I am not a baker. In fact, I really can’t follow a recipe… There’s something about my personality that likes to innovate. I don’t like to follow the rules. This means I can make a good meal out of just about anything in our fridge. But baking isn’t my strong suit. It’s not that I haven’t tried over the years…. I definitely admire those who can make a mean cake from scratch or an airy loaf of bread. I’ve tried homemade chocolate-zucchini bread, from-scratch carrot cake, French macarons, and now every Thanksgiving, yeasty, buttery Granny’s rolls. I’ve been successful sometimes. But more often than not, I never know what to expect when I open the door to my oven. Consistency in baking isn’t my strong suit. It’s more of a “let’s hope I get lucky” moment…

I am, however, a glutton for gluten. My favorite foods are quite easily a crusty loaf of bread (with softened local butter) or a sticky bun with just the right amount of chewiness, sweetness, and stickiness. I also tend to be obsessed with the Great British Baking Show. I love learning everything I can about biscuits and trifles, sponges, tray bakes, crumpets, profiteroles, choux pastry, and more.

A Trip to King Arthur Flour

When King Arthur Flour, based in Norwich, Vermont, invited me down to Southern Vermont to visit their flagship campus for a baking class in their state-of-the-art Baking School facility, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to learn how to bake once-and-for-all from the pros. The class? A four-hour baking class called “Sticky Fingers” on how to make Cinnamon Rolls and Maple-Pecan Sticky Buns. I have to admit that I didn’t know what to expect from a four-hour baking class. But the whole experience was a class-act and a memorable afternoon I’m looking forward to revisiting soon.

As I get older and continue to value experiences over materials things, I invited my mom and dad, Patty and Peter, who live in Cornwall, Vermont, to make the trek over the mountains from Middlebury to join me at King Arthur for the afternoon. As evidenced by the other folks in our class, King Arthur Flour baking classes make excellent gifts for anyone in your life. Vermont birthday gifts, Vermont Christmas gifts, Vermont anniversary gifts… They also attract visitors from neighboring states. In fact, we were the only Vermonters in our baking class.

The rest of the 13 King Arthur Baking School participants were from our neighboring states of New Hampshire and Maine. Some made a special trip specifically for King Arthur classes. Others were staying in Vermont for the week and decided a baking class at King Arthur was a wonderful way to spend some time learning like a local. Everyone was happy to be there and eager to learn.

Visiting the King Arthur Flour Campus

The King Arthur Flour campus, located just off of Interstate 91 in Norwich, Vermont, is home to their cafe, bakery shop and their baking school. I arrived a few minutes before my parents. I went inside to scope out the cafe, where we would be enjoying lunch, as well as the baking shop. From the exterior when I arrived, I was thoroughly impressed by the destination King Arthur is. The building is Vermonty yet modern, made with sustainably harvested Douglas fir timbers. These exterior timbers were obtained from a supplier certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. They traveled from the Pacific Northwest and Canada to Vermont for the rustic exterior of the building. There’s also a central courtyard with bright adirondack chairs, picnic tables, and tables for sitting and enjoying a sticky bun or lunch on the beautiful campus.

As someone who one day is going to be a baker, I could have spent hours perusing the store on site. From all of the varied flours they offer to different baking tools to sourdough bread starters, there is so much to see and so many gifts to purchase. King Arthur also has loaves of bread, crackers, and pastries to go, along with a grab-and-go cooler for lunch. If I lived and worked nearby, King Arthur would be a frequent destination of mine for a gourmet lunch salad and an epic cookie and coffee for dessert.

King Arthur Flour Cafe

Before our cooking class, which started at 1:00PM, we grabbed a table in the King Arthur Flour Cafe and enjoyed three hearty salads, all served with a roll on the side. My caesar salad with curried chicken salad on top was delicious and filling, tying me over until the end of our baking class, when we were able to try our baked goods.

Believing that all “good food starts with good ingredients,” the cafe uses the best of the best in their meals and their menu changes seasonally. They use dairy from a local creamery. They source responsibly raised meat from nearby farms. King Arthur also strives to use as many close-by ingredients as possible, including local honey, local jam, and local produce as well. The cafe serves breakfast Monday to Sunday from 7:30pm to 11:00am and lunch from 11:00am to 5:00pm, with bread and pastries available from 7:30am until 6:00pm. From breakfast sandwiches to sandwiches, soups, and salads for lunch, the innovative, healthy menu has something for everyone. And the bakery in the same space has ample pastries, cookies, and loaves of bread to finish your meal with the sweet treat or take home with you.

