Iowa State Fair Kitchen Hosts Hands-On Sourdough Class With Gretchen Wilson

A two-hour, hands-on sourdough baking class at the Iowa State Fair Kitchen gave local bakers a practical jumpstart in making naturally leavened bread. The session, led by Gretchen Wilson of Freshly Baked Bliss, took place Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 10 a.m. and was limited to 30 participants.

For $55 each, registrants received written recipes and step-by-step instructions, a jar of proven sourdough starter to take home, and a free loaf of sandwich sourdough bread to taste and evaluate. The combination of printed guidance and a ready-to-use starter lowered the usual barriers to home sourdough baking - the need to cultivate and maintain a starter and the uncertainty of recipe results.

The Iowa State Fair Kitchen runs interactive culinary classes through April, aiming to connect bakers with practical, hands-on instruction. The format of this class emphasized direct practice and takeaways that put new techniques into immediate use: a starter to feed, recipes to replicate, and a loaf to study for crumb, crust, and oven spring. For bakers who struggle with timing a starter feed, maintaining hydration, or translating written technique into results, leaving with a jar of active starter can make a weeknight bake more achievable.

Gretchen Wilson of Freshly Baked Bliss brought classroom-style structure to the session while keeping the focus on reproducible results. The limit of 30 participants preserved a hands-on, small-group environment where instructors could demonstrate shaping and finishing touches, and where attendees could handle finished product and ingredients up close. That format matters to community bakers who value tactile learning - touching dough, feeling fermentation, and seeing scoring in real time.

Practical outcomes from the class extend beyond a single loaf. New bakers can now skip the multi-day wait to build a starter from scratch, practicing maintenance and builds at home with a reliable culture. The written materials give a reference for hydration percentages, mixing routines, and timing that home bakers can adapt to their ovens and schedules.

For anyone who missed the January 17 session, the Iowa State Fair Kitchen continues its series through April with additional interactive classes. Check the Iowa State Fair Kitchen for registration details and upcoming class listings to reserve a spot, as limited seating keeps sessions focused and hands-on. This class model makes sourdough more accessible - feed the starter, follow the recipe, and watch home baking move from experiment to routine.