.
The bread journey Ian embarked on, came full circle as he became The School of Artisan Food’s Managing Director from 2022 to 2024, whilst also continuing to teach on a part time basis.
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