What you'll learn

  • 👩‍🍳 Master the art of dough understanding and elevate your baking skills!
  • 📜 Unlock expert recipes and techniques for various dough types: wet, dry, heritage, and more!
  • ⏳ Perfectly judge each fermentation stage like a pro baker.
  • 🌡️ Gain control over vital baking variables: gluten development, timing, temperature, and hydration.
  • 📅 Fit baking into your schedule by learning to retard dough effectively.
  • 🔍 Analyze your baked creations to draw insights and refine your pastry skills.

Course Content

Introduction

3 lectures
Welcome and Introduction.

In which we say hello, and suggest different ways of doing this course.


Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty

The information contained in this course has been verified and documented as carefully as possible and the authors have used their best efforts in preparing the course. However, the authors cannot be held liable for the use or misuse of its contents. The authors make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this course and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The advice and strategies presented here may not be suitable for your individual situation, and you should consult with professionals where appropriate.

Health & Safety

The authors cannot be held liable for accidents or injuries resulting from misuse of ovens or other kitchen equipment, nor for any issues connected with ingredients or methods, including the management and usage of live sourdough culture.

Baking is a very responsible business and under-18s should be supervised by a competent adult.


What Kind of Baker Are You?

If you want to know your dough, you have to know a bit about yourself!

Your Artisan Baking Goals

Knowing what you're aiming for is half the battle.

The Four Stages of the Dough

9 lectures
The Four Stages of the Dough

Learn the most important questions a baker can ask.  (Print out the downloadable pdf in the Resources for this lecture, and keep it handy for reference if  you like.)

1st Stage of the Dough
"Is the Dough Wet Enough?"
2nd Stage of the Dough
"Is the Dough Ready for Shaping?"
3rd Stage of the Dough
"Is the Dough Ready for Baking?"
4th Stage of the Dough
"Is the Bread Properly Baked?"

The Seven Simple Steps Method

1 lecture
The Seven Steps

This lecture shows how the Seven Steps are connected to the Four Stages of the Dough.  A pdf is available in the resources for this lecture, for you to print out and keep somewhere handy.

Modes of the Dough

3 lectures
Two Major Modes of the Dough

Learn the features and benefits of relaxed and tight dough.

Modes
Gluten Development Overview

Understanding gluten development as both a technique and a process.

Know Your Sourdough

5 lectures
What IS Sourdough and Why Is It So Good For You?

Introduction to sourdough starter and leaven.

Making & Managing Your Sourdough Culture

How to make and maintain your own starter culture.

Making a Wild Yeast Starter
Making a Sourdough Leaven from Your Starter
Troubleshooting Starters

Ingredients

3 lectures
Flour Power

Understand the significance of your choice of flour, for your health, for the planet and for your bread.

Water, Salt & Yeast

Tips on choosing ingredients.

Bakers Percentages

If you are a beginner, it's time to learn the international baking system, and see how using percentages can refine the balance of your recipe.

The Bakers Toolbox: Key Techniques

19 lectures
Techniques

Tips on technique development.

Let's Rock & Roll!

Dragan demonstrates how to knead effectively.

Rock & Rolling

Definition of the Rock & Rolling kneading method.

Folding

See how to fold your dough.

Folding: How, When & Why?

Check different folding approaches for different kinds of dough.

Autolysing

Dragan compares autolysed and un-autolysed dough results.   

What IS Autolysing?

Definition of autolysing.

Tucking
Pre-shaping
Tucking & Pre-shaping

Minor moves with major benefits...

Shaping How's and Why's

How you shape up as a baker.

Shaping for Boule & Batard
Shaping Baguettes
Scoring How's and Why's
Different Designs for Scoring

To inspire you in your scoring, pdfs of the diagrams are attached for you to print out in the resources for this lecture.

Decorating

Discover a whole range of decorating techniques.

The Olive Tree Bread Recipe

Test your shaping skills.  Download the recipe and instructions for shaping The Olive Tree Bread.

Harvest Wheat Sheaf

How to make a harvest festival bread.

