Sourdough Bread Baking 102 - Exploration

🍞 Sourdough Bread Baking 102 - Exploration: Dive Deeper into the Art of Sourdough

Hear from the Expert - Teresa L Greenway

Course Headline:

📚 Sourdough 102: Unraveling the Mysteries Behind Exceptional Bread Baking

Course Updated: 5/10/2021

Introduction: I've always been fascinated by the "why" behind sourdough baking, and it's this curiosity that I want to share with you. This course is an extension of my previous Sourdough Bread Baking 101 course and is perfect for both beginning and intermediate sourdough bakers who are eager to understand more about the craft. If you're just starting out and don't have a sourdough starter yet, fear not! I'll guide you through the process with easy-to-follow videos and provide a free downloadable e-book on creating your own starter.

Course Overview:

This course is packed with hands-on experiments and insightful explorations into various aspects of sourdough baking. Here's what you can expect to learn:

• 🧪 Exploring Protein Quality in Flour: Learn an easy test to determine if your flour is suitable for bread baking, and then put your findings to the test with a real loaf of bread. Each participant will end up with a unique result based on their flour selection.

• 🧽 Gluten Washing: Discover how to extract gluten from flour and see what it looks like in its pure form, as well as how the starch behaves. This technique will also help you understand how different flours affect your bread.

• ✍️ Recovering from a Mistake: I'll share a real-life example of a significant error I made during an experiment and demonstrate how to salvage the situation to make beautiful Ciabatta bread instead.

• 🛠️ All Purpose Flour VS Bread Flour: We'll conduct three experiments comparing all-purpose flour and bread flour, pushing the boundaries with higher hydration levels. You might be surprised by what we uncover!

• ⚫️ High Hydration Loaf: In our final experiment, we'll use high-quality bread flour and double hydration to create an intriguing 88% hydration loaf.

• 🌱 Life Cycle of a Sourdough Starter: From feeding to its eventual 'death', we'll explore the entire life cycle of your sourdough starter, and even make delicious pancakes from the discard!

• Freezing Dough & Protecting Gluten: We'll delve into the world of freezing dough, what happens to gluten in weak doughs, and strategies to slow down fermentation (refer to the bonus section for additional resources).

What You'll Experience:

This course is more than just learning; it's an immersive journey into the complexities of sourdough baking. We'll experiment, make mistakes, and turn them into successes. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of sourdough, practical skills to improve your baking, and the confidence to try new techniques.

Join the Sourdough Adventure:

🌟 Let's get started on this tasty journey! With each experiment and every loaf you bake, you'll gain knowledge and skill that will elevate your sourdough baking to new heights. Teresa is here to guide you through every step, ensuring you have a fun and rewarding experience. So, don your apron, preheat your oven, and let's dive into the world of Sourdough Bread Baking 102! 🌟

Teresa L Greenway looks forward to welcoming you into her online kitchen for a course that will satisfy both your hunger for knowledge and your love for baking. Enroll today and transform your sourdough baking with the wisdom of Sourdough Bread Baking 102!

Course Overview

The course has received an impressive global rating of 4.70, with all recent reviews being highly positive. The majority of students have found the content both educational and immediately applicable to their baking practices, particularly emphasizing the impact on improving their bread. The course is commended for its informative approach, practical insights, and its ability to cater to a range of skill levels from novice to semi-experienced bakers.

Pros of the Course

• Educational Value: Students have reported a significant increase in their understanding of baking science, flour types, hydration, and protein content, which has translated into better loaves of bread.
• Practical Application: The knowledge imparted is not just theoretical but can be applied immediately to the students' own baking circumstances and ingredients.
• Comprehensive Coverage: The course covers a wide array of topics, from the basics of flour to more advanced concepts, making it suitable for both beginners and those looking to refine their skills.
• Real-World Applicability: Students appreciate that the course teaches them how to work with what they have available, as evidenced by positive feedback from a baker in New Zealand.
• Confidence Building: The facilitator's expertise inspires confidence and helps students feel more assured in their baking abilities.
• Interesting Science: There is a strong focus on the science behind bread making, which students find both intriguing and essential for understanding the process.
• Hands-On Approach: The course offers practical experiments to understand different types of flour, which has led to surprising discoveries about previously misunderstood pantry ingredients.

Cons of the Course

• Repetition: Some students feel that there is unnecessary repetition and overpraise of the results within the course content, suggesting it could be condensed.
• Technical Issues: A few reviews mention technical difficulties such as video and sound synchronization problems across different devices.
• Pacing Concerns: One student pointed out that the pace of the course could be quicker, noting that some sections seemed overly slow or labored.
• Desire for More Diversity: A few students expressed a desire for more exploration into alternative types of flour beyond those commonly found in the US or their respective regions.
• Misconceptions: There is one particularly critical review stating an inaccuracy in the hydration calculation for ciabatta bread, which could mislead learners.

Course Experience Highlights

• "A lot of good information about how flours work..." - This highlights the course's strong point in explaining flour types and their behavior during baking, which is crucial for improving bread quality.

• "...I am learning a lot about the basics of the type of flour." - The course seems to effectively convey fundamental concepts that are essential for both beginners and more experienced bakers.

• "Very slow and laboured, almost condescending approach by the tutor." - While this feedback is negative, it could serve as an indication for the course developers to consider adjusting the pacing to cater to a broader audience.

Final Verdict

Overall, the course is highly praised for its educational content and practical advice that has a direct impact on the quality of students' baking. While there are a few areas for improvement, such as addressing technical issues and ensuring accurate information in all sections, the positive feedback greatly outweighs the negative. The course is recommended for anyone interested in understanding more about flour types and improving their bread baking skills. With a few tweaks to address the concerns raised, this course has the potential to be an outstanding resource for bakers of all skill levels.