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King Arthur Education Center In Vermont Offering ‘Bakecations’

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First, there were staycations, then daycations. Now there are “bakecations.”

At places like the King Arthur Education Center, in Norwich, Vt., thousands of visitors show up each year to get elbow-deep into dough.

The hands-on culinary school, located at the company’s flagship campus, features a variety of baking classes — and students from all over the world come to learn how to create everything from cupcakes to quiches, Danish to scones, baklava to fruit tarts.

Classes range from introductory demonstrations for beginners to intensive week-long courses for professionals; with a wide variety of hands-on classes for both adults and children. (Tuition starts at $75 for a three-hour class to $1,100 for a week-long professional class.)

“We see more than 8,000 registrants a year,” says Susan Miller, the baking school’s director. “At any given time, we have about 100 different classes scheduled and we’re always adding new options.”

That’s because baking, like fashion, has its trends.

“Several years ago, cupcakes were hot,” says Miller. “Now, it’s éclairs.”

But, first and foremost, students come to learn the art of bread-making, and the class schedule reads like a cavalcade of carbs: Baguettes. Sourdough. Italian. French. Dinner rolls. Flatbreads. Whole grain. Bialys. Bagels. Biscuits. Croissants.

Windsor resident and home baker Kathy Dolan made the 2-1/2-hour drive earlier this year to take a basic bread-making class.

“I’m a King Arthur Flour fan and I’d been wanting to take a class for several years,” says Dolan.

She and 15 other participants learned the secrets of bread making perfection — like not overworking the dough or using too much flour.

“The instructor and assistant gave personalized attention, in my case, telling me why I was producing door stops rather than edible loaves of bread,” says Dolan. “We made three recipes during the four-hour session. It was great.”

Miller says parent-child classes are particularly popular.

“A generation of kids has grown up seeing cooking shows on television and they’re so into baking from scratch,” says Miller. “We get whole families who come to take classes together.”

Some students come back year after year. The majority are women, but plenty of men sign up as well. Class lengths range from 2-1/2 hours to five days.

“Participants come with family recipes they want to decipher and recreate,” says Miller. “We see a lot of ‘teacup’ measurements on old recipes. Some of our students have gone on to open their own bakeries.”

Along with classrooms, the Education Center includes The Baker’s Store, which stocks dozens of King Arthur flours, baking supplies and equipment; a bakery, demo kitchen and café.

A number of inns, hotels and bed-and-breakfasts in the area offer special packages.

On Sept. 17, the center holds its annual fall festival. The free event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes live music by the Swing Peepers, baking demos, local vendors, raffles and other activities.

For more information, go to kingarthurflour.com.