The Sourdough Club

Prescribing Baking as Lifestyle Medicine

Change your bread, change your life. Discover how sourdough helps make bread more nutritious and why it is easier to digest, as you learn to bake eat and share extraordinary bread to support both mental and physical health.
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Social Discount Membership: Applications Currently Closed

£2.99 / month for 12 months after an initial 1 month period for £99.00 including joining fee

 

  • REDUCED ONE-OFF JOINING FEE FROM: £299 to £99 for Community Membership
  • MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION: £4.99 reduced to £2.99
  • TYPE: LIFESTYE PRESCRIPTION COURSE
  • SUPPORT: Weekly ( Term time) open live Q & A session with Vanessa
  • BAKING LEVEL: Beginner / Intermediate
  • STYLE OF LEARNING: Self-guided
  • TUTORIALS: 100+ tutorials
  • RECIPES: Over 130
  • FOCUS: Baking for better physical and mental health
  • SUPPORT: Feedback and guidance via the website
  • TEAM: Supported by the Sourdough School Team
  • SOCIAL CHANGE AWARDS : Please check to see if you are eligible for discounted fees
  • AVAILABILITY: Start today

Membership Benefits

  • Gain access to the community recipes, including our classic sourdough recipes, with new recipes added regularly.
  • Get access to symbiotic eating recipes designed to nourish your gut.
  • Read in greater detail the research behind each recipe and how they will nourish your gut microbiome.
  • Enjoy in-depth features on grains such as spelt, rye and other heritage grains.
  • Get access to a comprehensive glossary.
  • Interact with other members in our friendly forum.
  • Get access to our library of live webinars with Vanessa and guests.
  • Share your bakes and get reposted on the club Instagram account.
  • Enjoy Club discounts.
  • Take part in exclusive competitions and give-aways.
  • Gain access to exclusive articles by Vanessa Kimbell on sourdough and gut health.
  • Receive our bi-monthly e-magazine with tips, offers, articles and more.

Category: Memberships: Discounted
  • Description
  • What will I learn?
  • Is this for me?
  • Next Guided Course
  • Bake 2, Give 1
  • Cost of joining
  • Are there any discounts?
  • A full list of member benefits
  • Is there any support?
  • Be part of the change

 

It is a lifestyle prescription.  Now in its 11th year, this unique approach to learning uses baking sourdough as preventative medicine. Not only will you learn to make sourdough and  nourish your gut microbiome, you will also learn how to make changes to your own diet and lifestyle for better health.  All the recipes and approach to baking is evidence based and has been researched, tested and developed as part of the The Bread Protocol that is central to Vanessa Kimbell’s Doctorate in Nutrition and Digestibility for Bread.

The Sourdough Club is now in its 11th year and was rated 5* by the Telegraph. It is part of the Sourdough School. We can tell you how wonderful our courses and memberships are, of course, but you can read our member reviews.

A Community Membership gives you access to recipes, videos and core knowledge tutorials, as well as support from our live clinics and on the baking forum.  You bake according to your abilities and in your own time, to suit your lifestyle.

As part of our Systems Change Programme, there are awards available, so please ensure that you check to see if you are eligible for the social change discount before you join.

What will I learn?

You will learn about every stage of making sourdough, including:

• how to create and refresh a starter

• how to blend and mill flour

• how to mix, knead, shape, prove, score and bake your bread

• how to eat symbiotically for optimal gut health

Some of the bakes you will discover include:

• a 10-minute sourdough tin loaf

• a 10-minute sourdough cake

• a retarded sourdough boule

You will also learn about:

• the variables affecting fermentation

• the fibre, protein and gluten present in flour

• the nutrition and digestibility of bread

• probiotics and prebiotics (including how to make your own cultured butter, kimchi, sauerkraut and pickles)

• the gut microbiome and why the kind of bread you eat matters

• why diversity is key to gut health

In short, you will learn about sourdough and how to bake to nourish your microbiome, but the Community Membership is much more than a course: it is a lifestyle prescription. This is a unique and innovative voyage into the world of sourdough and gut microbiome, and it will show you how to change your own diet and lifestyle for the better.

 

 

Is this for me?

Is this the best way for me to learn?

It really depends on what kind of person you are and what interests you. If you are disciplined and self-motivated, and you want to use the Club structure as a resource, then this Community Membership is good way to learn.

The advantage of joining as a Community Member is that you do not have to wait to start learning.

The disadvantage is that the Community Membership is entirely self-guided, so while it is less expensive, it does not include the research level features, tasks, events and tutorials you get as part of our guided courses.

The Community Membership option is often chosen by intermediate bakers who want the flexibility of a rolling monthly membership. It is important to note that you are committed to staying for a minimum of three months before you can cancel your subscription.

Should I join?

