From cake classes to sourdough school: Britain's best baking courses

Woman making pastry
Flour power: if you want to unravel the mysteries of sourdough, or if you panic when it comes to pastry, look to an experienced teacher Credit: Haarala Hamilton

About twelve years ago I tried to find a baking course. I wanted to get to grips with the science, to understand – before Mary Berry helped us all to fathom the problem – what was causing my soggy bottom. At that time we weren’t used to sitting on the sofa criticising other people’s Swiss rolls.

Now my children perch in front of the Great British Bake Off judging the texture of butter sponges and the excellence of icing technique. We’ve all become baking experts. Or at least we certainly want to be.

Woman rolling out pastry
Credit: Haarala Hamilton

When I finally, all those years ago, tracked down Dan Lepard – one of the first bakers and writers in the UK to get people interested in honing these skills – he told me he was considering running courses but hadn’t got them off the ground yet. The only other thing open to me was a serious and rather time-consuming patisserie course at Cordon Bleu in London.

Now there are baking courses in every area of the country. And they’re specialised too. Want to learn to build an oven and then bake your bread in it? Fancy milling your own flour? Go gluten-free? Ice with the precision of Flora Shedden? It’s all possible.

I witnessed a heated exchange on Twitter recently, with people bemoaning how 'baking’ had replaced 'cooking’, but I don’t think it matters what draws people into the kitchen. My first kitchen adventures, as a child, were making cakes and easy breads. Baking seems more magical than cooking. When you put a joint of meat into the oven it still looks like a joint of meat when it comes out. Put in a cake batter, most of which look unpromising in their raw state, and you pull out something that is totally transformed.

Pastry being scored
Credit: Haarala Hamilton

Intrigued by the science, you want to know more about this process we call cooking. The baking craze has excited us because it celebrates the talented amateur, exalts skill, has shown us how visually creative we can be. If you want a creative outlet, baking is one of the most accessible and financially viable hobbies you can take up. Producing a glistening tart that looks worthy of a French patisserie still thrills me (and I made my first one when I was sixteen).

There’s always something something new to learn too (I’ve never mastered croissants – they’re on my 'to do’ list). So, whether you want to produce tiers of intricate sugar work or the earthiest, tangiest sourdough, here’s our guide to the best places to learn how. Diana Henry

Best for...bread

Bread Matters, Lamancha, Peebleshire

bread matters sign

Scottish-based baker Andrew Whitley is credited by many as having started the movement for better bread, first with his Village Bakery in Cumbria and later with his cookery-book-cum-polemic Bread Matters. He now teaches classes with his partner Veronica Burke in the kitchen of their Peeblesshire farmhouse, overlooking the five-acre organic smallholding which supplies fruit, vegetables and ancient grains for the breadmaking. The focus is on green living as well as good bread; sourdough, yeasted and gluten-free bread are all covered, too. Classes are a maximum of eleven students, fewer for the professional classes, and lunch of garden produce is included. Xanthe Clay 

From £195 for a one-day course (breadmatters.com; 01968 660449) 

Best for... pastry

The Bertinet Kitchen, Bath

The French chef and baker Richard Bertinet begins most days by greeting his Instagram followers with a beautiful view of a Bath sunrise on his way to work, followed by batches of golden-brown buns, bubbling olive-oil dough and the glistening top of a tarte tatin - the results of his invaluable masterclasses hosted at the bakery’s cookery school not far from The Circus and Royal Crescent. Pastry sweet, salted and choux (yes, you will perfect and devour a retro, cream-filled choux swan), is taught by Bertinet and his energetic team, who bound about dispensing advice. It’s fun, floury, the after-class feast is divine, and you’ll leave knowing when to knead or leave the dough be, and how to knock out free-form and fancy tarts with ease. Amy Bryant

£210 for a 10am to approx 3.30pm class (thebertinetkitchen.com; 01225 445531)

Best for... children 

Manna from Devon, Kingswear, Devon

child holding cakes
Credit: Nick Hook

When GBBO fan and budding junior chef William (aged 10) wanted to go on a baking course I signed us both up for the Family Bread day at Manna from Devon, in pretty Kingswear on the Dart estuary. This small, very friendly cookery school is run by David and Holly Jones from their home, offering a range of courses for adults and children. Their 'Family’ courses are attended by up to eight children aged between eight and 15 with an adult in tow, though much of the cooking is done by the kids. David is an expert teacher; his style a relaxed, hands-on, 'round the kitchen table’ one. William and his mixed group of boys and girls made a wholesome brown loaf (health benefits duly explained), a plain white dough for flatbreads and a poppyseed plaited loaf and, much to his joy, a sweet dough for traditional, old-school iced buns. We took a lot of fragrant, warm, baked goodies home in the car and William has been needling me to go back ever since. Susy Atkins

£75 (£150 for parent and child) for a 10am-3pm class (mannafromdevon.com; 01803 752943)

