L'atelier Béarn:
Pastry Classics Retreat
7 days, 6 nights
Our Dates:
5th - 11th April 2027
€3,200 EUROS
Class Occupancy: 8 people Max.
Join professional baker Sophia Jackson, owner of the revered bakery Toothbutter PDX for an immersive & relaxing week-long retreat centered around mastering sourdough and french breads.
With her guidance, you’ll create a selection of breads while building practical skills, techniques, and gaining a deeper understanding of the science behind sourdough.
Designed to be accessible for beginner to intermediate participants. This workshop provides a supportive environment and seeks to combine both learning and relaxation.
All instruction will be conducted in English.
Quick Links
Here at Maison le grand saule, we believe small and intimate get togethers are the best kind.
Our curated Retreats are built on this philosophy. When you attend, it feels like you are visiting friends.
All of our retreats are centered around our love of food and the idea that gathering around the table creates community, and is something to be cherished. When attending one of our retreats we want to give you a fun, and easy experience, where you can participate or relax as much as you want.
Let us show you France though our eyes.
What is included in your Retreat:
Room & Board:
During your stay, you will reside in one of our charming rooms at the Le Grand Saule property. We are pleased to provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, & beverages throughout your visit. Room assignments are first come first serve.
Guided Local Outings:
Throughout the week, we’ll occasionally step away from our workshops to explore the surrounding area. These excursions will include a visit to a local market, a vineyard, a dinner in town, & a visit to a flour mill. Transportation will be provided for these outings.
Bread Workshops:
You’ll take part in hands-on workshops designed to guide you through the creation of a variety of sourdough & french breads. We’ll walk you through each step of the process, helping you develop valuable new skills to carry into your future bread baking endeavors. Here is a list of the products that will be featured during the workshop:
Baguettes
Seeded Sourdough Loaves
Miche
Sourdough Discard Rolls & Flatbreads
Recipes & Gift Bag:
All the recipes from the workshop will be compiled into an eBook, which will be provided you as a complimentary gift, along with a few additional surprises.
Itinerary
*There may be slight variations in the schedule between now & the actual date
Day 1: Monday
Bienvenue to the southwest of france!
Today is all about getting you down south and giving you time to recover after all of that travel. You will be staying at The lovely hotel Bristol Pau in the heart of the city. Feel free to catch up on some sleep or explore the city. What you do today is up to you!
For those who are feeling up to it, we will be meeting up for Apero hour. (aka French Happy Hour)
Dinner this evening is not provided, but we are more than happy to make you reservations or give you some recommendations.
Day 2: Tuesday
The next day you will enjoy a slow morning, getting breakfast at the hotel before being picked up and brought back to the Maison.
10:00 AM: Pick up at the hotel & transportation to Maison Le Grand Saule. upon arrival, you will get a tour of your home for the next week and give you some time to unpack.
12:00 PM: A Welcome Lunch. Our first meal together and a chance to get to know each other.
4:00 PM: Kitchen introduction. A chance to explore all the food we will be making for the week and some essential kitchen & baking knowledge.
6:00 PM: Apero Hour
7:00 PM: Dinner
Day 3: Wednesday
8:00 AM: Breakfast.
10:00 Am: Workshop # 1. Today is our first bread workshop! Chef Sophia will teaching you to master art of creating the perfect baguette from start to finish. With her expert guidance, you’ll learn essential techniques for mixing, kneading, and baking that will elevate your skills to the next level.
12:00 PM: Lunch
2:30 PM: Vineyard Visits. We will all hop into the van and make our way to visit some local Jurançon vineyards for a tour and tasting.
6:00 PM: Apero
7:00 PM: Dinner
Day 4: Thurday
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:30 AM: Market Walk. After breakfast we will be venturing to Salies de Béarn, for a traditional French market.
12:00 PM: Lunch. Using the ingredients we purchased, we will prepare a fun market lunch. (Participation in cooking is optional.)
3:00 PM: Workshop #2. Chef Sophia will be showing you how to make beautiful sourdough loaves studded with seeds for today's workshop.
5:00 PM: Free time
7:30 PM: Barbeque on the terrace for dinner.
