The taste of rye is the taste of the Baltics, where bread is considered almost sacred. Heavy loaves of dark bread, ranging from spongy and golden to coarse and black, are the cornerstone of traditional meals and are beloved still today. The Latvians even have a saying, “Where there is bread, there is happiness.” And the Estonian way of saying “bon appetit!” is “May there be enough bread!”

In this class, students will learn about the bread baking traditions of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and explore techniques that may be new to them, including using a scald and an opara. At the end of class, students will leave with four of their own loaves of bread and the beginnings of a rye starter that they can continue to use at home.

This course is open to students ages 12+. Youth ages 18+ are welcome to register with an adult. A 25% tuition discount applies to the youth registrant when registering with a full-paying adult; call to register.

Physical Ability note: Ability to stand for a few hours at a time.

Required Tools

• A paper bag to bring your bread home

Optional Tools

• Apron (available on site, also)