If you are a total beginner and have never baked sourdough before, then I would strongly suggest that rather than joining with a Community Membership, you do one of our short prescription courses first. Don’t be surprised by this suggestion! My motivation is not money, but sharing knowledge and making real change, and if you’re brand new to baking, you would be far better off starting with the lower cost option of a mini course, or even by baking from my 10-Minute Sourdough book, which is brilliant for beginners. You can also try out our basic recipes for free here. Then, once you know the basics and are sure that you like baking, you can come back and join.

I suggest you sign up for a Community Membership only if you can agree with the following statements:

  • I have baked sourdough before.
  • I am self-motivated and can commit to baking.
  • I am interested in more than just big holes – I want to understand sourdough.
  • Healthy bread is something I am very interested in learning more about.
  • I want to learn about other ways to use sourdough, such as pasta, flat breads, pastries, cakes and buns.
  • I like to know about how to eat bread to support gut health, including probiotics and probiotic recipes.

If you would like to join, please enroll – I will be delighted to find you in our Club members forum. If not, then please consider taking a guided course – they are amazing.

 

Vanessa Kimbell 

The Sourdough School 

Next Guided Course

If you would prefer a guided course and a certificate, then you can join an interactive guided course.

Click this link to find out more about the interactive guided-learning Bake for Health Certificate starting in September 2022.

You can also join the mailing list or  make a membership request here.

Bake 2, Give 1

Part of our baking protocol is that we ask all our members to bake two loaves and give one away.  So almost all of our recipes are made to follow this principle.  Baking is about sharing bread and we encourage people to use it as a way to connect with one another. As a bonus, baking two loaves gives you extra baking practice!

Cost of joining

To join the Sourdough Club with a Community Membership subscription, we charge a one-off £599.00 initial  joining fee, followed by a monthly subscription of £29.99 per month with a minimum commitment of three months.

As part of our social change programme, there are awards available for our courses.  Please check to see if you are eligible for the social discount award here before purchasing.

Are there any discounts?

Yes. We offer reduced rate memberships to a number of people, so please check here to see if you qualify.

A full list of member benefits

sourdough clubAs a Community Member, you will:

  • Have access to the community library with our step-by-step tutorials and video masterclasses.
  • Be able to discus your bakes in our live clinics on Thursday evenings.
  • Be the first to know of any courses run at the Sourdough School and receive preferential rates and booking opportunities.
  • Gain a deep understanding and insight into sourdough in your own time from core knowledge video tutorials covering topics such as the roles of gluten, salt, water and flour. You’ll also learn how to add inclusions, what bakers’ percentages are and how to troubleshoot.
  • Have access to a huge archive of recipes, including our classic sourdough recipes and symbiotic eating recipes.
  • Be able to read in greater detail the research behind each recipe and how it nourishes your gut microbiome.
  • Enjoy in-depth features on grains such as spelt, rye and other heritage grains.
  • Have access to a comprehensive glossary.
  • Be inspired by regular new recipes.
  • Interact with other members in our forum.
  • Have access to our library of live webinars with Vanessa and guests.
  • Share your bakes and get reposted on the Club Instagram account.
  • Get Club discounts.
  • Take part in exclusive competition and give-aways
  • Have access to exclusive articles by Vanessa Kimbell on sourdough and gut health.
  • Receive our bi-monthly e-magazine with tips, offers, articles and more.

Is there any support?

Bake for Health welcome

Yes! We provide support in a number of ways. 

• The Sourdough Club forum is an active online forum with hundreds of members that is manned by one of our team daily. It’s a lovely place to get advice and feedback. 

• You will be invited to attend online clinics once a month. 

• You will be able to leave comments on lecture pages, which we will respond to. 

• If you get stuck with anything, you can reach out and Vanessa will get in touch. 

Be part of the change

It it is time to change the system.

Your membership isn’t just about learning to make bread. You will be part of the change.

The Sourdough School is a social enterprise and has been dedicated to researching, developing and sharing knowledge about how changes can be made in the world of bread-making and baking in order to support health and wellness for over a decade. We also take this one step further by teaching and empowering people to implement these changes and challenge the system on both a personal and social level. We do this through our Systems Change Programme, which is informed by our values.

This approach underpins everything we do in the club.

Related products

  • GP Referral Membership

    £15.99 / month after an initial 1 month period for £299.00 including joining fee
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FLOUR IS NOT JUST FLOUR… When I’m choosing fl FLOUR IS NOT JUST FLOUR…

When I’m choosing flour, I look at the type of milling method used, because this makes a huge difference to your bread. 

When wheat is turned into flour, the grain is crushed, milled and then sifted to remove the germs and the fibrous outer layer, which is how we get lighter, whiter flour. 