Day 5: Friday
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:30 AM: Workshop # 3. For today's workshop, Chef Sophia will guide you through the art of making Miche de pain. This classic rustic loaf is not only delicious but also incredibly versatile.
12:00 PM: Depart for a lunch out in one of the surrounding villages and a visit to the flour mill that supplies us with all of our wonderful flours.
4:00 PM: Free time
6:00 pm: Apero
7:00 PM: Dinner
Day 6: Saturday
8:00 AM: Breakfast
10:00 AM: Optional Boules tournament. Will will be teaching you how to play boules, a classic french lawn game. After a few practice rounds we will have a tournament, where the winner will take home a prize!
12:00 PM: Lunch
3:00 PM: Workshop #4. Today is all about discovering how to utilize extra sourdough starter so that nothing goes to waste. Chef Sophia will show you how to make fluffy dinner rolls and flatbreads using the excess starter.
6:00 PM: Our final Apero Hour
7:00 PM: Final Dinner
Day 7: Sunday
8: 00 AM: Breakfast & final goodbyes
9:30: Transport to Airport or Train Stations.
We hope that you learned a lot, enjoyed your stay & hope to see you again soon.
Your Hosts
Sophia Jackson
Sophia Illk Jackson is the owner and head baker of ToothbutterPDX in Portland, Oregon. She
was born and raised in rural northern Iowa before moving to Chicago for college and finally
settling in Portland, Oregon. It was there that she began her culinary journey working in some of
the finest restaurants in the city and honing her skills as a cook, baker and chef. After nearly 15
years of cooking, she found her true passion as a bread baker and was able to open her own
small batch bakery in 2024.
Sophia believes that grain and bread are a reflection of the culture and agriculture of the land on
which they are grown, and brings this thought and care to every loaf she creates.Today, her
selection of breads and baked goods can be found at farmers markets around Portland, as well
as on the table of some of the very restaurants where she developed her love and talent for
food.
Madeline Denison
Madeline Denison serves as the co-host for this retreat and is the owner, baker, and pastry chef at Maison Le Grand Saule. She has her diploma from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, where she studied in both savory cuisine and pastry. With ten years of experience in esteemed kitchens in Paris and Portland, OR, Madeline has developed a deep appreciation for French cuisine and the vibrant culture of the region.
Common Questions
Here are a few of commonly asked questions regarding the workshop. If any questions you have are not answered here, please feel free to reach out and we will answer them for you.
Do you provide transportation?
Yes, we provide transportation during the retreat.
The only time you need to get transportation is from the Airport or Train to the Hotel Bristol on your first night.
Do you accommodate for allergies?
We are willing to accommodate allergies and food intolerances within reason.
Please let us know of your allergies in your application and we will let you know if we can meet your needs.
Do I need to speak French to attend the retreat?
No, you do not. All of our retreats and instruction is done in English.
We do encourage all of our guest to try out speaking some French when out and about.
A polite Bonjour or Merci always goes a long way!
Are flights or train tickets included in the price?
No they are not. Guests are responsible for getting themselves to the retreat location.
How to get to Pau, France
By train:
You can take the train from the Paris Montparnasse Train station. There are direct trains with no connections. It is about 4hrs of travel.
By airport:
There are daily flights to Pau Pyrenees (PUF) Airport from Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). It is about an hour flight.
To attend the Bread Baking Retreat
€3,200 EUROS per person
What is included:
-Access to the culinary workshops.
-Meals for the entire week.
(excluding dinner on that first night)
-Gift bag
-Excursions to the surrounding area.
-Transportation during your stay.
-Room & board in one of our charming rooms.
-A one nights stay at the Hotel Bristol in Pau.
What isn't included:
-Dinner your first night in Pau.
-Any extra food or drinks or items that you may want to purchase on our outings.
-Transportation to the Hotel Bristol on your first night.
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Pricing :
Payment & Booking Information:
You can apply to attend one of our workshops through this link.
Once you apply we will reach out to confirm your application and send you further information and a payment link.
A deposit of 25 percent is required to book and is non-refundable.
Final payment for the class is due 30 days before the class start date.