Best for… patisserie

Le Cordon Bleu, London WC1

Established in Paris in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu is one of the oldest and most respected cooking schools in the world; so who could be better to teach the art of patisserie?  The London school's four-day ‘Pâtisserie Technique Essentials’ course will teach you to make everything from basic pastry to delicious cream fillings, with no prior knowledge required. If the baking bug really bites you, the school’s ‘Diplôme de Pâtisserie’ - which takes at least six months to complete - is considered the ultimate pâtisserie  qualification. Leah Hyslop

£ 280 for a four-day course (cordonbleu.edu; 020 7400 3900)

Best for... gluten-free baking

Bread Ahead, London SE1

loaves at bread ahead

Baking without wheat can be tricky, but this full-day course ran by cult London bakery Bread Ahead - which sells its rustic loaves and legendary doughnuts in bustling Borough Market - is an excellent introduction. Expert Adrianna Rabinovic showed my class how to make an everyday white loaf, followed by buttery brioche, plus delicious breadsticks, smothered in olive oil, cumin and fennel seeds. All this hard work meant we had certainly earned our lunch: homemade soup with our fresh bread (still warm from the oven) which we enjoyed as we waited for the rest of our loaves to bake. We left with a bag full of goodies, recipes, a sourdough starter and the knowledge and confidence to start tackling gluten-free breads at home.  Olivia Williamson

£160 for a one-day course (breadahead.com; 020 7407 7853)

Best for... pies

Hartington’s, Bakewell

If fiddling about with macarons and piping bags isn't your thing, sign up for this hearty course at a beautiful converted mill in  in the heart of the Peak District. The regularly sold-out 'pork, pie and piccalilli course' does exactly what it says on the tin, with champion local pie-maker Jacqui Marsden guiding you through how to make a traditional hot-water crust pastry and what different cuts of meat bring to the finished product. Leah Hyslop

£115 for an 11 am to 3pm course (hartingtons.com; 01629 888 586)

Best for... biscuits

Biscuiteers, London W11

classes at biscuiteers

Established online in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Harriet Hastings and Stevie Congdon, Biscuiteers’ beautifully decorated cookies have become so popular that a team of 50 professional icers is now employed round the clock to fulfil their internet order list. I tried my hand at Mexican angels during my class at its Notting Hill branch – and made a happy mess learning how to swirl the icing into a marbling pattern for their dresses. A two hour class was the confectionery equivalent of a colouring book session: focuses the mind, steadies the hand and produces most satisfactory results. Tea, coffee and a Biscuiteers apron to take home all included. 

£78 for a two-hour class (biscuiteers.com; 020 7924 5488)

Best for... sourdough

The Sourdough School, Northampton, Northamptonshire

I’ve long dreamt of making my own sourdough bread (I love the tang and the open texture), and after just a day with Vanessa Kimbell I was on my way. Kimbell demystifies the process with inimitable humour and sends you home with a starter, flour and a banneton in which to prove your bread. Forty-eight hours later my first sourdough loaf came out of the oven. And that was just the beginning. Kimbell’s 'after-care’ is five-star. You become part of her Sourdough Club (with access to advice and recipes) and can send her pictures of your loaves – crumb as well as crust – until you get it right. These aren’t just courses; Kimbell wants to change the bread we eat, one loaf at a time. Sourdough baking is a journey. Book your passage. Diana Henry 

£175 for a 10am-4pm beginner’s course (sourdough.co.uk; 07813 308301) 

Best for…. The Bake Off obsessive

John Whaite's Kitchen Cooking School, Wrightington, Lancashire

What do the stars of The Great British Bake Off get up to after the show is over? 2012 winner John Whaite has certainly stayed busy, publishing two books and converting a barn at his parents' farm into a cookery school. There, he leads a wide range baking courses, including afternoon tea, beginners’ bread, and ‘gateaux of France’, while there are also occasional guest  sessions with other Bake Off favourites, such as Chetna Makan. This is baking with a dusting of stardust. Leah Hyslop

From £95 for a half-day class (johnwhaiteskitchen.com)

Best for... DIY fanatics

River Cottage HQ, Axminster, Devon

building an oven

Why bake in a boring old kitchen when you could be creating gorgeous, wood-fired breads in the great outdoors? At River Cottage, the cookery school made famous by television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the one-day 'build and bake’ course teaches students how to roll up their sleeves and make their own clay oven from scratch, before using it to cook homemade loaves. Leah Hyslop

 £195 for a one-day course (rivercottage.net; 01297 630300)

Best for... a career change

The School of Artisan Food, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire

loaves at school of artisan food

Housed in a nineteenth century former fire station on the 15000-acre Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire, SAF was originally set up to train artisan bakers, and now covers butchery, cheesemaking, brewing and preserving as well. The aim is to provide serious professional skills rather than just a day out; there are plenty of career changers among the students  while teachers include baking writer Emmanuel Hadjiandreo and  Italian expert Valentina Harris as well as professional bakers with decades of experience. There are one-day courses in everything from Pizza Making to Viennoiserie, or you can apply for a one year Advanced Diploma in Baking. Consider it an investment in your future. Xanthe Clay

From £175 for a one-day course, up to £18,500 for the Advanced Diploma (schoolofartisanfood.org; 01909 532 171)

