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.
