Springfield bakery to offer cooking classes this year

Le Torte Dolci Bakery has opened “The Lab," a new classroom area to teach cooking classes. Contributed

Le Torte Dolci Bakery has opened “The Lab," a new classroom area to teach cooking classes. Contributed

A Springfield bakery has opened a new classroom area to teach community members how to make and bake specific food items.

Le Torte Dolci Bakery, 36B N. Fountain Ave., has completed and opened “The Lab” this month.

The bakery introduced classes for the first time last year, and the “response was overwhelmingly positive,” but there was limited space.

“Encouraged by this success, we have chosen to expand our class offerings this year and enhance our learning environment,” said owner Dan Freeman.

“While conducting macaron making classes last year, we faced space constraints. The creation of this new area aims to accommodate more students in a more open and spacious environment,” he added.

This year’s first class was held on Jan. 11. The schedule, which was created at the end of last year, includes six classes exclusively focused on macaron making. However, the classes have already reached full capacity within two weeks of their announcement.

Freeman said more classes will be introduced at a later time. The schedule and details for the classes have not been made yet, but they will include things such as pastry, bread, cake decorating, pizza and more.

“We understand that there is considerable interest in the potential classes. It’s important to note that we are in the initial stages of class development and are actively working to create a comprehensive schedule. We kindly ask for patience as we progress in this process.”

To enroll in a class, visit https://shop.letortedolci.com and choose the “Classes” category.

The bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and closed on Sunday and Monday.

Dan and his wife Lisa now own four food businesses. They opened Le Torte Dolci in 2017, Salato Deli in 2018, Crust & Company in 2020, and bought Ironworks Waffle Cafe in 2023. The latter two are located inside COhatch The Market.

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