What San Francisco Baking Institute does

The San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI) is a privately held educational institution founded in 1996 by French-born baker Michel Suas, operating from a commercial-scale training facility at 525 DNA Way in South San Francisco. It is the only school in the United States dedicated exclusively to artisan baking, delivering hands-on instruction in bread, viennoiserie, and pastry through a flagship 7-week Bread and Viennoiserie Training Series, 5-day Artisan Bread workshops, and shorter 2-3 day home-baker classes, with class sizes capped at 16 students. The core technology is a proprietary curriculum — codified in Suas's industry-standard textbook 'Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach' — combined with in-person laboratory instruction and a library of 240+ online training videos.

SFBI generates revenue across five streams: in-person workshop tuition (one-time, $545-$1,450 per seat), online subscriptions (Advanced Bread and Pastry at $75/year, Panettone at $99.50/year) and one-time lifetime access products ($99 for L'Atelier du Pain), on-site bakery consulting (professional services), private/corporate team-building classes ($1,699.50-$2,101 flat rates), and retail sales of baking supplies through a Shopify storefront. Its customer base spans professional bakers, serious home enthusiasts, aspiring bakery owners, and corporate groups, with a global alumni network described in the thousands. The institution is supported by marquee consulting engagements with Acme Bread, Tartine, Boudin, Balthazar, Whole Foods, Ace Bakery, and Paris Croissant, and is connected through ownership to two San Francisco retail bakeries — Thorough Bread and Pastry and b. patisserie — that serve as real-world validation of its curriculum.

Name

San Francisco Baking Institute

Legal name

San Francisco Baking Institute

Website

https://sfbi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The San Francisco Baking Institute, founded in 1996 by Michel Suas, is the only US school dedicated exclusively to artisan baking, delivering hands-on in-person classes, online video courses, bakery consulting, and branded retail supplies to professional bakers, aspiring bakery owners, serious home enthusiasts, and corporate groups worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Baking Education

akta.pro primary industry

Bread & Artisan Baking (EDAOAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Baking & Pastry Arts (EDAOAKAB), Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA), Culinary Arts & Cooking (Baking, Pastry, Global Cuisines) (EDAAAGAG), Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE)

Keywords

• Artisan baking education
• Bread baking classes
• Viennoiserie training
• Bakery consulting services
• Pastry workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. In-Person Baking Classes: Revenue from hands-on baking, viennoiserie, and pastry courses ranging from 2-day workshops to 7-week intensive training series. Classes include materials, equipment, breakfast pastries, coffee, lunch, and take-home products.
2. Online Video Courses: Subscription-based access to video libraries including Advanced Bread and Pastry Companion Videos ($75/year) and L'Atelier du Pain Serie ($99 lifetime), plus Methodology of Panettone Process ($99.50/year)
3. Bakery Consulting Services: On-site consulting for start-up and growing bakeries including product development, production scheduling, employee training, troubleshooting, and bakery design and layout consulting
4. Baking Supplies Retail: E-commerce sales of baking equipment and supplies through Shopify storefront including linen couche, wicker baskets, oven mitts, and SFBI logo merchandise
5. Private/Team Building Classes: Corporate team building and private classes for groups of 1-16+ participants, with 4-hour courses starting at $1,699.50 flat rate and 8-hour courses at $2,101 flat rate

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

San Francisco Baking Institute is a private culinary education institution that teaches artisan bread, viennoiserie, and pastry production through intensive in-person workshops and online video courses. Its offerings span a 7-week sequential professional training series, multi-day artisan and home-baker workshops, subscription and lifetime online video libraries, on-site bakery consulting (operations, R&D, design), private/team-building classes, and a retail baking supplies shop.