Harvest Wheat Sheaf Recipe

A printable pdf of the recipe for the Harvest Wheatsheaf is available in the Resources for this lecture.

The Masterclasses

11 lectures
Yeasted or Sourdough?
The Daily Bread: sourdough or yeasted, long fermentation in the fridge.

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Baking to suit your own schedule

  2. Mixing in bulk

  3. Retardation using the fridge for rising/proving

  4. Long fermentation

  5. Building airy structure


Yeasted Brown

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Baking to suit your own schedule

  2. Mixing in bulk

  3. Retardation using the fridge for rising/proving

  4. Long fermentation

  5. Working with spelt flour


Daily Heritage Brown Bread

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Autolysing overnight

  2. Mixing in bulk

  3. Retardation using the fridge for rising/proving

  4. Long fermentation

  5. Working with heritage flour

Dragan's Heritage Seeded Bread

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Kneading in the bowl

  2. Using the pre-soak method for seeds

  3. Fermenting directly in the tin

Sourdough Rye Bread

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Kneading in the bowl

  2. Shaping mud pies...

  3. Using a 100% rye leaven

Cheese & Chilli Bread

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Yeasted versus sourdough leaven

  2. Enriching dough with cheese (note tender crumb)

  3. Shaping and scoring


Brioche Burger Buns

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Enriching dough using the rub-in butter method

  2. Incorporating eggs and milk.

  3. Shaping very wet dough into burger buns.

Ciabatta

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Double-hydration (hyper-hydration/bassinage)

  2. Folding

  3. Handling very wet dough

Stuffed Focaccia

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Kneading in the bowl

  2. Enriching dough with olive oil & herbs

  3. Folding wet dough

  4. Cutting wet dough

Pizza Dough

Techniques practised in this masterclass:

  1. Retarding fermentation in the fridge

  2. Shaping pizza balls

  3. Shaping pizza discs

Doughology: the Key Processes

7 lectures
How Do You Dough?

Snapshot of the dough spectrum!

Fermentation: the Soul of Bread-making

Understand the relationship between time, temperature and leaven.

Bubbles! Interior Structure.

How to boost your bubble factor.

Time and Temperature

Get the Fermentation Equation.

Retardation & Scheduling

Use the fridge to make baking more convenient.

How to Read Your Baked Breads

Please read this before you watch the next video; it explains the comments in the screen titles.

"Read Any Good Breads Lately?"

A gallery of good guys and bad!

Lifelong Learning for Bakers

2 lectures
Knowing the Score: Defining Your Baking Goals

Use a journal to track progress towards your personal baking goals.

So Long and Happy Baking!

What next?!

Description

🍞 Ever wish you knew what was REALLY going on with your bread? 🍞

  • Are you unsure WHEN to move to the next step in rising/proving/baking?

  • Do you know WHY kneading, folding & shaping are so important, or HOW to apply these techniques to best effect?

  • Do you want to LEARN how to build and maintain better structure in your dough?

  • Are you frustrated when your bread doesn’t turn out like the photo in the recipe? 😩

  • Or would you simply like to move on from baking BRICKS?! 🧱

🎯 Look no further.

Know Your Dough is designed to remove those mysteries, leaving you with the clarity you need to happily pursue your bakery goals.

If you've already got the baking bug, you’ll know that dough is a living thing with a mind of its own. While we can't read the 'minds' of countless yeasts, this course offers you the equivalent of x-ray 'dough goggles' – revealing insights into the dough's structure, texture, temperament, and behavior.

🍞 Because, once you understand your dough, making outstanding bread will be easier than you ever thought possible! 🍞

Like baking itself, this course is:

  • A blend of art and science

  • A careful balance of theory and practice

The emphasis is on video demonstration, not too much reading.

PART ONE – BECOMING A BETTER JUDGE

In the first part, learn how to ask and answer crucial questions for each of the Four Stages of the Dough, from first mix to finished product. Improve your judgment at each stage to boost your baking results. 🥖

You will learn to handle different modes of the dough and understand its characteristics, like tension, temperature, and moisture levels.

