1. One woman celebrated her birthday by honing her pie-baking skills with eleven friends.

2. A couple booked the room for a private session to make hubby's birthday cake.

3. A group of teens from Ozone house learned the fine art of pizza-making.

4. Holiday cookie fans signed up for a personal Fancy Schmancy Cookie class in December.

5. Twins signed up to make their own birthday cakes with Alejandro.

Contact us for more information about group discounts and scheduling.

BAKE! hands-on teaching bakery at Zingerman's Bakehouse invites the community to set up private baking classes for birthday celebrations, wedding parties and corporate-team building.

According to the New York Times article "Wielding Kitchen Knives and Honing Office Skills" (January 13, 2007), Stephen Gibbs, a co-owner of San Franciso's Hands On Gourmet, said private group cooking classes are "a wonderful way to break the ice and get people familiar with each other while getting them to do something as basic as cooking."

Located on the south side of Ann Arbor, the learning environment at BAKE! is a fun, relaxed atmosphere where you'll find a wide variety of classes based on the breads and sweet stuff made at Zingerman's Bakehouse. From pies to cake decorating to cookies and breads, these classes are designed for different levels of baking skill and provide a comfortable place to learn with at least two experienced bakers as instructors. Participants leave BAKE! with tested recipes, the knowledge to recreate items made in class at home, and depending on the class, dough, loaves of bread, cakes or pastries to enjoy at home.

"The school is unusual in that it is so specialized," says Detroit Free Press food writer, Sylvia Rector, "focusing entirely on baking - and yet is geared to nonprofessional, everyday folks.

"BAKE! is the best School of Hard Knocks without the pain, humiliation and pressure," insists Ann Arbor News food writer Nan Bauer. "You work side by side with superb teachers while you're up to your elbows in ingredients. The class was fun."

Contact us about group discounts and scheduling.