Our BAKE! principal, Sara, is really passionate about baking bread and is always on a mission to create even more really great tasting whole grain breads for our repertoire and yours. In this class, you’ll bake a multigrain boule made with whole wheat, farina and oats, a quinoa-and-flax-seed sandwich loaf, and kamut-and-fig bread. It will great hands-on practice with bread techniques including creating a "soaker" with your grains and working with yeasted doughs. Not to mention the satisfaction of making your own healthy loaves with great texture and full flavor. Eat well and feel well!

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, 6 loaves of bread and great coupons.

What our guests have to say about this class:

Great value considering the expertise and food you come home with at the end of the class. Teaching was also very supportive. I'm not afraid to make my own bread anymore. —Darren M.

This class was a great balance of instruction/demonstration with hands-on learning. Very relaxed learning environment mixed with heavy-hitting technical information. —Haley R.

I learned so much and I don't fear making breads now! Each bread was so unique. —Joyce S.

In spite of its name, Boston Cream pie is actually a layer cake. It also happens to be the official dessert of the state of Massachusetts. Like many American foods, there is a storied history along with a debated controversy about where to award credit for creating the original version. Some say this divine dessert was created in the 1800s for the opening of the Parker House hotel in Boston, MA. They are also famous for their Parker House rolls. Score a double food claim-to-fame for this historic dining room! However, others say it did not appear on the menu until the 1950s. The modern day version of Boston Cream Pie from the Omni Parker House hotel actually includes rum in the pastry cream, a poured fondant on top, and sliced almonds around the sides. Some records indicate that Boston Cream Cakes were actually cream puffs originally. Of course, we can't forget the Boston Cream doughnut you can also find everywhere. Funny how foods deliciously evolve over time.

Zingerman's Bakehouse Boston Cream Pie is comprised of two layers of moist vanilla chiffon cake (a light sponge cake made with meringue), filled with vanilla bean pastry cream, covered in thin layer of vanilla buttercream, and glazed in rich dark chocolate ganache. Take one bite to taste it, and you'll know why it has a whole state so devoted to it. (Like all our cakes please enjoy responsibly, at room temperature, for maximum flavor and ideal texture.) It's been a wildly popular addition to the cake menu at Zingerman's Bakehouse, having never gone “on vacation” since its debut. It must be good, if we do say so ourselves.

In this class, you'll learn to make all four components of our Boston Cream Pie from scratch and assemble them. First, you will watch our expert instructor demonstrate the recipes and techniques before your eyes, and then you will try your hand at them. You’ll fold together the fluffy vanilla chiffon cake batter, whisk real vanilla beansinto your carefully cooked pastry cream, whip a voluminous egg white meringue for the vanilla Swiss buttercream, and melt dark chocolate to stir into your rich ganache. Put them all together, and you have one heck of a dessert that will be a welcome addition to family dinners, birthdays, and holidays.

But that's not all these recipes are greatfor. These are versatile dessert components and touchstone baking techniques that will prove useful for creating other desserts at home. Just think: chiffon cake for trifles and tortes, pastry cream for fruit tarts and cream puffs (or, we say just grab a spoon!), buttercream for birthday cakes, and chocolate ganache for stuffing cupcakes or making truffles (or anything that needs a bold chocolate boost). The tasty possibilities are endless. And you are well on yourway to being a master of making desserts.

You'll go home with Zingerman's Bakehouse Boston Cream Pie recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, a finished 9-inch Boston Cream Pie, and great coupons.

What our guests have to say about this class:

Looking forward to expanding my skills and using components of the class in other desserts. —Denise A.

Sail ashore and conquer the mysterious and rich world of Danish dough. You will learn the techniques for laminating rich dough with butter,make your own dough in class, and create hand-shaped Danish (almond-filled bear claws, pinwheels, and pockets filled with cream cheese or fruit), each surrounded by the rich tender flaky dough that makes a good Danish. Oh so delicious!

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate themat home, 18 Danish you made in class, dough to bake at home, and great coupons.

**You may want to bring a cooler to put your take-home dough inif you are traveling more than an hour to attend class.

What our guests have to say about this class:

Such a fabulous class of hands-on experience and tasting! I feel much more confident about making Danish and using yeast! —Danielle K.

I'm so excited to take what I learned home and make Danish for friends and family! —Corey A.

Comprehensive and fun! Perfect in every way. —Laura A.

We’re milling up some seriously tasty whole grain treats! Wanna learn how to make ‘em too? We’ll use our own freshly milled whole grain to bake up Double Chocolate Cookies, Big O’ oatmeal raisin cookies, and crazy-good Bakehouse graham crackers. You’ll be amazed at the flavor difference FMWG can make. You gotta taste it for yourself!

Do you love custards and puddings?Love buttery pie crusts? Eat whipped cream by the spoonful?Yes! Yes! and Yes! Then this class is for you.

Join us to make two of our Bakehouse's best: chocolate cream pie and coconut cream pie. We’ll also demonstrate our popular key lime pie. Since it’s baked it’s not really a “cream” pie, but it’s definitely creamy and delicious.

In this class, you'll learn how to make a buttery and flaky pie crust from scratch (no shortening allowed!), how to roll and bake the crust, and how to make the chocolate cream pie filling and coconut cream pie filling from scratch. For the key lime pie demonstration, we'll show you how to make a buttery graham cracker crust, and the rich, tart filling. We'll also demonstrate fresh whipped cream to top the pies.

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, one 10-inchchocolate cream pie and one 10-inchcoconut cream pie and great coupons.