As the course unfolds, you'll gain insights into fermentation and learn to manage and troubleshoot a sourdough culture. 🥐 Discover how to tailor your baking schedule for ultimate convenience using the relationship between time and temperature.

In our Bakers Toolbox, you'll find a reference section on baking techniques, helping you expand your skills and grasp baking theory with applicable methods for every technique. 🛠️

PART TWO – THE MASTERCLASSES

To fast-track your development, we present 10 different recipe-masterclasses, each highlighting specific techniques and aspects of dough and gluten development. 📚

  • The Daily Bread - white, yeasted or sourdough
  • Brown – yeasted or sourdough
  • Heritage Brown – autolysed sourdough
  • Heritage Seeded - yeasted & sourdough
  • Sourdough Rye
  • Cheese, Chilli & Garlic (yeasted & sourdough)
  • Brioche Burger Buns - yeasted
  • Ciabatta – sourdough
  • Focaccia - yeasted
  • Pizza – yeasted and sourdough 🍕

PART THREE - DOUGHOLOGY

Gain deeper insights into fermentation, time, temperature, and retardation. This section will drive your experimental skills further. 🚀

Finally, learn how to read your baked bread. Your bread will reveal more about your progress than you might imagine. We'll show you how to document your observations for maximum learning. 📔

👩‍🏫 At The Artisan Bakery School, we (Dragan & Penny) have demystified dough for over a decade. Instead of just recipes or confusing baking jargon, we teach essential baking principles so you can troubleshoot problems, be creative with confidence, and track your progress from amateur to accomplished. 🎓

⭐ 5-Star Reviews for Know Your Dough:

What an amazing course. I'm a professional baker/pastry chef and this made me understand in depth what is happening with our dough, all the things forming and growing. Thank you!

Lara Melo

⭐ Here are a few favorite 5-star testimonials from our other courses:

This is a fantastic course. The photography, detail, and explanations are superb. All the important information comes together that will help anyone become a better bread baker. Many thanks to Dragan and Penny for sharing their knowledge to provide such outstanding instruction. I really loved the Masterclasses section and the video showing how to read finished bread and dough.

Lance Pawlikowski

I gave five stars because the genuine enthusiasm of Penny and Dragan is infectious, and all aspects are explained and demonstrated in an easy-to-follow manner. I'm looking forward to rocking & rolling & chafing and, hopefully, ending up with a lovely smooth ball of dough.

George.E. Morley

Penny and Dragan demystified sourdough making it very "do-able." Really love the FAB recipe!

Bobby Ollar

The bonus too is they show the stages of dough development clearly, something I struggled with before this course. They keep it simple as bread baking should be. Looking forward to more courses.

Julia Bilecki

Dragan and Penny, thank you for such an awesome course. Incredible support, very insightful tips. I really learned a lot.

Marcelo Ariatti

The videos are priceless! 💎

Aden

🔍 Why not check out the promo video and the free lectures for yourself?

Remember, if all you need are recipes, there are plenty out there to choose from.

If you want to REALLY know what you're doing with your dough - start here!

Start the Course

Course Reviews

  • 😀 Karen Kessler
    5
  • 😀 Roman Nazarevych
    5
  • 😀 Diana Roates
    5
  • 😐 Elise Menashe
    2

    Could use some information on what needs too be done to the dough if the consistency is not correct

  • 😀 Donna Dzubin
    5

    The videos showing the technique and quality of the dough throughout the fermentation and baking process were extremely helpful, I’m a fairly new baker and was able to achieve good results thanks to the clear examples.

  • 😐 Joanne Rauscher
    3

    Very confusing. Example - is this bread ready to be baked. The man turns it out and it's strong, maintains it's shape and looks great. Next the woman turns her dough out and it's flat and spreads out. Both have bubbles but the woman's dough looks as if it's too wet. But they say both are ready to be baked..? I'm missing something.

  • 😐 Robert de Turk
    3
  • 😀 Tetiana Vyshnevska
    4
  • 😐 Klara Mickalova
    3
  • 😀 Mary Kay Casteel
    5
  • 😀 Rosa A Barreto
    5

    I really love it. its my first time that I am baking bread, and I dont have any experience or Idea in this field. but I am working on it, so far so good, I am hapy with them.

