Breadmaking & a Pizza Oven

Hi, Knitters,

I hope you are all having a great October. It's flying by so fast, as always. I am popping in today to tell you some exciting news about my son, Ben Anderson. He has been working at an organic produce farm called Sprouting Acres for a while now and it's been really interesting for him. After baking and cooking for several local bakeries and restaurants, including cooking at many local events, he is starting to teach some classes at Sprouting Acres farm. The farm is located right outside of Madison in Cambridge, Wisconsin. It is a really beautiful location. Ben and the owner and others built the class facility from the ground up. The building includes a professional kitchen, class/meeting/restaurant space and it's really pretty amazing. 

Ben is teaching several classes with more to be listed very soon. He is teaching a Sourdough Bread class, a class called Breads from Around the World (I'm taking this class on Nov. 20th!), and an appetizer class. 

Click here to find out more and to register for the classes!

I'd love to see you in class so I hope you'll join me or sign up for any of the classes being offered at Sprouting Acres if you are in the area. Let me know if you sign up!

Ben has been cooking and baking and studying all things about food for years and years. He is really talented if I do say so myself! He is adding a Holiday Baking class that will be held on a weekend day coming up, too, and I'm definitely attending this one when it gets listed. 

Click here to see Sprouting Acres on Facebook!

I know firsthand how good Ben's breads taste. They are delicious and beautiful with an artisan quality. For his sourdough class you will leave with your own starter to take with you! 

I want to share some photos from Sprouting Acres with you. It is a special place with so much potential because the people who work and live there really care about what they are doing and the produce and food they provide to local restaurants and sell at their own farmers market booths. You may have seen the Sprouting Acres booth on the market on the square if you go on Saturdays.

This is the building that Ben helped build. One inside wall is covered with old barn wood and it looks so cool. Last weekend we went to the first-ever pizza day at the farm and that's where I took these photos. They had a trio of string instrument musicians playing inside the building and it was lovely. 

That's Ben in the white t-shirt. He helped build and design the new wood-burning pizza oven. It was a super fun event and the fall weather was perfect. The pizza was so good, incredibly tasty. What an achievement. They just added the roof/shelter structure. They all worked so hard.  

This is Ben and his girlfriend Laura. Laura helped with the pizza event by running orders and making the pizzas. She is a trooper. I think she was all pizza-ed out by the end after making dozens and dozens of pizzas over the afternoon hours. 

By the way, Ben is wearing his Baker's Hat I designed and knit for him last winter. 

Click here for the pattern and yarn information for the Baker's Hat!

Here is the barn wood I was mentioning!

Andy is the owner of Sprouting Acres. Ben met Andy when he was buying local produce for the restaurant where he was cooking. They really hit it off and Ben has enjoyed working at Andy's farm.

The pizza oven in action! 

He's so at home and in his element when surrounded by the farm and cooking. 

Anyway, have a great Friday and weekend ahead and maybe I'll see you at Sprouting Acres or in Minneapolis or NYC Vogue Knitting Live events coming up. I hope so!

xo ~ susan