Your private baking class, shaped around something worth celebrating.

Gather 6 to 12 guests for a hands-on specialty baking experience with Chef Evangalene. Choose the class direction your group is leaning toward, reserve your package, and let Eat Well ABQ confirm the final Chef-approved details with you after checkout.

Private groups of 6-12 guests $100 per participating guest Chef-approved specialty themes Date and event flow confirmed after checkout

Choose the direction. Reserve the group. We shape the final class with you.

This page keeps the booking simple without pretending every specialty theme works exactly the same. Your selection tells Chef Evangalene what your group is most excited about; Eat Well ABQ then confirms the final class format based on group size, timing, season, ingredients, equipment, and event needs.

Choose a class theme

Pick the specialty direction your group is leaning toward, from cinnamon rolls and focaccia art to seasonal baking or a custom request.

Select your group size

Reserve one private package for 6, 8, 10, or 12 participating guests at a flat $100 per person.

Share your details

Tell us the occasion, age range, preferred timeframe, and anything important about the experience you are planning.

Confirm with Eat Well ABQ

After checkout, we follow up to confirm the date, time, class flow, final theme, add-ons, and any approved adjustments.

What does your group want to make together?

Choose the class theme your group is leaning toward. Final details are confirmed after checkout with Eat Well ABQ. Every specialty event is Chef-approved based on group size, timing, season, ingredients, and event needs.

Chef’s RecommendationLet Chef Evangalene recommend the strongest format for your group and occasion. Cinnamon Roll ClassMix, shape, fill, and finish a warm specialty baking favorite. Focaccia Art ClassCreate edible art with dough, herbs, vegetables, and seasonal color. Cake or Cupcake ClassA celebration-ready baking and decorating experience. Dessert & Pastry ClassA Chef-approved sweet bake selected to fit the group and event flow. Seasonal Baking ClassA limited seasonal class inspired by current ingredients and holidays. Custom Baking Theme RequestTell us what you are dreaming up. Final approval depends on feasibility.

Chef’s Recommendation

Let Chef Evangalene recommend the strongest specialty class format based on your group, occasion, season, and event goals.

Want something specific? Choose Custom Baking Theme Request and tell us what you’re dreaming up in the notes. Custom requests are reviewed and are not automatically guaranteed.

Small enough to feel personal. Big enough to feel like an event.

The 12-guest maximum protects the quality of the hands-on experience inside the Eat Well ABQ microbakery. Every participating guest counts toward the reserved package.

6 guests

$600$690 full value

Best for intimate birthdays, family experiences, close friend groups, and smaller celebrations.

8 guests

$800$920 full value

Best for girls’ nights, family gatherings, small teams, and a lively private table.

10 guests

$1,000$1,150 full value

Best for fuller celebrations where the group still wants direct instruction and room to participate.

12 guests

$1,200$1,380 full value

Our maximum specialty-event package for the fullest microbakery experience without sacrificing quality.

Private specialty baking questions, answered.

Are all specialty themes the same price?

Yes. Standard specialty themes use the same $100-per-participating-guest package pricing. A highly involved custom request may require an adjusted quote if it materially changes ingredients, labor, equipment, or production.

Is my selected theme guaranteed?

Your selection tells Eat Well ABQ what your group prefers. Final approval is based on group size, age range, season, ingredient availability, timing, equipment, and event flow.

Can children participate?

Yes, depending on the selected class theme and age mix. Choose the closest age-range option and add details in the planning notes so Chef Evangalene can confirm the safest and strongest format.

Why is the maximum 12 guests?

Specialty baking involves workspace, trays, ovens, proofing, decorating, and direct instruction. Limiting the event to 12 participating guests protects the hands-on quality inside the Eat Well ABQ microbakery.

What happens after checkout?

Eat Well ABQ follows up to confirm the preferred date, time, final guest count, specialty theme, add-ons, food considerations, and event flow.

What is the cancellation policy?

Private-event bookings are nonrefundable once confirmed because the bakery prepares specifically for your group. Please review your package and planning details carefully before checkout.

Eat Well ABQ Whole Grain Sourdough Guide

Whole Grain Sourdough: Rye, Spelt, Seeds & Baking Tips

Whole grains can make sourdough taste deeper, feel more rustic, and bring more texture to the loaf — but they also change hydration, fermentation speed, dough strength, proofing, shaping, and crumb. This guide helps you adjust without wrecking the dough.

Rye Spelt Whole Wheat Seeds

Open Grain Lab Compare Grains Book Sourdough Class

Whole grains change the feel of the dough.

Quick Answer

How does whole grain flour change sourdough?

