Master Baker Apollonia Poilâne Teaches a New Online Course in Making World-Class Bread

People have been hopping on a number of at-home food trends in the age of quarantine, like testing out whipped dalgona coffee or trying their hand at the bizarre pancake cereal experiment. But nothing caught on quite like the time-tested practice of baking bread. And beyond the simple loaf, baking sourdough bread, in particular, has been one of the pandemic's most ubiquitous hobbies.

If you're still looking to get your bread just right, you can learn how to bake the perfect loaf from esteemed baker Apollonia Poilâne in her new course from MasterClass. Poilâne is the CEO of Poilâne Bakery, one of the world's most famous boulangeries, which was founded by her grandfather, Pierre Léon Poilâne, in 1932. In this course, Poilâne shares her family’s method for making five kinds of bread, including brioche, rustic wheat, rye, corn flour bread, and, of course, sourdough starter. These are methods that have been nurtured from philosophies and refined knowledge over eight decades.

No matter your skill level or familiarity with bread baking, there is so much to be gained from Poilâne’s class. She not only offers expertise and refined techniques, but also inspirational anecdotes about both life and cooking. She shares her love and passion for baking, which she calls an “essential and beautiful craft,” with a deep sense of pride in her family's rich tradition. It is both informational and incredibly soothing.

Growing up around bread and boulangeries her entire life, Poilâne started her apprenticeship at 16 years old. She found herself running the world-renowned bakery at 18 years old after both her parents passed away in a helicopter accident. A year later, she started, and eventually completed, a degree in economics at Harvard, all while helping to run the business as a student. She has since been instrumental in the bakery’s adaptability, growing its e-commerce business and expanding both manufacturing and boutiques to new locations.

The course itself includes 17 lessons, all of which are under 20 minutes. To learn more about Apollonia Poilâne's class, head over to the MasterClass website where you can sign up for a subscription to this class and dozens of others for $15 per month.

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