Knead & Crumb Sourdough School

A cozy 4-week home-baking course for absolute beginners who want to grow a lively starter and pull crackly-crust loaves from a regular oven. No fancy equipment required.

$129 Reserve your spot

What you'll learn

  • Grow and maintain a healthy, bubbly sourdough starter from scratch using only flour and water.
  • Mix, fold, and shape a high-hydration dough by hand without a stand mixer or special tools.
  • Master proofing timing so your loaf rises beautifully instead of going flat or gummy.
  • Bake an open, airy crumb with a crackly golden crust in your everyday home oven.

Curriculum

Week 1 — Building Your Starter
  • Flour, water, and wild yeast: how a starter actually works 45 min
  • Day-by-day feeding schedule for a strong, reliable starter 60 min
  • Reading the signs: bubbles, smell, and the float test 50 min
  • Workshop: Start your own jar and troubleshoot together 90 min
Week 2 — Mixing and Folding
  • Autolyse and hydration: why a wet dough makes a better loaf 55 min
  • Stretch-and-fold technique for gluten without kneading 50 min
  • Bulk fermentation: knowing when the dough is ready 45 min
Week 3 — Shaping and Baking
  • Shaping a boule: building tension for a tall rise 60 min
  • Cold proofing overnight for flavor and easy scoring 50 min
  • Scoring, steam, and getting crackly crust at home 45 min
  • Workshop: Bake your first loaf and slice it together 90 min

Your instructor

Mara Whitfield

Home baker and bread teacher, 10 years coaxing crust from kitchen ovens

Mara spent six years baking behind the counter at **Hearthstone Bakery** and **Old Mill Loaf Co.**, where she fed hundreds of stubborn starters back to life and learned what really matters when the only oven you have is the one in your kitchen. Before that, she taught weekend bread workshops out of her tiny apartment, helping nervous beginners pull their first crackly loaf. She now runs small seasonal courses and teaches this class twice a year.

What students say

  • "I'd killed three starters before this course. By week 2 mine was bubbling like crazy and my first loaf actually had holes in it. I cried a little."

    Dana Holloway, First-time baker, Portland

  • "Mara's shaping week alone was worth it. My loaves finally stand tall instead of spreading into sad pancakes on the tray."

    Priya Nair, Weekend baker, Austin

  • "Warm, patient, and no jargon. The live bake-alongs made me feel like I was in her kitchen working through every step."

    Marcus Bell, Hobby baker, Chicago

Common questions

What is the course format?

Four weekly live sessions (90 minutes each) plus a cozy private group chat. Sessions are recorded if you miss one, but the live bake-alongs are where the magic really happens.

How much time do I need per week?

Plan for about 4 hours per week: 90 minutes of live class, a little feeding and folding spread through the days, and one bake. Most students say the hands-on baking is the most fun part.

What is the refund policy?

Full refund within 14 days of enrollment if the course hasn't started. Once the cohort begins, you can request a prorated refund through week 2. After that, no refunds — but you keep lifetime access to all recipes and recordings.

Ready to bake your first real loaf?

Next cohort starts June 9, 2026. Limited to 20 bakers per cohort for personal feedback on every loaf.

$129 — one-time payment

Reserve your spot