bake - February 2018 - 8

management

Class in

Session

Bakeries across the country are ﬁnding a new way to reach

buy our products, but who would want to learn that craft and

their customers and build relationships with their communities

be able to do it in their homes. It would increase our exposure

by offering hands-on classes that teach participants how to

and not jeopardize our business," says Zingerman's managing

bake their signature treats. Consumers value transparency, and

partner Frank Carollo.

there are few business tactics more transparent than bringing
them into the shop and sharing your baking tips.

At Companion, a retail/wholesale bakery in St. Louis, the bakery
has launched a new project through its Teaching Kitchen,

One bakery that has mastered this strategy is Zingerman's

located at the Companion bakehouse. The new Local Grains

Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Recently celebrating its

Project features a selection of breads made almost exclusively

silver anniversary, the Bakehouse knows what it takes to build a

with locally grown and milled grains along with locally produced

successful and enduring business. Zingerman's wants to share its

foodstuffs such as honey, sorghum, nuts and seeds. This project

knowledge with its customers because it knows that it will help to

gives Companion the opportunity to offer a voice to the

generate even more interest in what it's doing in its kitchen.

Missouri/Southern Illinois regional food production ecosystem
by delivering thoughtful small-batch breads to local consumers.

Through its hands-on teaching classes, Zingerman's seeks to
preserve baking traditions and inspire new ones. Dozens of

James Beard Award nominee and chef Josh Galliano has led

classes are offered, giving students the opportunity to thrive in

this charge and is teaching a hands-on class utilizing the local

areas such as fondant, cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, pies and

farmers and the techniques he has developed while creating

even traditional Hungarian foods that Zingerman's specializes

the Local Grains Project.

in providing to the Ann Arbor community.
that creativity to others. That's also the case with DŌ, Cookie

included dynamite donut recipes, pot pies, coffee cakes and

Dough Confections' new program. The Cookie AcaDŌmy

classic Detroit cuisine. Each class that it offers can range in

features a series of courses aimed at baking and cookie dough-

price from $100 to $125.

making enthusiasts.

"I guess we believed from the start that it is hard work, so

Customers will learn how to bake DŌ's signature cookies and

some of the people who took the classes would realize that it

make safe-to-eat cookie dough. They also receive a souvenir

was difficult to do, which in turn makes them happy to pay for

spatula, recipe packet, box of cookies and two 8-ounce custom-

that loaf of bread instead of baking that themselves. We also

ized containers of cookie dough. The classes are offered in three

believed that it would appeal to people who wouldn't want to

categories: Cookie Dough 101, Kids Class and Couples Class.

08 < FEB 2018 | bakemag.com

COMPANION BAKING

True innovators in the baking world are looking to pass along
Some of the classes that Zingerman's offered in January
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - February 2018

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