Sourdough Baking with Gretchen Wilson of Freshly Baked Bliss

DES MOINES, IA (12/09/2025) (readMedia)-- Elevate your baking with a hands-on class that will teach you how to create a basic loaf of artisan sourdough bread! The January 17 Kitchen class in the Maytag Family Theaters will teach you how to mix dough, fold and ferment it, shape and chill it, score and bake it, and care for your starter.

Each participant will leave with written recipes and instructions, a free loaf of sandwich sourdough bread and a free jar of proven sourdough starter! There will also be samples, such as discard crackers, artisan loaves with inclusions, donuts, cookies and a sourdough pizza.

Sourdough Baking with Gretchen Wilson of Freshly Baked Bliss

Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 10 a.m.

(Two-hour class; limit of 30 participants per class)

Cost: $55 per person

Participants will take home written recipes and instructions, a free loaf of sandwich sourdough bread and a free jar of proven sourdough starter

To register, visit www.iowastatefair.org.

Plus, plan to attend a four-course, Farm to Table Valentine's meal with Chef Grant Gillon on February 6 and 7 – registration will open January 20, 2026. Watch Iowa State Fair social media and iowastatefair.org for registration details for monthly kitchen classes, now through April 2026.

###

About the Iowa State Fair Kitchen:

During the Fair, The Kitchen, located in Maytag Family Theaters, is a popular demonstration kitchen for anything from cuts of meat to barbecue, cake decorating, charcuterie and cooking with honey. From November through April, stay tuned for interactive, educational and fun cooking classes for all skill levels. Learn from local experts, using local products. Look for special events throughout the year until the 2026 Iowa State Fair, August 13-23. For more information, visit www.iowastatefair.org.