NEW! - Build an Earth Oven in a day

Dates Available

This course is led by James Strawbridge with assistance from Duncan Glendinning, founder of The Thoughtful Bread Company.

Do you love hand crafted, earth friendly bread? This new eco-culinary course at Newhouse Farm teaches you how to build an earth oven in a day and then how to bake with it!

INTRODUCTION:
This new course at Newhouse Farm offers you hands-on experience that will provide you with an insight into the world of baking. Explaining how to source your own delicious local ingredients, what you can forage for at certain times of the year and how to make your own unique clay oven in your own back garden. This course is led by eco-expert James Strawbridge and baker Duncan Glendinning from The Thoughtful Bread Company. They worked together on the environmental television series 'It's Not Easy Being Green' and Duncan has gone on to run a highly successful and uniquely sustainable bakery business.

The main emphasis of this course is on sustainable cooking being fun and easy to apply at home. It outlines the benefits of using wood-fuel and fresh ingredients to create healthy and tasty food.

See James and Duncan in action as they build an earth oven in this clip from 'It's Not Easy Being Green'.

COURSE CONTENTS:
Food for thought: A brief summary of different types of bread and traditional global recipes. Also, discussing the varied past of baking and the history of bread. Yeast and how it works. Back to Biology-style lessons at school for this scientific explanation of how yeast works. A little experiment and discussing the different options. Plus, a quick look at flat-breads.

Earth oven planning: Individual planning session depending on available size and space at home and then into the designing of our example earth oven to be built on the course day.

Building the foundations: Discussing material options and then together as a group setting the foundations of the oven. Proving times and using wild yeasts. Back to the course barn for more information on proving times and how to effectively use wild yeasts.

Preparing the clay: Shoes and socks off! It’s time for the team to tread the clay into a workable mix and dig some up from the ground here at Newhouse Farm and prepare it for the oven.

Foraging for ingredients: After cleaning up a bit we go out and around Newhouse Farm to gather some food for our bread or pizzas. Depending on seasonal availability these ingredients will vary but there’s always the vegetable plots as a back-up!

Building the dome: Next together the group will build its oven. All you need is bread... Inside to learn how to knead bread from the expert.

Whole grain options: Taking a look at spelt, whole grain and other options.

Making a door and testing wood fuel: Finishing touches to the oven and how to test the humidity of wood.

How to cook using your oven: Information on exactly how to cook different types of food in your oven and some useful tips on judging the internal temperature and cooking times.

Choosing a recipe: Individuals will then choose a recipe and bake their own loaf or pizza.

Other options: Finally, we will explore other sorts of earth ovens, building inside, double oven designs and commercial scale units.

Lunch: You will be invited to join us for an organic and tasty Newhouse Farm lunch. Onmivores, vegetarians, vegans… everyone is catered for and we’ll guarantee there’ll be more than enough food to satisfy even the heartiest of appetites! Local ales, organic wines and cordials are also on offer, and of course some very tasty bread. Lunch time is always a good opportunity to fire questions at James and Duncan and get to meet the rest of the Newhouse Farm team.

Booking: If you'd like to book one of the dates above please at [email protected] to register your interest. Payment details will be forwarded if an applicant is given a place. Full payment is required 21 days before the course date.

Price: Course prices are £145(inc VAT).
In an attempt to make the course available to people on lower incomes, we offer a limited number of concessions. To apply for a concession please email us at [email protected]

Transport and Accommodation:
The course is held at Newhouse Farm in Cornwall. Full directions will be provided once payment has been cleared. We are a short distance from the local train station; transport can be arranged if necessary. Details of B&Bs in the village will be provided upon booking.

What you need to bring:
Newhouse Farm is a working smallholding with plenty of mud, uneven ground and nettles. So please bring sensible footwear (wellies or trainers are good but definitely no flip flops). Also as we cannot guarantee the weather so a raincoat or umbrella could come in handy too.

Newhouse Farm Course days are typically organised as follows:

Time	Activity
0930 - 1000	Course meets with organic tea, coffee and nibbles
1000 - 1230	Introduction, theory (!), and practical demonstrations
1230 - 1330	Lunch break - you are invited to join us. We are never sure how many people will be there - long arms are an advantage!
1330 - 1630	More theory and practical work
1630 - 1730	Tea, coffee and more nibbles - an opportunity to discuss individual projects.
1730 ish	Course disperses