  • 😀 Tancredi Ferraris
    5
  • 😀 Carol A Greene
    5
  • 😀 Denise Hudson
    5
  • 😀 Sandeep Singh Kler
    4.5
  • 😀 Marta Planker
    5

    Enjoyable and very informative

  • 😀 Christine Barretto
    5
  • 😀 PACHAREEPORN Larpjitkusol
    5
  • 😀 Oscar Hernandez
    4.5
  • 😀 Heather Forshey
    3.5

    The three baked loaves comparing the proving times were hard to tell apart. A bit more explanation around what to look for would be helpful.

  • 😀 Aileen Bromund
    5
  • 😀 Rakhee kamath
    4.5
  • 😀 לאה קלין
    5
  • 😀 Lerio Andoy Getts
    5
  • 😀 Rhonda Parnell
    5
  • 😀 Cordell pool
    5
  • 😀 Jennifer Manriquez
    5
  • 😀 Kelly Kramer
    4
  • 😀 Galina Svinarenko
    4
  • 😀 Tracey
    5
  • 😀 Charlie Laughton
    4.5

    So good to see lots of real-life examples, the texture and quality of the dough really comes through, so much easier to appreciate what you are aiming for

  • 😀 Edward Levitan
    4.5

    Very clear, comprehensive course for someone with some bread baking experience.

  • 🙁 Cb
    1

    Unprofessional most of the tine. Two or three good hints but that is all.

  • 😀 Yuriy Bilishov
    4
  • 😀 Judith Takahashi
    5
  • 😀 Catharine Wood
    4
  • 😐 Katrina Ferguson
    2
  • 😀 Deborah Sterling
    5
  • 😐 Mark Ellison
    2

    Too much text and so far not as explanatory as I would have liked

  • 😀 Sanjay
    5

    A good course which has a lot of detail. One can come across all the small tips and tricks that one might miss out while looking for recipes online. Another great benefit is that the instructors are super responsive which makes it a good learning experience

  • 😐 Robert Baeyens
    3
  • 😀 Clay Fister
    4
  • 😀 Ricardo Cerqueira Prestes de Oliveira
    4.5
  • 😀 Sylvain D'Arcy
    4.5
  • 😀 Emily Caroline Payne
    5
  • 🙁 Ola
    1
  • 😀 Kevin Lawson
    5

    Excellent course. So precise and focused on the fundamental elements of bread making. Both instructors have a great encouraging presence, patience, and knowledge when explaining the different lessons. I already feel smarter and more confident as I continue to explore and develop my passion for bread making and beyond. Thank you both so much!

  • 😀 Karen Hilling
    5
  • 😀 Lorraine Lowrie
    4
  • 😀 Maria Devaldes
    4.5
  • 😐 Bruce Hanson
    3
  • 😐 Emad Sarraj
    2

    Don't know if it's a good match yet, but I expected more details and progression that makes sense, what I've seen so far is fragmented video scenes and mostly text, the videos need to have more details and explain what's in the text in a progressive contextual way.

  • 😀 Jeffrey Dahl
    5
  • 😀 Maggie Rich
    5

    This is amazing - just what I need!

  • 😀 Renee Loh
    4.5
  • 😀 Rainer Jeske
    4
  • 😀 Sofia Arroyo
    5
  • 😀 Shireen Sharma
    5
  • 😀 Mariana Cortés
    4

    Me gustaron las explicaciones y tener acceso a videos para entender los procesos.

  • 😀 Claire seth
    4

    I'm enjoying the course and the information that it provides, but I am having to wait a long time between sections as it doesn't play smoothly and flow into the next section.-maybe it's my internet connection????

  • 😀 Michael Banks
    5

    I have made these brioche buns previously and they were delicious. I’m proving my next batch as I type, looking forward to eating one with bacon and egg tomorrow morning. I have made other dough types previously to make rolls especially with seeds. I love them. I have found the course to be very informative and easy to follow. Thank you.

  • 😀 Maricel Laconsay
    5
  • 😀 Cynthia Erickson
    5

    Love the videos! Very helpful information!