Product overview

San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI) offers a comprehensive suite of artisan bread and pastry education services centered around its core in-person training programs. The flagship offering is the Bread and Viennoiserie Training Series, a 7-week intensive program consisting of four sequential series (Fundamentals, Sourdough/Whole Grains, Viennoiserie, and Bakery Business Essentials). Complementing this are shorter Artisan Bread Workshops (5-day intensive courses), Home Baker Workshops (2-3 day courses), and Private/Team Building Classes. SFBI extends its reach through online educational products including the Advanced Bread and Pastry Companion Videos (240+ training videos), L'Atelier du Pain Serie (featuring guest instructors from renowned bakeries), and Methodology of the Panettone Process course. The company also provides professional consulting services encompassing on-site bakery consulting, research & development, and bakery design & layout. SFBI operates a retail baking supplies shop and published the authoritative textbook 'Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach' by founder Michel Suas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bread and Viennoiserie Training Series A 7-week intensive hands-on program with four sequential series covering baking fundamentals, sourdough and whole grains, viennoiserie, and bakery business essentials; capped at 16 students per class to prepare students for professional baking careers with real-world production experience.
• Artisan Bread Workshops 5-day intensive workshops covering Artisan I (Systematic Approach to Bread) and Artisan II (Baking Sourdough, Levain and Wild Yeast) for enthusiasts and professionals seeking deep understanding of bread baking fundamentals.
• Home Baker Workshops Shorter 2-3 day workshops including Viennoiserie for Home Baker, Japanese Home Baking, Cakes at Home, Advanced Viennoiserie, Pies, and Sourdough at Home designed for hobbyist bakers and enthusiasts at varying experience levels.
• Advanced Bread and Pastry Companion Videos Online subscription library of 240+ training videos covering fundamental and advanced bread and pastry techniques including shaping baguettes, bread mixing, and tart assembly; priced at $75 per year.
• L'Atelier du Pain Serie Lifetime-access online web seminar series featuring guest instructors Steve Sullivan (Acme Bread), Dave Miller (Miller's Bake House), and Chad Robertson (Tartine Bakery) demonstrating signature bread-making techniques, sold for $99.
• Methodology of the Panettone Process Online subscription course taught by Thomas Teffri-Chambelland covering step-by-step panettone making from sourdough refreshment to baking; priced at $99.50 per year and produced in partnership with École Internationale de Boulangerie.
• On-Site Bakery Consulting Expert consulting services delivered on-site at client bakery locations throughout the US, Europe, Asia, and Central America, covering product development, formulation improvement, production scheduling, employee training, and troubleshooting for start-up and growing bakeries.
• Bakery Research & Development Consulting State-of-the-art baking laboratory service that assists bakeries with formula development, formula improvement, and ingredient testing for both bread and pastry products.
• Bakery Design & Layout Consulting Expert assistance in starting or updating bakeries including location selection, design and layout with existing or new equipment, using 1/4 inch CAD systems custom tailored to specific production capacity and product types.
• Private Classes and Team Building Custom private baking classes for corporate team building, including 4-hour courses (Baguette and Pizza, Viennoiserie, Cookies/Muffins/Scones, Bagels) and 8-hour courses (Viennoiserie, Sourdough at Home); capacity for 16-24 participants at flat-rate pricing.
• Baking Supplies Shop E-commerce retail storefront selling baking equipment and supplies including linen couche, wicker baskets, oven mitts, and SFBI logo merchandise.
• Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach (Textbook) Comprehensive guide to bread and pastry written by Michel Suas, designed as a resource for colleges and universities, private culinary schools, professionals, and dedicated enthusiasts; serves as companion textbook for SFBI courses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes with maximum 16 students ensure individualized instruction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Steve Sullivan (Acme Bread)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest instructor for L'Atelier du Pain Serie online web seminar, demonstrating signature dough techniques and production methods from Acme Bread Company in Berkeley, CA
• Dave Miller (Miller's Bake House)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest instructor for L'Atelier du Pain Serie online web seminar, featuring whole grain bread techniques and on-site milling processes from Miller's Bake House
• Chad Robertson (Tartine Bakery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuest instructor for L'Atelier du Pain Serie online web seminar, demonstrating Tartine-style bread making including porridge method and whole grain techniques
• École Internationale de BoulangeriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for Methodology of Panettone Process online course; Thomas Teffri-Chambelland, founder and director, serves as guest instructor teaching sourdough fermentation and panettone making
• Bonnie Ohara (Alchemy Bread)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-instructor for Cottage Baking: Building a Home-Based Baking Business class; pioneer in cottage baking industry and author of bread baking books
• Thorough Bread and PastrycoreOthersConnected bakery co-owned by founder Michel Suas; serves as real-world training example and location for bread Christmas tree displays; connected via shared ownership
• b. patisseriecoreOthersConnected bakery with Michel Suas as business partner alongside Belinda Leong; award-winning San Francisco patisserie; connected via shared ownership

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Johnson & Wales University College of Culinary Arts: US university with one of the largest College of Culinary Arts programs, including baking & pastry arts concentrations. Comparable to SFBI as a destination for baking/pastry professional training, but JWU offers full degree programs across broader culinary disciplines rather than focused artisan baking workshops.
• Culinary Institute of America (CIA): The largest and most recognized US culinary school, offering comprehensive culinary education including baking and pastry concentrations. Comparable to SFBI as a destination for professional culinary training, but with broader culinary scope and degree programs rather than SFBI's exclusive artisan baking specialization.
• Le Cordon Bleu: Internationally recognized culinary education brand with global campuses offering comprehensive pastry and bread programs. Comparable to SFBI's professional-track culinary instruction but with significantly broader scope and international reach rather than artisan baking specialization.
• Institute of Culinary Education (ICE): New York and Los Angeles-based culinary school with a dedicated Pastry & Baking Arts program. Comparable to SFBI as a hands-on culinary education provider with strong pastry/baking offerings, though ICE's curriculum spans broader culinary disciplines rather than focused artisan baking workshops.

Emerging players

• MasterClass: Premium online video education platform featuring baking classes (e.g., Apollonia Poilâne teaching sourdough). Comparable to SFBI's online course business as a competing channel for at-home baking education dollars, but with a much broader content portfolio and celebrity-instructor positioning rather than artisan baking specialization.

Others

• Bread Bakers Guild of America: US trade organization for artisan and professional bakers, offering workshops, the Certified Bread Baker credential, and industry events. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant in artisan baking education and credentialing, though it functions as an industry association rather than a commercial school.

Direct peers

• Ballymaloe Cookery School: Ireland-based family-run cookery school founded by Darina Allen offering hands-on short courses in artisan cooking including bread making. Comparable to SFBI as a specialized, instructor-led culinary school focused on artisan techniques with strong word-of-mouth and alumni-driven demand, though serving a primarily European audience.
• French Pastry School: Chicago-based specialty school founded by Master Pastry Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, focused on pastry, viennoiserie, and artisan baking education. Comparable to SFBI's pastry/viennoiserie programs and shares a similar professional-track, hands-on instructional model targeting career changers and working bakers.
• King Arthur Baking School: The educational arm of King Arthur Baking Company based in Norwich, VT, offering hands-on artisan baking classes and online courses. Directly comparable to SFBI as a US-based specialist in artisan baking education with both in-person and online offerings, overlapping customer base of professionals and serious enthusiasts, and similar curriculum structure.
• École Internationale de Boulangerie: French artisan baking school founded by Thomas Teffri-Chambelland, who serves as SFBI's partner instructor for the Methodology of the Panettone Process online course. Directly comparable to SFBI as a specialized international artisan bread school with similar curriculum focus and target audience of professional and serious home bakers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sfbakinginstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Baking Institute