Zingerman's Baking and Cooking Classes in Ann Arbor

Join us for one of our best hands-on classes for new bakers, where you'll learn how to make traditional French baguettes the Zingerman's Bakehouse way. Most commercial bread in stores labeled “baguette”, are soft and bland, bearing no resemblance to the traditional French bread that Parisian bakers first developed around 1920. When a law went into effect forbidding them from starting to work before 4 am, they began baking the long thin loaves that are synonymous with French baking today.

In this class, we'll teach you to make our traditional French baguette recipe—starting with a flavorful poolish (bakers call it a pre-ferment, it’s like a starter) and mixing up our bread dough. We'll then go over the techniques of hand rolling and shaping the dough into baguettes, which we'll proof and then bake to a crispy golden brown. Imagine serving breakfast to out-of-town guests and bringing out a perfect baguette that they swear must have been airlifted from Paris.

You'll leave the BAKE! class with our French baguette recipe, the knowledge to recreate it at home, and the baked French baguettes you made in class as well as the dough you will make.

In-Person Class: We'll end class with a tasting and you'll also leave with some great coupons.

Virtual Class: We will send out a video two days before class showing how to make a poolish the day before class.

What our guests have to say about this class:

I came in never having tried making bread and I feel I'm leaving with the knowledge to try and create some on my own. —Nate R.

Everyone should know how to make baguettes like this. I've been trying to make good baguettes for awhile. This has opened my mind. —John D.

Taking your baking classes has given me the confidence to bake more frequently, trying new recipes to prepare for friends and family. —Lisa S.

Is “More Cheese Please!” a ready refrain of yours when getting fired up to bake? Do sweet and savory baked treats oozing with cheesy deliciousness trigger feelings of euphoria, make you happy, lighten your mood as only cheese can do? (Recent scientific research has found that cheese does indeed have the power to make us feel good!) If so, then this hands-on class is for you! 

We’ll teach you how to make three tasty recipes where cheese reigns supreme: Cheesy Pepper Crackers to pair with your favorite cheese and charcuterie board; the Bakehouse’s Cornish-style Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pasty with a flaky all-butter crust for a handy supper; and for dessert or afternoon tea, a rich Raspberry Ricotta Cake. Along the way you’ll learn a variety of techniques and get plenty of hands-on practice mixing, rolling, and baking up your cheesy creations.

You’ll leave the BAKE! class with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, and dinner for four, including 3 dozen crackers, 4 pasties, and a 9-inch cake.  

In-Person: We'll end class with a tasting of what we made and you'll go home with some great coupons.

We all know that whole grains can be good for us, but that’s not the only reason to eat them. With the right recipes and techniques, they can taste great, too. In this hands-on class we’ll teach you to make Bakehouse Country Wheat bread, a Whole-Grain Raisin Bread, and a masterful Multi-Grain bread. This class will change how you think of whole-grain bread. 

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

In-Person: We'll end the class with a bread tasting and you'll also go home with some great coupons.

For some background on the Bakehouse's journey into freshly milled whole grain flours, head to our blog and read: "Whole Grains and Hope" and "7 Reasons to Fall for Freshly Milled Flour"

What our guests have to say about this class:

Such a fun and pressure-free environment to learn how to make some complicated recipes. This class demystified bread and made it more approachable for at-home baking. —Ally Y.

I want to turn this into my hobby. I found it very relaxing and there is bread at the end of it all! —Panduranga R.

These were slightly complicated breads and all directions and demonstrations were exceptionally clear. —Anon

Join us for one of our most popular hands-on classes! Your family and house guests won't soon forget waking up to the aroma of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar from freshly baked sweet rolls. Learn how it's done! In this hands-on class, we'll teach you the basic techniques of creating a sweet dough. You'll get plenty of hands-on practice in class with mixing, kneading, hand-shaping, and proofing yeasted doughs. 

You'll leave the BAKE! class with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, and all the sweet dough baked goods you made in class. 

In-Person: We'll end class with a tasting of what we made and you'll leave with sweet dough to bake at home later as well as some great coupons. If you're traveling more than an hour to attend, you may want to bring a cooler and ice pack to class with you for storing your bake-at-home sweet dough on the ride home.

Virtual (2-day): On Day 1, we'll make our sweet dough, before refrigerating it overnight. On Day 2, we'll teach you to make and bake three delicious treats both sweet and savory.

What our guests have to say about this class:

I've been baking for years and have worked in a bakery—I just love learning new tricks I might not know. —Barb S.

The cinnamon rolls were as light as pillows and the taste was pure heaven. —Joyce S.

Such a nice experience! I don't have much baking experience and I loved every minute of it! —Jolie S.

This was my best class yet, out of probably a dozen. I love the versatility of what I can do with the dough. —Beth S.

Some of our most delectable savory recipes have been brought together for one dynamite class! Together we’ll make Focaccia bread with various optional toppings; tender and tasty Bacon Cheddar Scones; and Lángos, a fried bread with savory toppings that's a popular street food in Hungary. You'll learn a variety of techniques and get plenty of hands-on practice mixing, kneading, and shaping your doughs. Make these recipes at home for your next brunch or tailgate party and you're bound to even impress yourself. 

You'll leave BAKE! with our recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, and all of the savory baked goods you made in class, including a pan focaccia, two lángos, and a dozen scones.

In-Person: We'll end class with a tasting of what we made and you'll go home with some great coupons.

What our guests have to say about this class:

I like baking, but not sweet stuff as much. This will really help me step up my game. —Laura H.