“Starting a Bakery” will be held on March 14-15 at South Seattle College in Seattle, WA. Mackie and Tofte will present a realistic view of the joys and challenges of bakery ownership and will share how-to advice on business plans and production schedules. In the hands-on portion of the class, they will teach students how to make several versatile doughs to produce “must-have” bakery items. Their goal is to give participants the tools and knowledge they need to achieve their dreams.

Solveig Tofte was head baker at Turtle Bread Company before starting her own bakery in 2011. She was the captain of Bread Bakers Guild Team USA and competed at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Cup of Baking) in Paris in 2008. She is the owner of Sun Street Breads in Minneapolis, MN, which was named one of the “Best New Bakeries in America” by Details magazine.

Leslie Mackie is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and was formerly head baker at Grand Central Bakery. She is the owner of Macrina Bakery & Café in Seattle, WA, which recently was included in Daily Meal’s “75 Best Bakeries in America” and Condé Nast’s “13 Destination Bakeries.” She has been nominated nominated four times as “Outstanding Pastry Chef” by the James Beard Foundation.

“Starting a Bakery” is part of The Guild’s 2015 class series, Revival: What’s Old Is New, which includes hands-on artisan bread and pastry classes blending traditional and contemporary ideas, as well as classes that share valuable practical information for professional bakers. These classes 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 2015 events calendar. A registration form for “Starting a Bakery” may be downloaded at www.bbga.org.