Award-winning baker, Mike Zakowski, from Bread Bakers Guild Team USA, will teach a sold-out baguette class for The Guild in the Southwest next month.

“Traditional and Artistic Baguettes” will be held on November 9-10 at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona. In this two-day class, Zakowski will share his award-winning baguette formulas and techniques. One day will be devoted to baking demonstrations and lectures, and on the other day, students will mix, shape, and bake their own baguettes. They will make baguettes with poolish and levain, as well as a hand-mixed, slow-fermented version, and will learn creative techniques to lend a professional touch to their baguettes.

Mike Zakowski is a graduate of the culinary arts program at Kendall College in Chicago, IL. When he owned Kraftsmen Baking in Houston, TX, he was named Best Baker in Houston. He currently owns a bakery in Sonoma, CA, the bejkr, where he sells his breads at farmers markets. As a member of Bread Bakers Guild Team USA competing in the Baguette & Specialty Breads category, he won a silver medal at the 2012 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris, France. He has been invited to compete in the Bakery Masters competition in Paris in 2014.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale believes that a quality culinary education begins with studying both classical techniques and modern technologies. For more information, please visit www.chefs.edu/Scottsdale.

“Traditional and Artistic Baguettes” is the last class in the 2013 series, The Guild’s Greatest Hits: 20th Anniversary, which offers updated versions of popular classes in past years. These events are part of The Guild’s mission to “shape the skills and knowledge of the artisan baking community.” Please visit www.bbga.org to see the complete 2013 calendar.