May 10, 2:00 to 5:00 pm ET, Boiceville, NY

Join us for an exclusive tour of Bread Alone’s legendary, carbon-neutral Boiceville location, where tradition and innovation meet. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at their production facility, followed by a Q&A with Sharon Burns, Co-Owner and Chief Administrative Officer, and Gonzalo Lanao Tapia, Head Baker & Director of Production Operations, and other members of the Bread Alone team.

After the tour and talk, we’ll gather for wood-fired pizza, a beer or house-made soda, good conversation and general merriment among fellow bakers.

Arrive by 2:15 PM to join the tour.

Our Hosts:

Sharon Burns-Leader

Co-Owner & Chief Administrative Officer

Sharon Burns-Leader is the Chief Administrative Officer and co-owner of Bread Alone Bakery, where she has played a vital role in growing the business over the years. A skilled baker of both bread and pastries, wood-fired oven specialist, recipe developer (for all Bread Alone cookbooks), and expert problem solver, Sharon wears many hats—most of them flour-dusted.

As part of her lifelong commitment to organic grains and sustainable food systems, Sharon has collaborated with Cornell University on variety selections and grain-growing trials throughout the Northeast, including work with the Farm Hub in Kingston, NY. She also serves on the board of the NYC Greenmarket Advisory Board

When she’s not baking or leading operations, you might find Sharon backpacking, cycling, or quilting (but never at the same time). She lives in the Catskill Mountains, and is the proud mother of four and grandmother of three.

Head Baker & Director of Production Operations

Originally from Peru, Gonzalo found his way into baking after a few years of service with AmeriCorps and culinary training at the International Culinary Center in New York City. A trip back to Peru—where he explored traditional breadmaking—helped spark a deeper passion for the craft.

Before joining Bread Alone, Gonzalo spent five years at Zak the Baker in Miami, where he refined his skills in naturally leavened bread and led teams in a high-paced artisan bakery setting. In late 2023, he made the move from sunny Miami to the Catskills and quickly became an essential part of the Boiceville team.

Gonzalo is especially passionate about teaching and mentoring new bakers. “Baking bread involves all your senses to do it properly,” he says. “I love helping people learn the craft and really tune in.” His love for bread began in childhood with fresh ciabatta from his neighborhood bakeries in Peru—and that joy still drives him today.

A Hearthside Chat with Lauren Haas

Free & For Members Only

May 12 / 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET

Join us for an exclusive members-only conversation with Lauren Haas, a celebrated pastry innovator and educator whose mission is to inspire, empower, and elevate chefs across the pastry world.  

Lauren’s background includes time in some of the most respected kitchens in the country, like The White House, The Inn at Little Washington, and the Hotel duPont. She’s spent over a decade teaching the next generation of pastry chefs at Johnson & Wales University and now shares her passion for pastry as a Professor at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.  

Lauren is renowned for bringing imagination and artistry to every creation. In this conversation, she’ll sit down with Lisa Kirschner, Assistant Professor of Pastry and Baking Arts at the CIA, to talk about how creativity shows up in the kitchen—from concept to final product. 

Don't miss this chance to hear from one of the industry’s most thoughtful voices on what it means to stay creative in a fast-paced, ever-evolving field. 

Learn more about Lauren at www.lauren-haas.comand@laurenvhaas.

May 19 / 11am - 6pm ET Day 1  

May 20 / 9am - 4pm ET Day 2

King Arthur Baking Company,

Norwich, VT

Join us at King Arthur Baking and deepen your understanding of sourdough products and processes. In this course, we will produce a variety of breads and explore foundational factors such as build schedules, hydration, flour selection, and fermentation times. We will examine how temperature influences flavor profiles, dough characteristics and production timelines. Learning to manipulate these and other variables is critical to the baker’s success at any scale. The subject will be explored in its historical context with a focus on how principles affect production in real time.  

 By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Create functional sourdough maintenance schedules, to meet your bakery’s demands. 

• Select appropriate preferments, suitable for best outcomes. 

• Design breads  with an understanding of the dynamic relationship between percentages, prefermented flour, flour types, fermentation times, and temperatures.  

• Manipulate hydration and temperature, as seasons and daily needs dictate. 
  

***For this course, a basic knowledge of baker's percentages and some prior experience with sourdough is recommended. 

Lucas Diggle has been baking professionally since 2002. Prior to joining the Baking School in 2021, he spent ten years in King Arthur’s production bakery. He is one of a small number of bakers certified by the Bread Baker’s Guild of America and was a member of the team that traveled to Paris in 2018 to represent the United States at the Fête du Pain. He lives in Vermont with his wife and four beautiful children.   

May 20 / 9:30am - 12:30pm PT

San Francisco Bakery Crawl  

Join us for a delicious day of bread, community, and discovery as we explore some of San Francisco’s standout bakeries. With Guild member Allen Cohn as your trusty guide, we’ll visit four incredible spots—sampling baguettes and croissants at each, comparing how they execute these classics.  

Our journey starts at Jane the Bakery on Geary, then we’ll make our way to Acme Bread Company at the Ferry Building, next to Arizmendi Bakery in the Sunset, and finish at Black Jet Baking Co.* Along the way, we’ll compare notes, talk shop, and hear from a few of the bakers themselves.  

 We’ll be traveling mostly by public transportation, so don’t forget your Clipper card/phone app or MUNI card. Come rain or shine, bring your walking shoes, a water bottle, and your appetite!  

 *Bakery line-up subject to change