Traditionally, flour would be stoneground, but the modern milling process uses steel rollers. These rollers are very efficient at separating out the component parts of the grain, but they also get hot, which can partly kill off the wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria that might be present in the flour.

Lear more about flour, baking and sourdough by joining The Sourdough Club today 👆

#milling #freshlymilled #botanicalblend #fromscratch #unrefined #mockmillproud #mockmill #grains #wheat #einkorn #emmer #spelt #heritagegrains #freshlymilledflour #milledflour
IS IT A YOGA MOVE? WHY DO I NEED TO STRETCH & FOLD IS IT A YOGA MOVE? WHY DO I NEED TO STRETCH & FOLD?

In sourdough, gluten doesn’t need developing by kneading. Trust me, you will get a better rise and lighter loaf by using the long, slow fermentation to align the gluten molecules instead of kneading. 

Simply leaving the dough to ferment with just a few stretches and folds to help will result in a gluten structure that gives the bread the complex network of sticky strands that capture the CO2 as the yeasts get to work consuming the sugars in the flour.

Follow the link in the bio to join The Sourdough Club today and learn more about making incredible sourdough bread 👆

#sourdough #sourdoughclub #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking
Our two favourite cloches are back in stock! Mos Our two favourite cloches are back in stock! 

Most domestic ovens are less than ideal when it comes to a beautiful loaf with maximum oven spring. What baking dough needs is immediate, even heat and steam. The heat provides the rise and the steam keeps the crust soft throughout the time it is rising. The result is bread that reaches its full potential, giving an evenly baked, golden open crumbed sourdough. The perfect way to achieve this is with a cloche.

The Spun Iron Cloche (first picture):
A beautifully handmade spun black iron cloche made in Shropshire. Sitting on a 12″ rimmed base, the dome is complete with cast-iron knob and brass rivets. Designed by  @vanessakimbell and developed and made by Netherton Foundry.

The Challenger Bread Pan
The Challenger Bread Pan is a unique cast iron bread pan specifically designed to create the ideal baking environment for all your loaves. The dimensions of this pan allow you to bake a wide range of loaves – bâtards, boules and baguettes all fit very comfortably. 

Follow the link in the bio to our shop to learn more 👆

#sourdough #sourdoughclub #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking
10 MINUTE OAT POCKET BREADS This is one of our f 10 MINUTE OAT POCKET BREADS 

This is one of our favourite recipe from @vanessakimbell's book 10 Minute Sourdough! Like all the recipes in this book, they only take 10 mins of hands on time to make. 

Vanessa came up with this recipe after reading about the Romans, who while travelling would cut their bread into this triangular shape to carry in their pockets. 

The Power of Oats
🌾 There are many studies indicating just how important oats are as part of a healthy diet, with benefits ranging from reduced cholesterol levels to protection against childhood asthma. 
🌾 They are a rich source of both protein and fats, containing more than most other grains, as well as vitamins and minerals. 
🌾 They also contain high levels of beta-glucan, a form of soluble fibre that is getting a lot of research attention because of its health benefits. It is linked to lower cholesterol levels, lower blood sugar and lower levels of obesity, and it also nourishes the good bacteria in the gut microbiome.

You'll find this recipe in 10 Minute Sourdough: Breadmaking For Real Life, by Vanessa Kimbell. Signed copied are available from our website 👆

#10minsourdough #sourdough #sourdoughclub #bread #sourdoughlove #sourdoughlover #naturalleavened #leavening #levain #realbread #breadmaking #bakebread #makebread #makerealbread #learntobakebread #breadmakingclass #sourdoughstories #bakingforlove #bakingtherapy #sourdoughbaking
⏰ LAST CHANCE TO BUY ONE, GIFT ONE ON 12 MONTH S ⏰ LAST CHANCE TO BUY ONE, GIFT ONE ON 12 MONTH SOURDOUGH CLUB MEMBERSHIPS ⏰

The Sourdough Club in an online learning platform, with hundreds of baking tutorials tips, techniques, recipes and inspiration to learn to bake nutritious sourdough. Join us for weekly live Q&A sessions with @vanessakimbell, get support from our team of in-house health professionals and chat with other bakers on our lively forum.

We know what you're thinking...
Yawn yawn. Learning online is boring. Our approach is different – and we totally reimagined and redesigned online learning to give you the opportunity to be part of a movement in social justice.

Until the end of the 31st Jan 2023, you can buy two 12 month Club memberships for the price of one! Follow the link in the bio to learn more 👆

#sourdough #sourdoughbread #sourdoughstarter #baking #bakingwithlove #isolation #learntobake #bakebread #learnsourdough #sourdoughschool #sourdoughclub #sourdoughbread #sourdough #immuneboosting #specialoffer #digestivehealth #lookafteryourself #comingtogether #bakingwithfriends
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