Story by Karen Parr-Moody

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – For the average, busy American, making bread by hand is a lost art. But with two classes, Ann Marie’s Artisan Bakery can change that for locals.

Eager students can learn how to make homemade bread at the bakery, which sells old-fashioned baked goods and French pastries. The bakery will host a beginner’s class on basic bread making at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 and an advanced class on artisan bread making at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18.

The bakery’s owner, Brandon Stone, will conduct the classes, which will be held in the bakery at 135 Franklin Street. The beginner’s class is $10 per student and the artisan class is $15.

“Bread is a tricky thing,” said Stone, who is a fifth-generation baker. “It requires a lot of patience. It’s also one of those things where sometimes you can’t just read a recipe and make it happen.”

The beginner’s class will consist of a lecture and the hands-on preparation of a basic white and whole wheat loaf.

“Everything’s going to be done by hand,” Stone said. “We’ll go over how to mix, how to knead, what the dough should look like, what it shouldn’t look like. We’ll go over proofing times and baking temperature. We’ll essentially approach it like you’ve never made bread before.

In the artisan class, students will learn a variety of techniques and leave with two to six loaves of handmade bread created in various shapes. Stone will go over composition, crust styles, scoring techniques and how to make different shapes of bread.

“We’ll go over how to alter a basic recipe to make something unique or how to make a thick crust on it,” Stone said. “That class includes more advanced
techniques on how to make the bread artistic.”

During both classes, while the dough is taking some time to rise, Stone will answer students’ questions about the making of bread.

The classes will accommodate up to 10 students. Attendees are asked to call ahead of time at 931-802-1041 to reserve a spot.

Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.