Bread & Baking Fundamentals

Develop a technical foundation in mixing, fermentation, shaping and lamination. Six classes span eight meetings, progressing from quick breads to long-fermented doughs and viennoiserie. Learn to read the dough at each stage of preparation.

$1,750 per person · Capacity: 8.

What you’ll learn

Class 1

Build accurate baking habits by weighing ingredients and scaling recipes. Compare the muffin and biscuit mixing methods, paying attention to how handling affects the finished crumb. Work with chemical leaveners and learn to assess doneness through the baked product rather than relying on a timer alone.

Class 2

Make English muffins, crumpets and pancakes using skillet and griddle methods. Compare yeast and chemical leavening, and learn how batter or dough consistency changes the result. Manage surface heat to develop color while allowing the center to cook properly.

Class 3

Work with yeast-leavened doughs for sandwich bread, baguettes and cinnamon-raisin loaves. Follow the progression from mixing through fermentation, shaping and baking, observing how the dough changes at each stage. Develop a consistent approach to handling and shaping different bread forms.

Class 4

Examine how fat, eggs and sugar change dough texture, fermentation and proofing. Learn to adjust handling as enriched dough behaves differently from a lean dough. Practice shaping rolls, braids, loaves and buns, with attention to even portions and the structure of the finished bread.

Class 5

Across two consecutive days, work with long-fermented doughs and preferments through sourdough, focaccia and pizza. Observe how time changes dough development, flavor and texture. Follow the preparation across both meetings so the relationship between fermentation, handling and the finished bake is clear.

Class 6

Across two consecutive days, study lamination for croissants and Danish pastries. Learn how rolling, folding and temperature control preserve distinct layers of dough and butter. Follow the dough through shaping, proofing and baking, and explore filling and rebaking day-old croissants.

The final class concludes with a Skillette certificate of completion.