They teach you how to produce top quality baked products at home with minimal effort using only natural, organic ingredients, and basic kitchen equipment.
Holidays (1)
5 Day Sourdough and Artisan Baking in Granada
Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec, 2024
from US$ 679
Instructors (2)
Mike Sims
Mike is a retired Chartered Accountant from England, and has held senior directorships of many companies, including finance, renewable energy, and food. He fell in love with sourdough bread in the early 1980's during the first of many trips to San Francisco, and spent many years experimenting with bread recipes from different countries before discovering the "Tartine" recipe which, ironically, was created in San Francisco!
Lydia Sims
Mike's wife, Lydia, hails from Nigeria and is multi-talented and very resourceful. She has an excellent command of English. She specializes in cakes and pastries but considers her baguettes to be better than Mike's.
Reviews (13)
Anonymous
from Canada, March 2024
"A wealth of information"
Mike and Lydia have been making bread and other delicacies for many years and it shows. They were very generous with their time and were patient with us. It was great to be able to benefit from their experiences and get first hand knowledge of how to make the bread and starters. Mike’s theoretical and practical lessons coupled with Lydia’s hands on way of teaching make the course a lot of fun. We were able to participate in all the steps involved in making sourdough bread and even touched on croissants and focaccia.
Harrison Crow
from Mexico, June 2023
"Amazing week!"
What an incredible time! Mike and Lydia are excellent teachers. They promised I would have a great handle on baking to which I was sceptical at first. I can safely say I left the experience fully confident in my ability and I can't wait to get home and start baking my own breads and pastries.
The family really leave it to you to decide how much practice you want. I was the only guest at the time and got loads of one on one time.
Expect to be welcomed into their home and to be part of the family. They have 3 beautiful children whom made the experience that much more wholesome.
The food and wine provided was top tier. Lydia is an amazing cook and Mike is always up for making excellent coffees or opening a bottle of wine to chat bread into the night. 100% recommend this experience. Will hopefully come back for a refresher course one day!!
Ron Parks
from United States, May 2023
"Sourdough Forever"
Mike and Lydia are gracious and attentive hosts and very knowledgeable about every aspect of sourdough bread making. The accommodation was very comfortable and Lydia is a very good cook. They made me feel like a part of the family!
Anonymous
from United States, March 2023
"Mike and Lydia know bread!"
Every aspect of the long fermentation and sour dough processes were explained with frequent hands on practice. From flours to temperature to baking and through to eating we were deeply involved in it all.
Having only two students gave us many opportunities to get our hands on the dough.
Melva Voigt
from United States, December 2022
"Baking Galore!"
First of all, Saleres is a quaint peaceful village surrounded by beautiful mountains. The landscape is breathtaking! The perfect place to get away from noise, traffic and crowds. As soon as I arrived at the Sims' home, Mike and Lydia did everything possible to make stay comfortable and pleasant. I felt like another member of the family!
During the workshop, I received one to one instruction from both Mike and Lydia. Not only did they share their knowledge and tips as artisan bakers, but also made sure I had enough practice so I could replicate all the recipes back at home again. Mike and Lydia's passion for baking was contagious! They are both excellent instructors and hosts.
Avani Jain
from India, November 2022
"Amazing Experience"
Mike and Lydia are extremely knowledgeable about sourdough and baking in general. It was really fun to learn from them. They make you feel at home, so the whole learning experience becomes enjoyable. The location is great too!
Sarah Ferguson
from Australia, November 2022
"Spanish sourdough school "
Very hands on experience
Happy to focus on skills that needed improvement. A lot of bread making which was fantastic
Laurel Koepf Taylor
from United States, October 2021
"Paradise is a Micro-bakery in Saleres"
This is a dream vacation! The location is nothing short of idyllic, the hosts charming and accommodating, and they have so much to teach you about artisanal bread and pastry making. It would be a delight in any time but in the midst of a pandemic this is the perfect place for a getaway. You can easily access local sightseeing or you can limit your contacts to the household and focus on the bakery and Lydia's wonderful cooking! Mike even made sure I had a COVID test before my flight. I can't wait to take the fruits of this trip home with me.
Vicky Leff
from United States, December 2019
"Very fun experience"
I enjoyed my experience learning how to make sourdough bread. Mike and Lydia were excellent instructors and hosts. I felt very welcomed by the family and enjoyed spending time with them.
Mike took me sightseeing one morning which was very enjoyable.
Thank you again for your kindness and hospitality.
Tracey Knight
from United Kingdom, December 2019
"The smell of good bread!"
Mike and Lydia were very knowledgeable instructors and offered excellent hospitality, who made us feel very welcome in their home. The sourdough products we made were delicious. Lydia is an excellent cook who provided us with a variety of delicious meals. The house is very picturesque and has a lovely sun terrace that overlooks the Lecrin Valley.
David Kalousdian
from United States, October 2019
"The first class experience "
We were just going to learn to bake artisan bread but learned much more than that. Mike and Lydia made us feel like part of their family. Mathew and Lara were fun to share our days with and Lydia fixed great meals with one dinner of Nigerian cooking.
Rita Knapp
from Canada, January 2019
"the dream theme trip"
Sourdough breads and baguettes and croissants! What could be more fun than starting the day with cappuccinos and your own fresh baked bread? I learned how to make the most amazing bread!! All in the tranquil little village of Saleres. Currently there's a bus from the City of Granada but Mike was able to pick me up. Very personable, patient instructors. .