What You Need for a Bread Workshop

What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Tips

• Prepare one workstation for each small group and place its mixing bowl, kitchen scale, measuring cups, measuring spoons, dough scraper and rolling pin together. Add a little extra capacity so one missing tool does not stop the workshop.
• Weigh dry ingredients before participants arrive. Pack each recipe’s flour and other dry ingredients separately, then keep fresh ingredients chilled in coolers until you need them.
• Count oven capacity before buying ingredients. Match the number of baking trays and cooling racks to the batches you can bake at once, and reserve extra oven space early if your ovens cannot handle the full group.
• Plan the serving setup separately from the workstations. Allow one dinner plate, dessert plate, coffee cup, water glass, knife, fork and teaspoon per participant, plus a small reserve for breakage or late arrivals.
• Check power before bringing kitchen mixers, kettles or convection ovens into the room. Use suitable extension cords and power strips, and keep cables away from walkways, wet areas and hot equipment.

Frequently asked questions

How much equipment do I need per bread workshop participant?

Plan one place setting per participant and one complete dough-preparation setup per small group rather than per person. Provide enough scales and mixing bowls that participants are not waiting between steps, with at least one spare of the most-used small tools.

What should I buy for a bread baking workshop?

Buy the recipe ingredients first, then check whether you have mixing bowls, kitchen scales, measuring cups, measuring spoons, dough scrapers, baking trays and baking paper. Add oven mitts, bread knives, cooling racks and serving platters; these are often missed because they are not part of the recipe itself.

How early should I prepare ingredients for a bread workshop?

Weigh dry ingredients before participants arrive, ideally on the same day or the evening before if they are kept dry and clearly labelled. Pick up fresh ingredients as close to the workshop as practical and keep anything perishable chilled until use.

How many baking trays and cooling racks do I need?

Start with one baking tray for every batch that must go into the oven at the same time, then add enough trays for the next round while the first batch bakes. Have at least one cooling rack per active baking area so finished loaves do not remain on hot trays.

Plans a lot like this one

• 1-Hour Run Checklist
• What to Buy for a 1-Hour Run
• Your 10-year anniversary planning checklist
• What you need for a 10-year anniversary celebration