King Arthur Flour Baking School

Admittedly, I haven’t been to many cooking classes or baking classes in Vermont. But what I enjoyed most about the King Arthur Baking School is that the classes are actually hands-on. The expert instructor gives you an overview of what you’re going to make. You follow along while the instructor shows you how it’s done. There’s also an overhead television, which focuses is on the instructor’s table, should she need to demonstrate a technique for a second time. During her instruction, she also gives helpful pointers for every skill level. Our instructor talked a lot about the science being baking. As a homebrewer, that type of instruction really resonated with me. We talked about yeast and acids, the difference between baking soda and baking powder, and where vanilla beans actually come from… (Did you know there’s an orchid that produces vanilla beans? News to me!)

After the instructor’s walk-through of the recipe, you are sent back to your bench to execute on the recipe by yourself. You pull out your recipe and get started with the ingredients and equipment already provided to you. Bench knives and scales and quality ingredients, many of which were made by King Arthur Flour. This unique Vermont baking class approach means that every person in the 16-person class solidifies their own skills from actually doing the task by themselves.

As an example, our instructor, Becca, made kneading the yeast dough for our cinnamon rolls (fold, roll, turn) look incredibly easy. When I tried to execute with the same motion and pressure, I couldn’t get the rhythm just right. The result? Sticky, frustrating dough. Having someone to come over and guide you along the way, while your hands actually make the dough into the right texture, is one of the best ways for me personally to learn. It’s much more impactful than simply being told or shown how to do something… much less, just trying to follow along in a recipe.

King Arthur Flour Baking School – Sticky Fingers

In the class we attended, we made maple-pecan sticky buns and cinnamon rolls. One was a yeasted dough that had to proof twice. The other was a quick biscuit-like dough you could make and get in the oven right away. We would make one aspect of the recipe, such as the dough, at our individual work stations. Then we would reconvene to see the next step in action, such as rolling out the dough, topping it, or making the icing for the cinnamon buns. The step-by-step instruction process really resonated with me and cemented the way I should be baking – actually measuring out ingredients and ensuring every step is well-thought out and followed.

The four-hour class actually flew by between the instruction time and hands-on time. At the end of the course, we were able to try the sticky buns and the cinnamon rolls right out of the oven from our instructor’s bake. I loved being able to take home what I baked personally. It was also fun to see the differences in the bakes between different students in the class – not one tray looked the exact same.

The next day after the King Arthur Baking Class, both my team at the office and my fiance’s colleagues were thrilled to be the recipients of the deliciousness we had made. When I asked Nick how they were, he replied, “Damn good…” and said he liked them both equally. Not bad for a non-baker, thanks to King Arthur! The yeasted dough Cinnamon Buns were my personal favorite and something I could see me making on Christmas morning. I really can’t wait for my next baking class at King Arthur Flour – perhaps French macarons next?

The Verdict? Should You Pay a Visit to King Arthur Flour?

After the experience at King Arthur Flour, I can 100 percent say that I am a King Arthur Flour fan for life. I had no idea the employee-owned, certified B Corp company dates back to 1790 and employs over 325 people in our local communities. I applaud that the company strives to be a force for social and environmental good in everything they do… Their mission? “To inspire connections and community by spreading the joy of baking.” That, my friends, is something I can get behind… After all, can’t we all use more joy in our lives?

Tips for Visiting King Arthur Flour like a Local:

• King Arthur Flour’s Baking School in Norwich, Vermont, isn’t the only place you can take one of their excellent courses. They also have a location at Washington State University’s Bread Lab in Skagit Valley, Washington.
• Visiting King Arthur for a class from afar? Stay and dine at the Norwich Inn, a quintessential Vermont inn just a few minute’s drive from King Arthur’s beautiful campus.
• Enjoy savory more than sweet? Many of King Arthur Flour’s cooking classes are geared more toward the savory, such as “Beauty and the Baguette,” “Far-Flung Flatbreads,” “British Meat Pies” or “Flatbreads of Italy.”
• Baking classes are King Arthur are a great experience for kids as well. There’s a Family Night baking class on Stombolis to Go and another on Cupcakes with Mom and Pizza Night with Dad. King Arthur also offers kids’ baking camps for grades one and two all the way to more intensive summer camps for high schoolers.
• Interested in a one-on-one baking class? King Arthur offers those as well with their expert baking instructors.
• Traveling with an electric car? King Arthur Flour has two electric car charging stations available.
• Planning on making the trip to King Arthur Flour around a holiday? Ensure they are open! They do close for New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Make sure you plan ahead if you’re planning on obtaining gifts or baked goods for the holidays!
• Interested in special events at King Arthur Flour? Check out their Events page for upcoming events and sales.