April 28 / 1:00 - 6:00pm PT

Guittard Chocolate Studio

2809 La Cienega Avenue

Los Angeles, CA

This immersive class with Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread will highlight ingredients like beans, corn, squash and chocolate.  

Mesoamerican farming traditions prioritize building the soil and supporting plants just as much as they focus on the yields of produce. This style of agriculture, known as a Milpa or guild system, takes an integrated approach. Nitrogen-fixing beans are planted alongside resource-hungry corn, with the beans climbing the corn stalks, which act as natural trellises. Broad-leafed squashes provide shade to their agricultural neighbors, which helps to slow evaporation.  

Arturo will explore how these essential ingredients can be adapted to support pastries and bread, similar to how they reinforce one another in the earth. By the end of this class, students will learn about:  

• The importance of nixtamalization for nutrition and texture  
• How to utilize squash and beans in baking  
• How to work with masa harina  

Throughout the class, Arturo will share original recipes such as:  

• Bean and Cheese Bolillo  
• Bean Bun  
• Pan de Pozole  
• Birote with Masa Harina  
• Pumpkin Cornbread  
• Squash Piloncillo Teacake  
• Milk Chocolate Champurrado  
• Roasted Squash Flatbread  

Arturo Enciso is a self-taught baker from Long Beach, California, with over a decade of experience. He has turned his hobby into a vocation with his artisan bakery, Gusto Bread, located on Retro Row in Long Beach (established in August 2020). His bakery exclusively uses sourdough in making both breads and sweet breads, embracing ancient wisdom and high-quality ingredients. Arturo believes that good food and bread foster connections among people and link us to the traditions and knowledge of the past, helping to build community and a brighter future together.

This class is hosted and sponsored by our partners at the Guittard Chocolate Company.