Allison White

This class has been so popular that we decided to add another to the schedule! Sign ups are officially open for February 26-28th for the 4th round of The Science of Sourdough at @artisanbakingcenter in Petaluma Ca We wanted to get this on the schedule asap so students have plenty of time to plan your travels , hotels , restaurants etc. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out 🤍 link in bio.

Spending three days with these women was a remarkable experience I’ll never forget. Together, we dove deep into the science of consistent sourdough baking, working with a variety of beautiful stone-milled flours from @centralmilling . I was fortunate to have one of my closest friends—and a truly talented baker @ensovillagegardenbakery by my side as the most incredible assistant anyone could ask for. We relied on our @hanna_instruments pH meters to guide fermentation, ensuring that every step was intentional and precise. All of our bakes went through the mighty @campbell2664 rackmaster from @pleasanthillgrain , and we were lucky enough to have Campbell join us for a live FaceTime Q&A to share his insight and answer all of our oven-related questions. Each student left with a @getdoap and a comprehensive handbook outlining my personal 3-day baking schedule and formulas. While I may have been at the helm, the students brought incredible depth of knowledge and curiosity, sparking thoughtful questions and rich conversations about what’s possible with sourdough. My deepest gratitude to @nicoleplue for inviting me to teach at @artisanbakingcenter and for feeding our group the most delicious meals (along with amazing cooking and clean up support from @chiviterias and Tonya)! I’m truly looking forward to the next teaching opportunity, but for now, I’m filled with joy and gratitude as I reflect on everything this amazing group accomplished. And one final shoutout to my dear friend @miss.arm.strong for firing off all our extra breads in the large deck ovens and for bringing such good vibes to the weekend 🤍🤍🤍

I bake for my community. In my community we look different from one another. Speak different languages. We believe in different gods. We vote for different people. Send our children to different schools. Homeschool. Some of us work full time while others stay home. We may identify as different genders. One home is so different from the one next door. I embrace our differences and celebrate them. We may not agree on everything but we all have more in common than we do our differences But I’m not here to scream into an echo chamber. I’m here to listen , to love. To bake for you and nourish you. Whatever background you come from please know you’re welcome in this space without an ounce of judgement 🤍

I used to dream of making bread like this five and a half years ago when I started Matriarch. I would gawk at OG cottage bakers insta feeds and just close my eyes tight and imagine myself creating the same gorgeous dark loaves, perfectly crisp crusts with custardy crumb interiors. It’s taken more hours than I’d ever imagined , more tears than I knew I had in my body , discipline and grit but I’m finally getting there. I’ve crossed over into the joyful side of baking where my craft is an extension of my body, muscle memory rooted in joy. The wonderful thing about baking though, is there’s always more to learn. More to try and new mountains to climb. I’m here for the stay. Whole grains stone ground by @redsbreads_cali Sifted flour from @centralmilling Baked in the mighty @campbell2664 rackmaster (I have 2- yes they are THAT amazing ) purchased from @pleasanthillgrain

The first country loaves out of the RM2020 @campbell2664 always feel like a preview of the day ahead. This one told us it was going to be a good one 🔥 Formula and scoring tips from the one and only @matriarchbreadco - did you know she only has a few spots left at her three day science of sourdough baking course?! Learned this all from her🙏🫶🏻⬆️

This time of year can feel a bit painful but also beautiful now that I am a mother. I miss my mom so much, she gave me everything I could ever need to walk through the world, chin up. I hear her voice all the time - guiding me. This last week in particular I’ve felt her presence constantly. I’ve had amazing people enter my life at just the perfect moments, reminding me that I can do anything, BE anything. Accomplish anything I dream of. I have shed so many layers of my former self and this year, this season, today - I feel more alive and ready than ever. Confident in what I want and where I’m going. Knowing my worth while showing all the love, respect, and kindness to those around me. Thankful for it all.

@westcoastbreadfest where do I even begin. My heart is changed forever. Beautiful exchanges between souls. Being together with other like minded bakers who want to make the world a better place through bread by using organic high quality flour just felt … healing. In so many ways. Together we thought about how we can continue to support wheat farmers in a constantly changing climate, holding onto our identity as bakers while also baking for a whole community, fostering strong relationships with each other, and so much more. The bigggggest shout out and praise to @theearlyrisebaker who dreamed up this entire event. The day was scheduled perfectly, it was engaging, exciting , and I know we will remember this always. I can’t wait for next year! Thank you @centralmilling and @simplybreadco for hosting and sponsoring. Thank you to all the wonderful bakers who came to classes and shared stories. A huge thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who supported this through lending hands and love. I feel as though I’ve made connections that will stay with me for the rest of my life in this community and I’m just so thankful for it all.

If we aren’t making the best bread we’ve ever seen or tasted .. what are we even doing. Set the bar high. I have my North Star bakers that keep me humble but I am really proud of how far I’ve come 🤍 that’s what I love about bread , always another step to climb - forever and ever. Buckwheat was the clear winner this week. Local buckwheat milled by @redsbreads_cali everything this week was baked in the mighty @campbell2664 rackmaster. She’s no show pony , she’s a workhorse.

I have such phone fatigue. I’m still here. Still making bread. Posting feels self serving and like I’m shouting into an echo chamber. It’s all overstimulating. When did we all become so attached to our phones and unattached from reality. Are we all escaping ? Addicted ? I don’t know but I just wanna keep it real. Simple. Authentic. The bread continues to be good - looking forward to baking for everyone tomorrow 🤍

60% whole grain bialys. Formula adapted from @graisongill baguettes. Thank you @risinggracebaking and @joshfairbanksbread for lots of tips on these. I have a few tweaks to make but excited to bake them again in the upcoming weeks. These were filled with spring onions from @spadeandplow I roasted the greens in the oven and sautéed the whites and mixed them together with vinegar and salt (learned this from Josh 🤍) Bialys are a blend of stoneground local wheat milled by @redsbreads_cali , whole white wheat from @centralmilling and ABC+ Baked in the mighty @campbell2664 RM2020 HOTTTTT and fast. It truly takes a village to bring a product like this to the community , and a wonderful group of customers who support local farming and cottage baking.

It’s only taken me 8 months to build up the courage to add inclusions into my loaves after taking my course with Ally White at @matriarchbreadco last July but this one absolutely paid off this week. One thing I’ve continued to do since that course is bake the same formula week after week until I truly understand my dough. A little secret to success that Ally shared with us. That might be the only secret of hers I’ll pass along though… the rest you’ll have to discover by attending one of her workshops 😉😘 This loaf is filled with a mix of olives (majority blended), herbs, and lemon zest. Inspired by @michaeljamesbakes and his beautiful book The Tivoli Road Baker. This loaf is quite a beauty and I’m looking to add it to the menu in the upcoming weeks. Baked in the RM2020 @campbell2664 . Perfect colouring every time ❤️.

The beginning of this year challenged me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. But even on the days where I feel a bit lost - I always come back to relying on my skills. Mixing , shaping , baking. Feeling the warmth of the oven as I open the door and knowing it’s the perfect temperature for the dough. Making small adjustments as the bake day goes along based on how the bread is behaving in the oven , knowing when the loaves are done just by the smell. All of these small sensory cues make me feel intimately connected to the process of making bread. And I’m thankful. Double score inspired by my forever bread friend @joshfairbanksbread who’s taught me so much.