Ah, the pizza pie! It's a cornerstone of the American diet, and yet so few folks actually make pizza at home! We're here to show you how easy and fun it can be to make New York-style and Chicago-style pizza recipes with a variety of cheeses, including Parmigiano Reggiano®, and toppings. We'll fire up our wood-fired oven to BAKE! them and give you plenty of pizza samples in class. We will also demonstrate Pizza Bianca, a flavorful Italian bread that is a great accompaniment to any dinner. The next time you reach for the phone to order pizza delivery, you'll remember it's fun and a lot more flavorful to make it yourself.

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, one New York-style pizza, one Chicago-style pizza, two New York-style pizza doughs, one Chicago-style pizza dough,and great coupons. Not to mention a full tummy from plenty of pizza snacking in class!

What our guests have to say about this class:

I'm going to make pizza at home. I've taken 4 classes and this feels the most applicable to every day life. — Kelsey C.

Ever wonder how to make those tender hollow little cream puff shells? Well, join us to find out! Learn the history and basic techniques of creating sweet and savory pastries from pâte à choux (pot-a-shoo) dough. You'll make your own dough and pipe éclairs and cream puffs. We’ll make pastry cream, whipped cream, and chocolate ganache to fill your creations. These recipes will kick your entertaining up several notches.

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, a dozen and a half cream puffs, pastry cream, and ganache to use later, and great coupons.

What our guests have to say about this class:

There are so many different uses for this dough. I didn't realize you could make them savory. —Betty L.

This class was so much fun and informative. I can use the knowledge from this class in so many ways. —Patrice M.

I never thought I would feel confident to try these at home, but now it seems doable. All of the baking classes are fun and make things that appear difficult on TV much easier in practice. This has been my favorite course yet. —Anon.

For kids ages 12-14.

Save the date! Details of the class content will be posted in February.

You’ll leave BAKE! With our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, all the food you made in class and great coupons. For kids ages 12-14.

Learn the secrets to traditional German-style soft pretzels made with lard and dipped in lye. We will teach you how to form the crossed pretzel shape and tell you the story of why a monk decided to have this food be “in prayer.”You'll also shape the soft pretzel stick, or baguette, we make at the Bakehouse.These simple but tasty rolls are sure to become a family favorite. We'll also answer the “burning” question, “Are these dipped in the same lye used to make soap?” We'll end class tasting some warm pretzels with a little mustard and Zingerman's Creamery pimento cheese.

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipe, the knowledge to recreate it at home, a dozen soft pretzels you made in class, and great coupons.

*This class was formerly known as "Bavarian Baguettes: a.k.a. German Pretzels"

What our guests have to say about this class:

These classes are the ultimate experience! I have told so many people about it that I hope they don't take a spot before I get mine. I can't wait to make these at home! (I will not tell anyone how easy it is.) —Donna M.

I'm not afraid to try pretzels with lye now that I know the proper methods. —Dan S.

I loved the easy-going nature of the class environment and I learned a whole lot! I feel that this recipe isn't overwhelming and I'm excited to give it a shot at home! —Spencer W.

It’s no secret that we love rye around here. In this class, you’ll learn to make the rye Zingerman’s is famous for—three different kinds of it, to be exact. You’ll make Onion Rye, Pumpernickel, and Vorterkaker, a Norwegian 100% rye. Each loaf has its own unique personality you’re sure to love. Onion rye is brimming with flavor thanks to fresh, caramelized onions and lots of poppy seeds baked inside and on top. Our old world-style Pumpernickel bread is dark, moist, and full of flavor. It’s made with the same detailed process and organic rye sour as its cousin, our famous Jewish Rye bread. And Vorterkaker? You’ve never baked a bread like this before. It’s a traditional bread baked into a flat disc and flavored with fennel and anise seeds.

No matter which loaf you like best, your sandwiches will be sending you thank you notes!

Curious about rye and can’t wait for the class?

Although it’s our sweetheart grain, it has taken second place to wheat and barley in world history. Rye was a wild weed in Mesopotamia, the original breadbasket of the world, and there’s some evidence that it was domesticated and grown intermittently before wheat and barley became the prominent grains there. The first written records of rye didn’t speak as highly of the tasty grain as we do: Around 77 C.E., the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder remarked that rye was “a very poor food and good only to avert starvation.” (Sorry, Pliny, but we disagree!)

In later history, rye became the staple grain of the poor. Most daily bread of the Jews in Eastern Europe had very little wheat in it because of the expense. The poorer the community, the darker and more rye-filled the bread. Sometimes caraway or chernushka was added to the bread, imparting some additional flavor to what is otherwise a relatively mild-tasting grain. Most Americans think that rye has a very strong flavor, but that’s really the caraway that is often added to the dough, not the rye itself.

In September 1992, we recreated rye loaves reminiscent of those made by Jewish bakers of Poland and Russia 200 years earlier. All of the rockin’ rye varieties you’ll make in class are moist and full of flavor, thanks in no small part to our organic rye sour starter. We also use what we call “old” in our recipe. It’s simply rye bread from a previous day mixed with water to make a mush. It adds to the texture of the bread and spiritually connects today to yesterday, recognizing the circularity of our lives. We use more rye flour and less yeast than other bakeries, bake our loaves on a stone hearth, and mist the crust with water right out of the oven. That quick steam makes the thin crust shiny and crispy.

Following these old traditions, we were honored by Saveur magazine, which called our efforts “America’s best rye.” Frankly, we’re still blushing about it.

Come and learn how to make this rye bread in your own home. You’ll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, fourloaves of bread you made in class, rye sour to make more bread at home and great coupons.