Join James Beard award-winning author, baker, and preservationist Sarah Owens for an adventure exploring the wild wonders of the Sardinian countryside. The verdant spring landscape of this ancient civilization is rich with culinary inspiration, including wild herbs, edible greens for foraging, and wheat fields swaying in the wind. Spring is also a prime time for cheese making, when milk production is at its highest.

This is a week of cultural immersion in the small village of Gergei, located about an hour north of the port of Cagliari. You will participate in opportunities to celebrate this special season of abundance with a family of cheese and winemakers, as well as bakers who honor both local traditions and new ways of working with heirloom durum wheat. We will bake specialty pastries made with freshly made local ricotta and cultivate patience for sculpting pane pintau, a decorative bread leavened with sourdough and made according to the hyper-local techniques of Signora Rosaria. You will learn to make sourdough pasta and naturally-leavened breads appropriate to the gluten potential of ancient durum wheat, forage spring greens for pesto making with locally grown walnuts and almonds, and make and bake sourdough pizza. Meals that we do not prepare together are enjoyed in the charming garden of Domu Antiga, prepared by chef and host Maria Grazia. Breakfasts are abundant feasts of rustic elegance made with fresh produce and agricultural products from the region. Lunch and dinner are supplemented with locally made natural wines.

The complex history of this often-overlooked island will be revealed through each activity and meal, from foraging the countryside to stories of saffron cultivation, and early morning demonstrations of cheese making with raw milk still warm from the sheep. Together, we will learn to appreciate the terroir of Gergei and the surrounding region and dive deep into the local and historic grain culture with the miller, baker, and pasta makers of Consorzio Sardo Grano Cappelli.

Finally, learn about the unique medicinal qualities of locally foraged and cultivated herbs as we collect and use them to make a fortified herbal liqueur for you to take home. Each night, you will rest in your comfortable beds, a quiet oasis provided by Mola & Prentza, Domu Antiga, Mario Cesare, and Pretziosa.

What is included:
The retreat, which will take place entirely in English, offers a complete experience, combining learning, nature, and culture.
Baking and preserving lessons with Sarah Owens and Virginialand, including bread making using local wheat.
A day of foraging where we will learn how to recognize and collect wild plants to use in the kitchen.
Guided tours* of local food producers, such as:
– The artisanal cheeses of Sinnos Formaggi
– The ancient grain, modern mill Consorzio Grano Cappelli
– The wood-fired village bakery
– The local pizza kitchen
Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners based on typical Sardinian dishes, prepared with fresh and local ingredients.
Accommodation for 5 nights in one of four historic homes in Gergei:
– Domu Antiga
– Mario Cesare
– Mola e Prentza
– Pretziosa
Transport for guided tours.

Not included: flight ticket, transport to and from the airport, travel insurance

Prices**
2970 € per person single room, en-suite bathroom
2640 € per person double room, en-suite bathroom

* Activities are subject to weather and the sometimes-unpredictable rhythm of seasonal availability.
** Rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
A non-refundable deposit of € per person is required when booking.
The balance must be paid to Mola & Prentza 8 weeks before the start date. (March 31st, 2026)
Reservations made after this date must be paid in full.

For bookings and information, email at Info@mariocesare.it
or WhatsApp Giulia Lai at ‪+393452314474‬
Bank transfer is necessary to make the payment.

Happy Dreaming!

Saturday May 23: Welcome to Gergei
3 pm – 5 pm Settle into your rooms and surroundings.
7 pm – Welcome aperitivo and dinner.

Sunday May 24: Introduction to Sourdough Starter
9 am – Breakfast in the garden
10 am – Countryside walk with Sarah and a local expert to familiarize with the landscape, forage for herbs, and learn their historical and cultural values.
12 pm – Lunch
2 pm – In the kitchen with Sarah to make a liqueur and a pesto using herbs that we collected. Introduction starter sourdough
4 pm – Rest and relax in your surroundings.
6:30 pm – Aperitivo and dinner.

Monday May 25: Cheese and Pasta Day
8 am – Breakfast in the garden.
9 am – Visit the local formaggeria Sinnos while they make cheese and ricotta.
11am – Pasta making activity with Giulia
1 pm – Lunch with cheese and pasta
2:30 pm – Rest and relax in your surroundings.
4 pm – Making Ricotta dessert. Talking about saffron with a local producer. Making Pane Pintau with Rosaria
6:30 pm – dinner.

Tuesday May 26: Pizza and Bread
7.30 am – Early Breakfast in the garden
8 am – Bake “pani pintau” in the local oven
10:30 am – Making sourdough and pizza
12:30 pm – lunch.
2:30 pm – Free afternoon
6 pm – Aperitivo and dinner.

Wednesday May 27: Mill, straw and pizza dinner
8 am – Breakfast in the garden.
9:30 am – Sourdough bread baking activity with Virginialand
10:30 am Tour Consorzio Grano Cappelli in Tuili. Discuss ancient grains, their value in the Sardinian landscape, and the special considerations for how they are leavened with sourdough
12 am Visiting a wheat field
1pm – Lunch
4:pm – Activity with local artisans making traditional artworks with straw
5pm – Baking pizza in a wood oven
6:30 – Pizza party!!!!

Thursday 28 – Goodbyes
9 am – Breakfast in the garden
12 pm – Goodbyes