Free online courseBread Baking Fundamentals: Yeast, Sourdough and Shaping

Course Description

Learn how great bread is built from the inside out. This free online course strengthens the fundamentals that separate hit-or-miss loaves from consistent results, whether you are baking for family, preparing for culinary work, or simply chasing the satisfaction of a well-risen, beautifully baked loaf. You will develop an intuitive understanding of how flour, water, salt and yeast behave, and how small choices like water temperature and accurate measuring influence flavor, structure and crust.

Instead of relying on guesswork, you will practice the techniques that professionals use to repeat results. You will explore why a kitchen scale becomes the most valuable tool in bread making, helping you control hydration and improve dough handling from batch to batch. The course clarifies yeast basics, including how different types perform, how to store them, and when direct-mix options can simplify your process without sacrificing quality.

Sourdough can feel mysterious at first, but it becomes approachable when you understand ratios, timing and observation. You will learn how a starter is created from scratch, what early-day feedings aim to achieve, and how to read aroma, texture and activity as it matures. From there, you will connect fermentation to mixing and kneading, building gluten strength so the dough can trap gas and rise with both volume and character.

Shaping and proofing are where many loaves lose their potential. You will learn how to recognize when dough is ready to divide, how to shape with intention to create tension, and how to confirm proofing with a simple poke test so your bread bakes up airy rather than dense. The course also ties technique to real bakes, guiding you through rustic sourdough practices, including staged water additions for better dough development, and finishing with a chocolate semita variation to reinforce skills in a sweeter format.

By the end, you will be able to plan a bake, troubleshoot common problems, and approach bread with the calm confidence that comes from understanding the why behind every step. The skills you build here transfer across styles, helping you create breads with improved flavor, texture and consistency whenever you bake.