Best for...wannabe millers

Talgarth Mill, Talgarth, Powys

Millers' experience day at Talgarth

Escape into the past at this picturesque 18th century mill, which was restored in 2011 as part of the BBC's Village SOS TV programme. On offer is the 'Miller's Experience Day', where you learn how to mill traditional wholemeal flour, then turn it into delicious loaves. Classes are informal and small, with no more than five people, and include a hot drink and a piece of homemade cake in the on-site cafe, while you wait for the breads to cook. Leah Hyslop

£125 for a three-hour course, Sundays only (talgarthmill.com; book by calling 01874 711352)

Best for.... chocolate lovers

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc owns a cookery school near Oxford, attached to a beautiful manor house hotel. One of the most  popular courses is  dedicated to all things chocolate. You will learn how to make a a classic chocolate fondant, indulgent chocolate tart and rich truffles, with a delicious lunch included. If you want to stay and enjoy the five-star surroundings for longer, 'Cook and stay' breaks are available. Leah Hyslop

£430 for a 9am-4:30pm course (belmond.com; 01844 278881)

Best for... cupcakes

Primrose Bakery, London WC2

Primrose bakery
Credit: Isobel Saunders/Isobel Saunders; isobelsaunders.portfoliobox.io

Just five-minute walk from Covent Garden station, this celebrated bakery offers weekly cupcake classes for keen bakers who want to give their cakes a professional edge, but without over-fiddly techniques. Run by experienced (and very patient tutors), the class takes place in the cosy bakery itself, with a maximum of 12 in each group. You will be taught the bakery’s signature swirl, how to make a piping bag from scratch, and how to write with icing, among other skills. Each student comes away with 12 vanilla and chocolate cakes and recipe cards, so you can recreate the magic at home. Hana Carter

£45 for a 90-minute class (primrose-bakery.co.uk; 020 7836 3638)

Best for.... cakes

Bettys Cookery School, Harrogate

Iconic tea-room and bakery Bettys  was founded in 1919 by Swiss baker and confectioner, Frederick Belmont - so the team have plenty of experience when it comes to making delicious treats. At Bettys' Harrogate cooking school, there are dozens of baking classes, from 'teatime temptations' - where you'll learn to make the ingredients of a classic Bettys afternoon tea - to seasonal classes themed around Easter and Christmas. Leah Hyslop

From £180 for a one-day course (bettyscookeryschool.co.uk; 01423 814016) 

Best for.... complete beginners 

Leiths, London, W12

Can't tell your flaky pastry from filo, or figure out  how to use a piping bag? Leiths 'How to Cook' courses are ideal for complete beginners who want to learn the basics what makes bread rise and cakes sink. Choose between a cake course (in which you'll learn how to make brownies, gingerbread, and Victorian sponge) or the bread version, featuring a wide variety of loaves. You'll never be embarrassed at the office cake sale again.

£150 for a half-day course (leiths.com;  0208 749 6400)

Best for.... cake decoration and sugarcraft

Peggy Porschen Academy, London  SW1

Cake designer to the stars Peggy Porschen sells her pretty-as-a-picture cakes from a bright pink shop in Belgravia. Just a few steps away is her academy, where artistically-minded bakers can hone their skills at everything from a one-day class on piping techniques to a intense 10-day course on making sugar flowers. Leah Hyslop

From £250 for a one-day course to £1,950 for longer couses (peggyporschenacademy.com;  020 7730 1316)

Best for... Francophiles

Bakery Excellence by Mark Bennett, Poole, Dorset

Love the idea of freshly-baked croissants on a Saturday morning? Mark Bennett is a multi award-winning master baker (he even designed the  royal wedding cake for the Duke and Duchess of York) who holds regular French-themed bakery classes at his tiny bakery in Dorset. You'll be taught the art of everything from baguettes to brioche and croissants to crusty campagne loaves. Fantastique! Leah Hyslop

£100 for a one-day course (markbennett.co.uk; 07779 482 830)

Best for... wedding cakes

Rosalind Miller, London SE4

Happy bakers at Rosalind Miller's

If you want to learn how to make your own wedding cake, forget YouTube tutorials - Rosalind Miller is your woman. A former artist who has been voted wedding cake designer of the year on several occasions, Rosalind will show brides-to-be everything from how to stack tiers to the art of making beautiful sugarcraft flowers. I was apprehensive when I visited, but her friendly, no-nonsense style means you never feel intimidated. You’ll go away with not only a sumptous cake, but endless tips and tricks that will revolutionise how you bake. Who knew that you can pierce air bubbles in your icing with a pin? Leah Hyslop

From £550 for a two-day class (rosalindmillercakes.com; 020 7635 5447).

Best for...  globetrotters

Lighthouse Bakery  & School, East Sussex

Overlooking Bodiam Castle in the beautiful East Sussex countryside, Lighthouse specialises in sharing baking traditions from all over the world.  Visitors can choose from classes themed around American, European, Scandinavian or  Jewish baking, or enroll in the 'Worldwide Bread'  course, where you'll learn how to make everything from Afghan 'snowshoe naan' to authentic Greek pitta.

£175 for a one-dayclass (lighthousebakery.co.uk; 01580 831 271)

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