  • 😀 Linda Osbourne
    5
  • 😀 Riole Maligos
    5
  • 😀 Trnikon
    3.5
  • 😀 Alison Goldie
    5
  • 😀 Alexandra Neuman
    4
  • 😀 Genevieve Taylor
    4.5
  • 😀 Gladys Contreras
    5
  • 😀 Jenny Roper
    4.5
  • 😀 Charlotte Ramsey
    4
  • 😀 Rohini Ganesh
    4
  • 😀 Barbara Irwin
    4.5
  • 😀 Ian Holt
    5
  • 😀 Birgit Veeser
    3.5

    Very helpful throughout. To make it better, it would be good to address more of the usual problems that bakers have rather than showing how to do it perfectly. The last section contains such "issues" but it would have been good to address that during the entire process, e.g. how does an under- or overproved dough look prior to having it baked to learn from when it has gone wrong.

  • 😀 Jim De
    5

    Smashing course. Loved it. very well explained. The trainers are extremely well experienced for sure. They speak well, explain elaborately and make the training very interesting, fun as well as very easy to follow and learn. Kudos to both of them!

  • 😀 Lara Melo
    5

    What an amazing course. I'm a professional baker/pastry chef and this made me understand in depth what is happening with our dough, all the things forming and growing. Thank you!

  • 😀 Del Trynchuk
    5

    i really enjoyed this course, i have learned a lot and learned a lot of things that i was doing wrong!! great instructors!

  • 😀 Tamatha
    4.5
  • 😀 Rayhaan Toefy
    4.5
  • 😀 Mohammed ALQwasim
    4.5
  • 😐 Tathya Macwan
    3

    I don't know if the entire course is designed this way. Its not getting very interesting. I will see further if I get the answers i want.

  • 😀 sewdelite@gmail.com Coomes
    5

    Totally love this course. They work as a team, giving plenty of examples on what to look for in each stage of the bread making process. This clear view gives you the ability to feel confident when making your own bread. It's wonderful seeing not just one loaf, but many different kinds.

  • 😐 Archana
    2

    Not getting a systematic step by step procedure...not getting the hang

  • 😀 Robin Burrows
    5

    Intuitive fast simple reliable well laid out .

  • 😀 Luke Hunt
    4.5

    Very good information and very clearly explained on this course. Dragan and Penny know their dough very well🍞😋 and have a great way of teaching and they come across very friendly. I'm a chef and I've been making bread professionally and for my family for many years because it is my passion, but I am always looking to improve and I have learned some very useful stuff from this course. Thank you guys 😎

  • 😀 Helen Clayton
    5

    I highly recommend this course. It is just what I needed to better understand why my sourdough bakes did what they did! I have already done the sourdough made simple course, as a follow-up to a day workshop at the artisan bakery school, & have had good results to my baking. However, the scientist in me wanted to know why some loaves turned out better than others. I was lacking consistency & that really bothered me. This course has removed much mystery, although the live & variable nature of sourdough should always be appreciated! My techniques have also improved greatly. One happy baker here.

  • 😀 Gauri Bahal
    4
  • 😀 Iva Košuta
    5

    The course was very enjoyable and covered all the important points. I now have a more in-depth understanding of bread baking and feel I am more in control when doing so. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, complete beginners and persons with previous experience. Nice job and greetings from Croatia ;-)

  • 😐 Gill
    2.5

    It’s very disjointed and there is a lot of reading, I could have got it from a book. It seems to leap right in to the middle of bread baking.

  • 😀 Ganesh Balasubramanian
    5
  • 😀 Hasan Baris Gunsel
    4
  • 😀 Natasha Johnson
    5
  • 😀 Alvaro Barros
    4.5
  • 😀 Br. Paul Richards
    4
  • 😀 Kenny Kennington
    5

    Still on the learning journey and putting it all into practice. Loving the experience and aiming to only improve, and prove, my bread

  • 😀 Alfred Spiteri
    4
  • 😀 Shaaron Sanderson
    4.5
  • 😐 Sebastien Tapp
    3