Join a French cooking class in Paris: a 4-hour bread-making workshop at the École Ducasse Paris Studio, for amateur bakers who wish to learn French cuisine.
For travelers seeking an authentic culinary experience in France, this cooking class in France offers a rare opportunity to learn to bake artisan breads in one of Paris’s most prestigious kitchens. Nestled in the 16th arrondissement, the École Ducasse Paris Studio hosts a bread workshop where both beginners and home cooks can delve into the techniques behind French gastronomy — from levain and fermentation to shaping baguettes, fougasse, and seeded loaves. This French cooking lesson blends tradition and precision, illuminated by the expertise of a trained chef instructor. Participants don their aprons and embark on a hands-on journey into dough, flavor, and baking science, and often enjoy the fruits of their labor together in a convivial setting. For those dreaming of cooking holidays or immersive food travel, this class is a compelling entry into the world of learn French cuisine.
At a glance
- City: Paris
- Region: Île-de-France
- Price: €195, all taxes included
- Duration: 4 hours (half-day)
- Conditions & restrictions: Open to beginners and intermediate bakers; taught in French (with optional translation support)
- Provider: École Ducasse Paris Studio (the cooking school branch of École Ducasse)
The provider: École Ducasse Paris Studio
École Ducasse is the educational arm founded by Chef Alain Ducasse, with campuses and studios in France and abroad. The Paris Studio, situated at 64 rue du Ranelagh in the 16ᵉ arrondissement, is dedicated to cookery classes for enthusiasts, wine tastings, themed workshops, and masterclasses. This studio comprises four fully equipped kitchens, a wine cellar, a boutique, a meeting room, and a luminous patio. Classes range from two hours to multi-day immersions. The bread-making workshop you describe falls under the studio’s “Les ateliers – Je fais mon pain !” menu.
The school emphasizes a philosophy of excellence: instructors are professional chefs and pastry chefs who transmit technique, precision, and culinary philosophy in a contemporary setting. The studio offers cooking classes in English via translation if needed (though most classes are delivered in French).
The chef: Louise Martin (Chef Pastry Instructor)
The principal instructor for many of these baking workshops is Louise Martin, a cheffe pâtissière affiliated with École Ducasse Paris Studio. LinkedIn lists her as a pastry chef at École Ducasse, and her Instagram presence confirms her active role in promoting the school’s baking offerings.
Louise Martin brings formal training from the École de Boulangerie et de Pâtisserie de Paris, coupled with professional experience in pastry and bakery pedagogy. At the Paris Studio, she leads masterclasses such as sourdough bread (pain au levain) and the “Je fais mon pain” series, sharing in social media posts and studio event listings. Her teaching style emphasizes clarity, hands-on demonstration, and responsiveness to students’ levels.
Her approach aligns closely with the Ducasse ethos: technical rigor matched with respect for ingredients and flavour. She guides learners through the transformation of dough — from fermentation kinetics to shaping aesthetics — while fostering confidence so that participants can re-create artisan bread at home. In promotional videos from the studio, she appears alongside guest instructors like Adriano Farano, particularly for sourdough masterclasses.
Under Martin’s direction, the workshop becomes more than a recipe lesson — it’s a nuanced exploration of bread as a living craft, a subtle chemistry of flour, water, yeast or sourdough, salt, and time.
Course Format: What You Experience
The bread-making workshop at École Ducasse is designed as an immersive, hands-on class. Upon arrival, participants receive aprons and chef’s hats, and are welcomed with a light refreshment. The class is limited in size to allow individualized attention from the instructor and assistants.
The session typically lasts 4 hours. The instructor leads a demonstration of the core dough techniques: mixing, autolyse, kneading, fermentation (bulk and proofing), degassing, shaping, scoring, and preheating ovens. During this process, she explains the role of hydration ratios, dough temperature management, and gluten development. Participants then replicate the steps themselves under supervision.
Expect to work on a small selection of breads: a country loaf (pain de campagne), a baguette or traditional boule, perhaps a fougasse or a seeded loaf, depending on the session. In some workshops, a sourdough (levain) version may also be introduced, particularly in masterclasses.
During the process, the instructor imparts tricks and nuance — how to judge proofing by touch, how to adjust hydration in humid vs. dry environments, how to score optimally, and how to rehearse “dough feels.” As the loaves bake, participants can observe heat transfer and crust formation.
Finally, participants gather to taste the freshly baked bread, often alongside a simple accompaniment (e.g. butter, olive oil) in a convivial moment of sharing. Yes, you eat what you make. This final tasting reinforces understanding of crumb structure, crust texture, and flavor differences. Many students leave with the printed recipes, guidance for home reproduction, and the confidence to reinforce their artisan baking at home.
Why this workshop stands out
This bread-making workshop at École Ducasse Paris Studio offers more than a simple cooking lesson — it is a signature culinary experience in France for several reasons.
First, the venue: you work inside a state-of-the-art, professional kitchen conceived for teaching, under the brand and philosophy of Alain Ducasse himself. That prestige brings authenticity and technical depth unmatched by generic cooking schools.
Second, the pedagogical quality is high. Instructors are professional chefs or pastry chefs, trained to transmit techniques elegantly and responsively. The class size ensures personal interaction and adjustment to each participant’s pace.
Third, the focus on bread as art and science allows participants to go beyond memorizing recipes: you grasp the “why” behind every step — hydration, fermentation, gluten, shaping — thus enhancing your confidence to practice at home.
Fourth, the sensory payoff is immediate: you bake and eat your own loaf during the session, allowing direct feedback on texture, aroma, crust and crumb. That real-time tasting is rare in cooking holiday programmes.
Finally, for those seeking a learn French cuisine immersion or a cooking holiday in Paris, this workshop integrates beautifully with other gastronomic experiences: Paris markets, wine tastings, and other themed classes at the same venue. This makes it a compelling anchor in any culinary travel itinerary.
For anyone passionate about French cooking lessons, this workshop offers technique, flavor, authenticity — and the confidence to bring artisan bread baking into your kitchen long after your trip ends.
Memorable hands-on bakery immersion in Paris
For travelers or food enthusiasts who seek a meaningful culinary experience in France, this Paris bread class is a standout. You’ll learn French gastronomy not as passive observers, but as active bakers. You’ll be guided by a chef with depth, in a world-class facility, and enjoy the tangible reward of your own freshly baked bread. Whether you aspire to take French cooking classes or simply wish to bring home a new craft from your travels, this session offers both technique and inspiration. With its combination of prestige, practical teaching, sensory delight, and transferable skills, it’s not just a cooking lesson — it’s a lasting entry point into the world of artisan baking and French culinary arts.
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