6-NIGHT BAKING RETREAT AT THE CASTELLO DI POTENTINO

Autumn 2023  Sunday 15th to Saturday 21st October 2023  (**AUTUMN DATE NOW SOLD OUT**)

Spring 2024    Saturday 4th May to Friday 10th May 2024

photograph by Ash Nayler // ashnayler.com

We are delighted to have been invited back to the Castello di Potentino in Tuscany to run a 6 night Baking & Culinary Retreat this Autumn and, then again, in Spring 2024. 

In October, on the sunny hillsides, the olives will be in full harvest - we'll await the first pressings with eager anticipation - and the grape harvest will just be in, with enough on the vines left for us to enjoy. We'll bask in warm days and cool evenings under some of the brightest, starriest skies you will have seen.

In May, the hillsides will be lush and verdant - the best time of year for making the local cheese as the grazing sheep produce the richest milk. This will produce the finest local pecorino and ricotta. The grounds will be full of young tender plants to forage and bring back to the castle kitchen and the days will be filled with the sound of birdsong. We hope to be there as the nightingales return from their over-wintering in more temperate climes and add their voices to the chorus.

The castello is a magical place, tucked away in the southern Tuscan Hills, surrounded by vines and olive groves. This beautiful castle creaks with history and we are privileged to share its ancient halls and surroundings for a short while. 

​We will be immersing ourselves in Tuscan traditions, both ancient and modern. Alongside a wonderful array of Italian baking and bread-making, we will spend our days exploring the local area and its wonderful producers. There will be wine tasting, olive oil tasting, cheesemaking… And we will bake and break bread together!

LOOK FORWARD TO...

- Daily breadmaking and baking workshops with Helen in the castle kitchen;
- Excursions to the picturesque town of Castel del Piano (home of the world famous Corsini Bakery) and the wonderful local hot springs where you can swim;
- Tasting of Castello di Potentino's wines, with winemaker Charlotte Horton; 
- Olive oil, cheese and salumi tastings; 
- Making ricotta and pecorino with Luisa of Caseificio Murceti who graze their sheep on the castle hillside.

You can see the full programme and explore the stunning castello and its surroundings by visiting Potentino's website to book your place. Remember all prices are in Euros not Pounds Sterling. See their website for full T's & C's.

FIND OUT MORE

White Cottage is an artisan bread and baking school run by award-winning sourdough baker Helen Underwood.

​Based just outside of Cambridge, we offer workshops for all skill levels—so whether you're a complete novice or an experienced baker, we have a workshop for you!

book your retreat now

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