Exploring holiday baking through the Hybake project
The Hybake project has entered its piloting phase, bringing together teachers and students to participate in hybrid courses on baking holiday treats from various nations. This unique bakery course developed by a partner schools teaches practical baking skills but provides also information about different holiday traditions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Slovenia.
All course materials can be found on the hybake.com website. Students can easily navigate the website to find recipes, follow instructional videos, and information about technological steps. This serves as a valuable resource for learning and exploring the diverse cultures associated with these holiday pastries.
While the course materials are available online, students also have the option to practice their baking skills in school bakeries under the guidance of their teachers. This week, a group of students from Rīgas Tūrisma un radošās industrijas tehnikums are in Tartu VOCO, working alongside Estonian students and teachers to test and practice holiday baking recipes from the Hybake website.
The hands-on approach allows students to apply what they’ve learned and receive immediate feedback. Elizabete Abzalone and Laura Jurkevica, future chefs from Preili, told that they have explored new flavors and techniques. “We have already baked Lithuanian Christmas Eve cookies, Finnish midsummer cake called Brita, cake pops and meringue roll. Today there is a day for Estonian kringle recipes. We do them with different fillings. Sweet one will have apple, nuts and cinnamon filling and the savory one will have ham and cheese filling inside,” they told.
Elizabete highlights the excitement of trying out recipes they have never encountered before. “My favorite so far is Brita cake. It is delicious and is easy to prepare.”
How to learn new skills in international training? The Hybake website plays a crucial role in developing English language proficiency among the participants. With all recipes and instructional videos provided in English, students engage with the language while learning baking techniques. “For me the instructional videos on the website offer clear visual guidance,” students said. “But in the classroom we speak English and sometimes Russian and even body language. It is a challenge but we manage,“ smiled Laura. Besides, once you speak then you learn.
The Erasmus+ project “Creating a hybrid learning model elective course “Holiday pastries of different Europe nations” is innovating baking education by combining digital and hybrid learning models. Through the hybake.com website, students gain valuable insights into different cultures while enhancing their baking skills.
The hybake.com website is open for everyone who wishes to elevate baking skills and indulge in the art of pastry-making.