The experience
You'll arrive before dawn as Antonio stokes his mud oven, then knead and shape your own dough into flat poi rounds. He'll show you how to slide them onto the hot oven floor with a long wooden paddle, and you'll pull them out minutes later, puffed and smoky, to eat straight away with butter.
Why this matters
Poi is a daily bread across Goa, traditionally delivered door to door by the village poder on a bicycle, a trade that is slowly disappearing as fewer young bakers take it up.
Cultural background
Introduced through Portuguese baking traditions and adapted with local wheat and techniques, poi became a Goan household staple, baked fresh each morning and once hand-delivered by travelling bakers known as poders.
Meet the practitioner
We're still verifying a practitioner for this experience — check back soon.
Schedule
Early morning
Watch the mud oven being fired and learn dough preparation
Morning
Knead, shape and bake your own poi
Late morning
Taste fresh poi with local accompaniments
Difficulty
Easy — no experience needed
Age suitability
8 and up
Gallery
Firing the mud oven before dawn
Shaping poi dough
Fresh poi straight from the ovenPhotographs from this experience will replace these panels once available.
Included
- Hands-on bread-making session
- Wood-fired oven demonstration
- Fresh poi to take home
Not included
- Flights to Goa
- Accommodation
- Personal insurance
Before you arrive
- · Arrive early, baking starts before sunrise
- · Wear clothes suitable for a warm kitchen
- · Let us know of any gluten sensitivity in advance
Frequently asked
How early does this start?
Most sessions begin around 5:30-6am to catch the oven at the right heat.
Can I buy extra bread to take home?
Yes, Antonio usually has extra loaves available to purchase separately.
What people say
“Eating poi straight from the oven at sunrise was a genuinely special moment.”
Leena G. · 5/5
“Early start but worth it, the oven and the smell alone made it memorable.”
Marco B. · 4/5
Not a sight to see — a practice to enter.