Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Learn How to Bake Bread with Community Ed

PCC Community Ed

Why settle for store-bought bread when you can make your own? Bread is not only tasty, but eating bread is also a healthy way to get key nutrients in your diet, like fiber, folate and iron. Baking is also an aromatic treat for members of your household (cue Mitch Hedberg’s cinnamon roll incense joke).

The best way to make sure you’re getting plenty of these key nutrients is by baking your own bread from scratch. Why bake your own artisan bread? There are actually several reasons to do so, including those listed below:

• Easy substitutions for healthy ingredients. For example, you can replace white flour with oats, almond flour or whole-grain flour.
• Reduced sodium content. White bread sold in stores contains up to 2,000 milligrams of sodium per slice.
• Allergen-free options. As you skip or substitute ingredients, you also have the ability to remove allergens from your bread.
• Lower costs. The cost of making your own bread equals approximately $1.00 per loaf – it’s hard to beat that with store-bought bread.

Of course, the best reason to make your own bread is the sheer pleasure of the process. Plus, it will make your home smell delicious all day long! Not sure where to begin? There are a number of bread-baking courses that will teach you how to bake artisan-style bread – from sourdough to English muffins – in the comfort of your home.

1. Artisan Bread Baking: Introduction to Sourdough

One of the healthiest breads to make, sourdough is made with wild yeast and naturally-occurring lactobacillus, which prevents the effects of phytic acid found in most commercial breads. Thus, making it easier to digest.

The art of baking this bread begins with sourdough starter. And in this course, you will learn how to make, care for, and store your own sourdough starter – allowing you to bake your own delicious sourdough bread. By the end of the class you will have a collection of recipes as well as a small amount of your own sourdough starter to use at home.

Register for an Upcoming Course:

• Date: March 1, 2019
• Time: 5:30 PM – 8:50 PM
• Tuition and Fees: $39.00; $25.00
• Course Reference Number (CRN): 13577

2. Artisan Bread Baking: Sourdough 2

This course takes you beyond the sourdough starter and basic bread recipes to teach advanced skills like proofing, shaping, and baking loaves of sourdough bread.

Register for an Upcoming Course:

• Date: March 2, 2019
• Time: 9:00 AM – 12:20 PM
• Tuition and Fees: $39.00; $25.00
• Course Reference Number (CRN): 14331

3. Artisan Bread Baking: French Bread

Distinguishable by its length and crisp crust, French bread can be incorporated into your meals in a variety of ways. In this course, you’ll learn the tools, techniques, and terminology involved in preparing your very own artisan-style bread. By the end of the class, you’ll be an expert at mixing, kneading, forming and baking a fresh loaf of French bread.

Register for an Upcoming Course:

• Date: January 12, 2019
• Time: 8:30 AM – 12:20 PM
• Tuition and Fees: $39.00; $16.00
• Course Reference Number (CRN): 15080

4. Artisan Bread Baking: English Muffins and Cinnamon Rolls

Like potato chips, you can never have just one muffin or roll. Students in this course will learn how to make favorites like English muffins, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns using artisan bread making skills. We strongly recommend taking Artisan Bread Baking: French Bread prior to this class.

Register for an Upcoming Course:

• Date: January 26, 2019
• Time: 8:30 AM – 12:20 PM
• Tuition and Fees: $55.00; $16.00
• Course Reference Number (CRN): 14015

Not only does baking your own bread give you a strong sense of pride. It also offers various other benefits, including cost savings and healthier ingredients. Sign up for an upcoming course and learn the art and skill of artisan-style bread backing for yourself.