14 Comments

I find this space a place that has generated a community of bread heads I didnt think Id find. Andrew is a facilitator of community, learning, and IMO most importantly: sharing voices that might not otherwise be lifted. I love this nook of the internet.

Expand full comment

I took Andrew’s very first Sourdough bread course, before it was named Sourdough Lifestyle. I’ve also taken his Pizza al Taglio/Sourdough Focaccia Double-Header, the Friday Nite Pizza Party: Bar Pizza, the Friday Nite Pizza Party: Sicilian Slab and the Baguettes Sans Peur classes as well. I also took this past weekend’s Sourdough Lifestyle course.

All of these classes have been spectacular. Andrew is a great teacher, and really good at demonstrating the various aspects of his techniques and recipes. I often come away thinking “I would have burned my kitchen down if I tried to teach the way he does, with timers going off, things going in and out of the oven, all the while calmly explaining what’s happening and answering questions patiently and thoroughly.” He imparts so much knowledge. And his handouts are very thorough. It’s not unusual for him to revise a handout based on questions that come up during class. He’s committed to helping his students learn how to master sourdough baking in various forms. I’ve learned a lot from these classes.

I highly recommend all of the classes I’ve taken with him and will definitely sign up for new ones that appear. I’m most interested in learning more about inclusions, and I’d love to see a class on the style of bread used in his Chocolate-Sour Cherry-Cardamom Sourdough recipe. I made that bread and I still have questions about it, including potential modifications and extensions to it.

Expand full comment

I took one of Andrew's earlier classes and it was really great to be able to see live demonstration of dough handling and shaping--that alone was worth the price of admission. It was also really nice to be able to ask questions directly. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to better understand their sourdough practice.

Expand full comment

We love you, Andrew! We also love all the breaducation, recipes, classes and advice your expertise provides. Hope to see more people come aboard. This is a fantastic and delicious pastime we can share with others. Ditto to all comments so far! I write this after starting bagels and shokupan doughs this morning. After baking breads at home, commercial loaves are not the same, and a deep appreciation develops for artisan bakers.

Expand full comment

Forgot to say how great Zoom classes are. I have taken the Pizza and Sourdough classes with great success. Live demonstration, discussion and question and answer opportunities make these courses invaluable. I can't think of a better teacher. In the age of internet how to videos, this is a source you can trust is authentic and promotes baking success.

Expand full comment

Honestly, I think the last two years of my life would have been a lot darker than the general dark they have been if it hadn't been for Andrew and the quarantiny starter project. The way he approaches and writes recipes stands apart from so many I have read as I started working with sourdough. They are clear, thorough, and accessible. I have only taken the pizza al taglio Zoom class, and I echo the feelings of other commentators. What stood out for me is being able to see a lot of dough handling and the communal/relaxed atmosphere of being able to easily ask questions throughout. The thoughtfulness of a well-planned lesson was evident in how the time whizzed by and many participants stayed past the end to keep chatting or ask questions.

Expand full comment

My husband and I came late to sourdough (thank you, Omicron) and had been trying to learn the process through reading (three books). It was so exciting to see some suspicions confirmed and realize some errors. There is nothing like seeing the dough in its stages and the seeing the handling. The handout too is a wonderful resource.

Expand full comment

I have taken both Andrew's Sourdough and his Baguette online zoom courses and found them extremely valuable. He had his doughs prepared at the various stages and then demonstrated the handling, feel, and look that the doughs should have at each stage. The ability to see him work with the dough as he explains the process and answers questions gives insights that cannot be obtained as quickly in other learning formats. Seeing the dough in its perfect state creates an invaluable reference point and has made it possible for me to understand the state of my dough.

Andrew is also very giving with his knowledge and there is little doubt his knowledge is based on experience and not theory. In addition to attending the course, participants are given detailed handouts, links, suppliers, and a video copy of the course that allows you to work alongside and pause and start as needed. The course was worth my dollar and my time. I learned multiple techniques that I am already incorporating. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ANDREW!

Expand full comment

I was introduced, happily, to Andrew Janjigian through a choreg-making class presented by the Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway, Boston. Prior to meeting Andrew, I had some success making choreg but only disastrous experiences with other kinds of bread. Not only did he teach me techniques to bake a better white bread loaf, but he also gave me suggestions on ways to make whole wheat bread light and edible instead of my usual brick. And, best of all, Andrew introduced me to many different bread recipes such as Irish Brown Soda Bread (baked in a cast-iron Dutch oven) and Za'atar Ba'abka. However, my most-often made of Andrew's recipes doesn't even result in a loaf of bread. It does result in the best tomato soup I, or any of my impressed guests, have eaten: End-of-Summer Tomato Soup.

I was a student of the "Baguette Sans Peur" class. What a wonderful experience! It was obvious that Andrew had paid a great deal of attention to provisioning for the course, an effective means of presenting a course that is only evident in its absence. Recipes, equipment, ingredients, various stages of dough, and Andrew's presentation were carefully and completely planned in advance and beautifully presented on screen. Despite all of that order, he stopped to answer, thoroughly, every question from listeners. Sometimes the best learning comes from answers to questions.

Andrew has answered many questions for me, including which stand mixer to purchase, after my ancient one danced off the counter and crashed to the floor. He recommended an Ankarsrum (Ank by those who love them), sold by the makers of the Challenger bread pan, another good suggestion. It is a bit different than most stand mixers but it practically makes the loaf itself.

The next step for me is to tackle sour dough bread. Oh, the fear! Yet I know that with Andrew at the head of the class, I will be OK. Andrew knows his "stuff" and is a skilled teacher; if you want to learn anything about the whole process of bread-making, he is the one to contact. As others have mentioned, he made living through the pandemic bearable, teaching skills that I use now and will be using in the future. As a long-time subscriber, I look forward the each Breaducational email.

Expand full comment

I'm a newbie to sourdough but I still found the class to be extremely useful. He made the handling of the dough look so easy and casual which eased my anxiety about handling dough myself. I would recommend this class to all levels of sourdough heads out there. I especially liked the ability to ask questions in real time. Andrew made me feel like there were no stupid questions; he totally wants you to enjoy and understand the craft of sourdough baking.

Expand full comment

This is one of the best newsletters I’ve found on Substack. Andrew is a detail-minded, wide-ranging provider of solid knowledge about breadmaking and sourdough management. Highly recommended!!

Expand full comment

Andrew & this newsletter got me back into making sourdough, and my loaves have gotten better & better. I took one of his Sourdough Lifestyle classes last year, and really enjoyed it - Andrew's a great teacher, and the live demonstrations of his techniques are invaluable.

Expand full comment

Hi Andrew. Not sure if you've sent that email to former class takers...if so, I didn't receive. Thanks!

Expand full comment