“The loaf we’re about to make is probably what the Romans were eating 2000 years ago” says baker Matthew Norman at the start of his sourdough bakery class.
Located on Minerva avenue close to Sealand Road , Einkorn have created a country style kitchen in the middle of an industrial estate. In the relaxed social space Matthew guided the class step by step through the sourdough making process from selecting the grain to baking. He is keen to stress the importance of real food.
“Where it comes from , why we need it and how to prepare it. I think its becoming increasingly obvious that we are in the middle of a food crisis in the UK. We are the highest consumers of ultra processed food in Europe, by far. We are only given convenience food so we need to go back to basics. ”
Matthew joked that he was denied planning permission to install his own 200ft windmill on the site. However a powerful kitchen gadget allows sourdough students to create their own flour from the range of grain available. He explained the history of the grains, with the bakery taking its name from one of them. “Einkorn meaning one wheat, which can be interpreted as first wheat. This stuff built the western world as we know it, it was the most important means of trade, for years it was our most important source of nutrition and we forgot about it”
Throughout the class, Matthew spoke about his inspiration and how his love of baking, with this personal approach adding real interest to the session. He described himself as a “juvenile delinquent” who turned his life around, being named Taste Cheshire Young Chef of the year in 2019. During lockdown he heard about The Bear Bakery and learned how to make sourdough. “It transported me back to my childhood in rural farming Cambridge, it was like being back there on the farm. There was something so amazing about taking wheat, salt and water and turning it into a work of art”
After mixing our ingredients we began using the “slap and fold” technique to form the dough. The dough was then left to rest as pre-prepared loaves were supplied for us to scour using a special bladed tool. Next up Matthew talked us through the creation of our own sourdough starter, a live culture of flour and water. We were all encouraged to name our creation and a jar was provided to take home and use for future bakes. Matthew shared plenty of knowledge about the science of fermentation and the maintenance and the possible pitfalls.
We then shaped our dough into loaves ready to take home and bake ourselves. After having cooled sufficiently we then got to taste a slice of the prepared bread, a perfect ending to a satisfying and fulfilling session. The relaxed social atmosphere and Matthew’s camaraderie with his students made for a fun experience, recommended for hard core sourdough lovers or complete beginnners.
Einkorn also offer masterclasses in pizza, pasta and butter. Readers can use the code CHESTER10 to receive a 10% discount on any class. To book visit
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