Next in the queue for Eastport Arts Center’s Summer Workshop Series is Sourdough Bread with Reuben Grannis, 1:30-3:30 pm, Tuesday, August 3. Reuben, grown son of Steve Grannis who has taught bread baking several times past at EAC, will teach the basics of making a no-knead sourdough bread, and share tips and tricks for altering the recipe to suit any schedule. Each participant will leave the workshop with their own sourdough starter, banneton, bread lame, bowl scraper and a ball of dough to bake at home.
“We are all bakers, but not professionally trained,” says Reuben of his family: five siblings raised in Downeast Maine by parents, Chris and Steve Grannis, who have both been long involved with EAC in many different ways, from set and prop-building to musical entertainment, teaching workshops, and serving as the Center’s Director.
“My Mom makes a mean pie!” adds Reuben, who recalls helping his parents bake since he was old enough to stand on a chair. He has always loved to cook and when COVID hit, having more time available, he soon got hooked on learning open crumb sourdough. Reuben especially enjoys sourdough breadmaking because of the opportunity to learn different baking techniques, baking science, the yeast reactions and for the excitement of seeing how the dough changes in the oven.
Workshop is for ages 12 and up. Spaces are limited; participants must register with Alison Brennan at alison@eastportartscenter.org. The $15 fee includes all materials. Support for this workshop has been provided by Belvedere Traditional Handcrafts Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. A sliding fee scale is available by request.
And in case of hunger pangs at this point, check out last summer’s video of Steve Grannis mixing a yeast bread dough and shaping and baking loaves and pitas! Find more info about Steve’s baking and band you’ll hear in the video here.
The work of Eastport Arts Center is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.