Artisan Bread Baking Course

Lesson 1 • Workspace Setup and Food Safety

Covers sanitation protocols, temperature control, and ergonomic workspace organization. Safe, organized environments reduce contamination risk and improve baking consistency.

Lesson 2 • Essential Ingredients and Their Roles

Examines flour, water, salt, and leavening agents as functional components. Understanding each ingredient's role enables informed substitutions and troubleshooting.

Lesson 3 • The Science Behind Bread

Covers fermentation, gluten development, and starch gelatinization as core processes. Establishes the scientific framework that explains every technique in the course.

Lesson 4 • Measuring and Baker's Percentages

Introduces weight-based measuring and the baker's percentage system for scaling recipes. Mastery of this system is prerequisite to every formula in subsequent chapters.

Lesson 1 • Stretch and Fold Methods

Introduces coil folds, letter folds, and lamination as no-knead gluten development tools. These techniques replace intensive kneading in high-hydration artisan doughs.

Lesson 2 • Hydration Levels and Dough Handling

Compares low, medium, and high-hydration doughs and their distinct handling requirements. Hydration directly determines crumb openness, crust character, and shaping difficulty.

Lesson 3 • Stand Mixer Techniques

Covers hook attachment use, speed progression, and windowpane testing for machine-mixed doughs. Mechanical mixing accelerates production while requiring careful temperature management.

Lesson 1 • Bulk Fermentation Principles

Explains how temperature, inoculation rate, and time interact during bulk fermentation. Controlling these variables is the primary lever for flavor and dough strength.

Lesson 2 • Reading Dough Fermentation Signs

Trains students to identify dough volume increase, bubble patterns, and jiggle tests. Accurate reading prevents under- or over-fermented dough before shaping.

Lesson 3 • Proofing Environment Management

Addresses humidity, temperature, and covering methods to protect dough during final proof. Consistent proofing environments eliminate surface drying and uneven expansion.

Lesson 4 • Final Proof Assessment

Teaches the poke test, visual expansion, and skin tension checks for final proof readiness. Correct final proof timing determines oven spring and crumb structure.

Lesson 1 • Shaping the Batard and Baguette

Demonstrates rolling and elongating techniques for oval batards and long baguettes. Elongated shapes require controlled tension distribution to prevent tearing.

Lesson 2 • Scoring Dough Before Baking

Explains lame angle, depth, and pattern selection to direct oven spring and create visual appeal. Scoring is both a functional necessity and an artistic signature.

Lesson 3 • Shaping the Boule

Teaches the envelope fold and surface-drag method to build a tight, round boule. The boule is the foundational shape from which all other forms derive.

Lesson 4 • Rolls, Braids, and Specialty Shapes

Covers dinner rolls, three-strand braids, and decorative forms for expanded product variety. Specialty shaping builds dexterity and expands a baker's marketable repertoire.

Lesson 1 • Baking on Stones and Steel

Compares baking stones and steel plates for bottom heat delivery and crust crispness. Direct-heat surfaces replicate deck oven performance in home environments.

Lesson 2 • Cooling and Crust Preservation

Explains why cooling on a wire rack is essential for crumb set and crust crispness. Cutting too early releases steam and collapses the crumb structure.

Lesson 3 • Heat Transfer in Bread Baking

Explains conduction, convection, and radiation as the three heat transfer modes in baking. Understanding heat sources guides oven setup decisions for every bread type.

Lesson 4 • Steam and Crust Development

Covers steam injection methods and their role in delaying crust set for maximum oven spring. Steam is the single most critical variable for achieving a shiny, crackly crust.

Lesson 1 • Sourdough Bread Formula and Process

Applies starter knowledge to a complete sourdough loaf formula with bulk fermentation and cold proof. Students integrate all prior skills into a single cohesive sourdough workflow.

Lesson 2 • Creating a Sourdough Starter from Scratch

Guides students through a seven-day flour-and-water fermentation process to capture wild yeast. A strong starter is the biological engine of all sourdough baking.

Lesson 3 • Levain Builds and Timing

Explains how to build a levain from the starter at the correct inoculation and timing for peak activity. Levain timing determines dough fermentation rate and final bread flavor.

Lesson 4 • Flavor Profiling in Sourdough

Explores how fermentation temperature, hydration, and timing shift acetic vs. lactic acid balance. Controlling acid balance allows bakers to dial in mild or tangy flavor profiles.

Lesson 1 • Properties of Whole Grain Flours

Examines bran, germ, and endosperm ratios and their effects on gluten, absorption, and fermentation. Whole grain flours require formula adjustments not needed for white flour.

Lesson 2 • Ancient Grains and Alternative Flours

Introduces spelt, einkorn, emmer, and khorasan as blending or primary flours with distinct flavor profiles. Ancient grains expand product offerings and appeal to health-conscious consumers.

Lesson 3 • Whole Wheat Bread Formulas

Covers soaker and scald techniques, hydration increases, and fermentation adjustments for whole wheat loaves. Proper technique yields moist, open-crumbed whole wheat bread.

Lesson 4 • Rye Bread Techniques

Addresses rye's high pentosan content, sticky handling, and reliance on sourdough leavening. Rye breads demand unique mixing, shaping, and baking approaches.

Lesson 1 • Bake Day Scheduling and Workflow

Constructs backward-scheduled bake day timelines from desired finish time to starter feed. Disciplined scheduling eliminates bottlenecks and ensures fresh bread at target times.

Lesson 2 • Systematic Troubleshooting

Provides a diagnostic framework for dense crumb, gummy interior, pale crust, and excessive spread. Systematic diagnosis isolates root causes faster than trial-and-error adjustments.

Lesson 3 • Scaling Production Efficiently

Applies baker's percentages to scale formulas from one loaf to full production batches. Accurate scaling maintains dough consistency and reduces ingredient waste.

Lesson 4 • Designing Original Bread Formulas

Teaches formula construction from target hydration and flour blend selection to leavening percentage. Original formula design is the hallmark of an advanced artisan baker.