Meet our experts
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Head of the Sourdough Institute
Karl De Smedt
Karl De Smedt, known as the Sourdough Librarian, leads our Sourdough Institute with unparalleled passion for sourdough. Together with his team, he will guide you through the diverse aspects and health benefits of sourdough. There is no one in the world who has seen, tasted, tested, and compared as many sourdoughs from around the globe. His extensive knowledge and academic connections give him an unrivaled understanding of sourdough.
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Head of Research
Guylaine Lacaze
Guylaine Lacaze joined Puratos in 2003, dedicating her efforts to developing ready-to-use sourdoughs and sensory profiling of bakery products derived from sourdough. She is actively involved in the "Sourdough Library" project, initiated by Puratos in 2010, providing scientific and technical support. In the masterclasses, she will concentrate on the science of sourdough, and she will try to transform participants into genuine sensory experts.
Innovation Center Manager
Filip De Kimpe
Filip De Kimpe serves as the innovation center manager at the Sourdough Institute and is a distinguished member of the O-tentic Guild. With nearly 25 years of running his own bakery, he now imparts his expertise to us. His specializations include sourdough breads, laminated pastries, panettone, and pinsas. In the masterclasses, he will introduce new mixing techniques and demonstrate how to craft unique flavor profiles with various sourdoughs and ingredients.
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Gut Health Manager
Claire Van Der Aa
Claire has recently become part of Puratos as a Gut Health and Innovation Manager. Originally from the Netherlands, she has resided in Leuven for the last three and a half years. She holds an educational background in Nutrition and Health from Wageningen University, with a Master's specialization in food digestion. Her passion for fibers and their effects on the microbiome grew during her academic years. Claire's professional path began at EverGrain by AB-InBev, serving as a Nutrition Manager. With her extensive knowledge in digestion, she is undoubtedly an expert and will impart valuable insights on the health benefits of sourdough during the masterclasses.
Guest Baker
Yohan Ferrant
Yohan Ferrant will be featured as one of our Guest Bakers in an upcoming masterclass. He proudly contributes sourdough 67 to our Sourdough Library and is recognized as a distinguished professional in the bakery industry, having advanced his career from Spain. As the leader of the Barcelona Baking School, he imparts his extensive knowledge and skills to numerous bakers. He also wrote a top rated book about creative bakery and viennoiserie called "Oh là là". In the masterclass, he will delve into the intricacies of rye, decorative breads, and ancient grains.
Guest Baker
Guy Frenkel
Guy Frenkel is a top figure in the art of bread-making. As the owner of Céor Bread, he has transformed the traditional concept of bread for today's world. Céor goes beyond standard wheat-based bread by incorporating a variety of grains like spelt, rye,... Their hallmark is the freshly milled flour, which is central to their method, enhancing the flavors significantly. Céor's breads are naturally leavened with wild yeast and bacteria, a time-honored method that imparts complex flavors and a natural sweetness.
Frenkel's artisanship is celebrated as both enchanting and motivational, continuously driving the craft of bread-making to new heights.
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