Rog Mini Course: Basics of Sourdough Bread Baking

Sourdough baking is becoming increasingly popular, but many questions come up at the beginning: how do you grow your own starter, how do you knead the dough, when has it risen enough, and how do you bake bread with a good crust, crumb and flavour?

In the Rog Mini Course on Sourdough Bread Baking, we will explore the full process of making sourdough bread in the Cooking Lab — from preparing the starter to kneading, shaping, proofing and baking.

We will prepare three types of bread and baked goods: a batard-shaped loaf proofed in a rattan basket, rye bread with seeds baked in a loaf tin, and focaccia baked on a tray.

We will also share practical tips and tricks for baking at home and demonstrate the stretch and fold technique, which helps develop stronger and more elastic dough.

Programme by session

Session 1
We will prepare a sourdough starter, which you will be able to take home and use for your future baking projects. We will knead the dough for the batard loaf, seeded bread and focaccia. We will learn the stretch and fold technique. The dough will then proof in the fridge until the next day.

Session 2
We will shape the risen dough into loaves and prepare it for the second proof. We will bake and taste the seeded bread.

Session 3
We will brush the focaccia with oil, dimple it with our fingers, sprinkle it with coarse salt and bake it. We will turn the loaf out of the basket, score it with a bread lame and bake it. We will also prepare toppings for the focaccia and herb butter for the bread.

Schedule

The programme will take place over three sessions:

• Thursday, 22 October 2026, from 17:00 to 20:00
• Friday, 23 October 2026, from 17:00 to 20:00
• Saturday, 24 October 2026, from 10:00 to 13:00

The course is practical and suitable for anyone who would like to understand the basics of sourdough baking and use this knowledge at home. No prior knowledge is required.

About the mentor

The course will be led by Juš Mejaš, an experienced home baker with several years of experience at Pekarna Osem in Ljubljana. Before working in the bakery, he started baking at home, gradually improving his knowledge and feel for dough through practice and a few unsuccessful loaves along the way. He now shares this knowledge through workshops at Center Rog.

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Participants should gather in the entrance hall of Center Rog 15 minutes before the programme begins. Please store your personal belongings in the lockers indicated by the mentor. Do not be late, as this disrupts the working process. In case of late arrival, entry to the lab cannot be guaranteed.

The programme is held in Slovenian unless stated otherwise.

The programme is intended for participants aged 14 and above, unless stated otherwise.

In case of cancellation, you will be notified two days before the planned start of the programme.