Sourdough Bread Making Workshop

Learn the ins and outs of crafting sourdough bread

Sourdough is one of the oldest forms of kitchen magic: flour, water, time, and invisible life working together to create something nourishing and alive.

In this immersive sourdough workshop, we’ll slow down and work with wild yeast the way it’s been done for centuries: by observing, listening, and trusting our senses. This class blends practical instruction with the quieter ritual of breadmaking, grounding technique in tradition, seasonality, and care.

Together, we’ll explore:

• The science and lore of wild fermentation
• How sourdough starters function as living cultures
• Mixing, folding, and shaping dough by feel, not the clock
• How temperature, grain, and time shape flavor and structure
• Reading dough through touch, scent, and movement
• Bread Tastings & Storytelling with practical instruction

This class is beginner-friendly and welcoming to all skill levels. Expect flour on your hands, thoughtful conversation, and a deeper relationship with the bread you bake at home.

Facilitated by Melanie of Fluffy Farms

Melanie Ganzman is a farmer and baker based in Galloway Township, New Jersey. She began teaching herself sourdough baking in 2022 while exploring ways to make more nourishing food for her baby, an experiment that quickly grew into a deep professional focus on fermentation, grain, and nutrition.

Melanie now trains regularly under renowned sourdough educator Wayne Caddy in England and will be entering her third advanced course with him in July. She mills her own flour using New Jersey–grown grain and integrates fresh milling into both her baking and education work.

She and her husband operate Fluffy Farms, a small regenerative farm where grain, bread, and agriculture are deeply connected. Melanie also serves as President of Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ and is involved in the organization’s Good Grain Project, which supports local grain growers, milling education, and resilient regional grain systems.

Her teaching focuses on making sourdough approachable, practical, and rooted in place, connecting real food, farming, and everyday home kitchens.