Whole grain flour usually absorbs more water, ferments differently, and can make dough feel stickier, denser, or more fragile than white bread flour. Rye, spelt, whole wheat, and seeds each behave differently, so the best move is to adjust slowly, watch dough feel, and avoid changing too many things in one bake.

🌾

Whole Grain Adjustment Lab

What are you adding to the dough?

Choose the grain, seed, or problem you are working with. We’ll show you the first adjustment to test.

Grain clues to watch Hydration, stickiness, fermentation, dough strength, and crumb. Pick a card to get your adjustment path.

✨

Choose a grain or problem

Your whole grain adjustment will appear here.

Tap a card above and we’ll show you what to watch and what to adjust first.

Grain Comparison Cards

Rye, spelt, whole wheat, and seeds do not behave the same.

Tap each card on mobile or hover on desktop. Whole grain sourdough is easier when you understand what each ingredient changes.

Seeded Sourdough

Seeds can make sourdough better — or drier.

Seeds add crunch, flavor, and a bakery-style finish, but they can also absorb water and make dough feel tighter. If your seeded loaf gets dense or dry, try soaking the seeds first or making a small hydration adjustment.

Read Crust Guide

Dough Feel

Whole grain dough feels different from white sourdough.

Do not panic if the dough feels stickier, heavier, or less stretchy. Whole grain flour and seeds change the structure. The goal is not to force it to feel exactly like white bread flour dough.

Read Proofing Guide

Whole Grain Adjustment Plan

How to adjust without ruining the loaf

The safest move is controlled testing. Do not jump from all white flour to a heavy whole grain seeded loaf and expect the exact same process.

Start small

Replace a small portion of flour first instead of changing the entire recipe.

Watch hydration

Whole grains and seeds can absorb more water than white flour.

Handle gently

Some grains make dough more delicate, sticky, or less elastic.

Track results

Write down flour blend, water, seed amount, proofing, crust, and crumb.

Whole Grain Checklist

Before you blame the recipe, check these

✓Did the dough dry out?

Whole grain dough can feel thirsty, especially in dry kitchens.

✓Did you add seeds dry?

Dry seeds can pull water from the dough during fermentation.

✓Did fermentation move faster?

Whole grain flour can change fermentation behavior.

✓Did you over-handle it?

Some doughs get weaker when handled aggressively.

✓Did you proof by time only?

Whole grain dough still needs dough-reading, not blind timing.

✓Did you change too much?

One change at a time makes the bake easier to learn from.

Hands-On Dough Help

Whole grain dough is easier when you can feel it.

In our Albuquerque sourdough class, Chef Evangalene teaches dough feel, fermentation, shaping, proofing, scoring, and how to adjust recipes for your real kitchen instead of guessing online.

Book Sourdough Class Explore All Classes Ask a Question

Keep Learning

Next sourdough guides to read

Whole grain sourdough connects to proofing, hydration, crust, fermentation, starter strength, and New Mexico dry-air baking.

How to Know When Sourdough Is Fully Proofed Learn proofing signs, poke test response, and dough readiness. Common Sourdough Mistakes Fix dense, gummy, flat, dry, or unpredictable loaves. High-Altitude Sourdough Adjust for dry air, hydration, crust, and Albuquerque baking. Crust Too Hard or Too Soft? Fix crust texture, steam, heat, cooling, and bake time.

Book Sourdough Class Back to Sourdough Hub

Frequently asked questions

Can I use whole grain flour in sourdough?

Yes. Whole grain flour can add flavor, texture, and depth to sourdough, but it can also change hydration, fermentation, and dough feel.

Why did my whole grain sourdough get dense?

Dense whole grain sourdough can come from too much whole grain too quickly, not enough hydration, weak fermentation, over-handling, or proofing issues.

Does rye make sourdough sticky?

Rye can make dough feel stickier and less elastic than white flour dough. Start with a small amount and expect a different texture.

Should I soak seeds before adding them to sourdough?

Soaking seeds can help keep them from pulling too much water from the dough. This can improve texture and reduce dryness.

Can I learn whole grain sourdough in class?

Yes. A hands-on sourdough class helps you understand dough feel, fermentation, shaping, proofing, and how different ingredients change the process.

Bake better whole grain sourdough

Whole grains are not harder — they just speak a different dough language.

Start small, watch hydration, handle the dough gently, track your results, and learn how each grain changes the bake.

Book Sourdough Class Read Proofing Guide Back to Sourdough Hub

Eat Well ABQ is helping people come back to real food.

One loaf, one class, one gathering, and one person at a time — we believe better food can change the way people feel, learn, connect, and care for themselves.

Sourdough-first Real ingredients Hands-on learning Food worth gathering for

Crafted by The Website Gods for Eat Well ABQ

We guarantee it.