I really enjoy the KAF classes – I find it one of the more fun activities which I do.
I started out several years ago (pre-covid) with four multi-day courses in sourdough and artisan breads - both beginning and advanced. I learned a lot, and became a much better bread baker as a result. Having that exposure left me pretty confident with handling most bread recipes I encounter, and an ability to troubleshoot as needed.
This most recent foray into pies and tarts let me experience a lot of techniques with which I was familiar, but hadn’t tried. I’m a hands-on type of learner, and the actual performance of things goes a long way with me. Now I’m looking forward to fruit season with confidence, and think I will enjoy putting things into practice.
Would someone with a ton of experience get much out of these courses? For the advanced sourdough/artisan bread courses, I’d say “maybe”. For the other baking classes I’ve tried (pies & tarts, cinnamon and sticky buns), I’d say “maybe not so much”. That said, if you enjoy baking, hanging out with other bakers, experiencing different techniques and perspectives while letting someone else do all the dishes, I’d say you’d most likely find these courses enjoyable.
I am eyeballing a one-day cake class coming up later this year, and next year would like to do the French Pastry Intensive (multi-day) course.
I wrote a little bit about it here on the new “Cooking and Baking Classes” thread here.
