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Learn with Andy Tyrrell

Sourdough and Wild Yeast Baking

Mastering a range of classic sourdough loaves, using rye, wheat and spelt flours, plus tasty sourdough doughnuts, pizza and pancakes

Course overview

Creating your starter, is where the whole process begins. It is really just a flour-and-water batter. Well, perhaps not "just". Because it will also contain, invisibly but crucially, the spores of wild, airborne yeasts – the ones that happen to be native to your own kitchen. These will begin to feed and multiply and, as they do so, all sorts of interesting things are produced: bubbles of gas, flavoursome alcohol and the acids that give sourdough its characteristic, slightly tangy taste. During this lesson you’ll be shown how to make your starter, and we’ll do them together to make sure you get your timings right, then you’re ready for off! We will show you a simple loaf to bake as your first and give plenty of ideas of what can be made from the excess ‘discarded’ starter.

Meet Andy Tyrrell

Andy has a lifelong love of baking and has over time developed a particular passion for bread and sourdough. Andy began his career in London at a time when the farm to fork movement was just gaining momentum. As a young Head Chef he was inspired by the quality, flavour and variety that could be found when you started to build relationships with local producers and put a face to the food you buy. It’s a philosophy that has served him well and led him happily to River Cottage HQ in 2012 where he worked his way up to Head Chef. Leading a wide range of courses, teaching apprentice chefs and baking many loaves along the way. Andy is committed to seasonal eating and cooking and now teaches courses around the country and online, whilst keeping locals well fed at his popular supper clubs. His ability to combine technical knowledge and skill with good humour and achievable recipes has inspired countless people over the years to change their life through food. “It gives me the greatest pleasure to hear that someone is still making that recipe you taught them years ago or has built on it and is now teaching others”

Course description

River Cottage baker Andy Tyrrell teaches you the art of making sourdough bread with wild yeast. You'll be creating a starter and baking your own sourdough bread as you learn.

Choose Expert option for personal feedback from Andy on your sourdough bakes.

Wild yeast is all around us, the joy of foraging into flour and water to create your natural starter can be a life-long journey. Looked after correctly, your sourdough starter will provide you with the fantastic reward of your own sourdough makes for years to come.

Sourdough is bread with immense character, with presence – bread with a point. A sourdough loaf is so different from what often passes as bread these days. It is the antithesis of the industrial factory loaf – that soft, structureless, flavour-lite bread that is produced in such huge quantities.

This sourdough bread making course offers a superb introduction to the magical world of sourdough and its versatility. Learn all about using natural yeasts and levans to make deliciously flavoursome country loaves, pizzas, baguettes and brioche.

You'll learn
  • how to gather your own wild yeast and create a sourdough starter
  • which flour to use
  • kneading and proving techniques
  • recipes for sourdough bread, bread rolls, pizza and brioche
  • how to increase the variety and healthiness of your bread making with additional wholegrains, seeds and nuts
    • Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

    This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

    Time to complete the sourdough bread making course:

    Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 13 hours 5 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lesson: 2 hours 5 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Assignment: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

    • Note the sourdough starter takes several days to develop, and proving your dough takes several hours (and can often be done overnight). But it will be worth it when you taste your soughdough makes!

    You'll need:

    All the ingredients are in the course notes, but at first you'll be creating your starter using flour and water. You will need a loaf tin and a dough scraper is helpful.

    This course is suitable for bakers at all levels - whether you have tried sourdough bread making at home and the results have disappointed, or want to get started or are a professional looking to boost your sourdough making skills.

    The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Andy Tyrrell
  • lifetime access to the video, notes and recipes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical (optional) sourdough making assignments
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom chat online to students from around the world
    • Ready to get started?

    Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Andy on your starter and sourdough baking.

    Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.