Master Dough at Home

Are you frustrated when your bread doesn’t turn out like the photo in the recipe? Or maybe you're unsure when to move to the next step in rising, proving or baking? Remove those mysteries and gain the clarity you need to pursue your baking goals with this dough-licious online class!

You'll discover the importance of folding and shaping, learn to build and maintain better structure in your dough and how to apply these techniques to the best effect, all from the comfort of your kitchen.

Part one:
In the first part of this class, you'll learn how to ask and answer the questions that mark each of the four dough stages, from first mix to baked item. Your ability to answer these questions will define your progress as a baker. As your judgement of each stage improves, so will your baking results.

You will learn how to handle the different modes of the dough; what it means when the dough is tightened or relaxed, or what difference it makes whether the dough is warm or cold, old or young, drier or wetter.

Your teacher will also cover fermentation, including how to make, manage and troubleshoot a sourdough culture, showing you how to use the relationship between temperature and time to build a super convenient baking schedule.

Part two:
In the middle section of the class, you'll explore ten different recipes, each carefully selected to highlight a specific technique and a particular aspect of dough and gluten development.

• The daily bread - white, yeasted or sourdough.
• Brown – yeasted or sourdough.
• Heritage brown – autolysed sourdough.
• Heritage seeded - yeasted and sourdough.
• Sourdough rye.
• Cheese, chilli and garlic (yeasted and sourdough).
• Brioche burger buns - yeasted.
• Ciabatta – sourdough.
• Focaccia - yeasted.
• Pizza – yeasted and sourdough.

Part three:
Once you've mastered your bread recipes, you will be ready to delve into doughology and discover further insights into fermentation, time, temperature and retardation. Finally, you’ll learn how to read your baked bread — which tells you more than you might imagine about your progress!

You'll finish this baking workshop with a fantastic understanding of dough, ready to make outstanding bread using methods easier than you ever thought possible!

In this online class, you'll learn to:

• Understand your dough and develop your baking judgement.
• Handle different dough types (wet, dry, heritage, lean, enriched, fancy).
• Judge different stages of fermentation more accurately.
• Control the variables, including gluten development, time, temperature and hydration.
• Retard the dough to make baking fit your schedule.
• Analyse your baked bread and learn from what they tell you.

Please note:
Recipes and print-outs on tips/techniques are included, but students are also welcome to photograph their work at various stages and send them to The Artisan Bakery School for review.

For bread making enthusiasts who want to develop their baking skills and judgement.
 

• Basic kitchen and equipment: digital scales or measuring cups, probe thermometer, jug mixing bowl (which will fit in your fridge), plastic scrapers, sharp blade such as a craft knife for scoring dough, 2x metal baking trays, loaf tin, 2x bannetons (proving baskets), silicone spatula, flour shaker, 2x clean shower hats, plant sprayer for misting dough with water.
• Bread flour and yeast (notes on choosing flour are provided in the course materials).