About this session
From flour, water, yeast and salt to a dough that rises and stretches: Bread Making Basics is an easy introduction to how everyday bread works.
At the workplace or online, it is a demonstration with no baking on site. The facilitator uses dough prepared at different stages to show mixing, kneading, fermentation and shaping up close, and everyone can ask questions.
For a hands-on version, the team goes to a hired teaching kitchen to mix their own dough, shape it, bake it and taste the result with the facilitator.
Everyone leaves with a recipe and method guide and enough confidence to try it at home.
What your people take away
- Understand how dough develops and ferments
- Know what good dough looks and feels like at each stage
- Simple shaping and troubleshooting tips
- A recipe and method guide to try at home
Shared with you
See the full session
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Meet the doughA focused 30-minute session on the essentials of Meet the dough: what makes bread, meet the ingredients and mix the dough.
- What makes bread
- Meet the ingredients
- Mix the dough
Covers Meet the dough, in brief.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Meet the doughParticipants meet the four basic ingredients and see how a dough is mixed.
- Meet the dough
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Meet the dough.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Develop and fermentBuilds on the 60-minute session. Participants also see how dough develops structure and how fermentation works, using dough prepared at different stages.
- Meet the dough
- Develop and ferment
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Meet the dough and Develop and ferment.
3 hours
3 Hours — Shape and finishBuilds on the 90-minute session. Participants also learn shaping, proofing and scoring and get a simple method for a first loaf.
- Meet the dough
- Develop and ferment
- Shape and finish
- Live Q&A
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Meet the dough, Develop and ferment and Shape and finish.
Full day
Full Day — Bread-Making Kitchen StudioA deeper studio at a hired teaching kitchen, with more time to handle dough, compare fermentation stages, shape and bake up to two bread styles.
- Meet the dough
- Develop and ferment
- Shape and finish
- Hands-on in a teaching kitchen
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
What’s covered
Meet the dough
Every length- What makes breadThe facilitator introduces the bread and the four basic ingredients behind a simple yeast dough.
- Meet the ingredientsParticipants see what flour, water, yeast and salt each do, and how changing amounts affects the dough.
- Mix the doughThe facilitator shows how a dough comes together and what too dry, too sticky and just right look like.
Develop and ferment
90 minutes and longer- Build structureKneading, stretching, folding and resting show how dough turns from rough to smooth and elastic.
- Fermentation explainedUsing dough at different stages, the group learns cues such as volume, bubbles, surface and aroma.
- Give it timeThe facilitator explains why fermentation cannot be rushed and how temperature changes the timing.
Shape and finish
3 hours and longer- Shape and proofThe facilitator shows how to shape dough without knocking out all the gas, and how to tell when it is ready.
- Scoring and donenessUsing prepared dough and finished loaves, the group learns scoring and how to tell when bread is done.
- Your first loafParticipants get a simple home method and answers to their questions.
Hands-on in a teaching kitchen
Full day only- Mix and shape your ownAt a hired teaching kitchen, participants weigh, mix, knead and shape their own dough.
- Bake and tasteThe group bakes, cuts into the bread and compares crust, crumb and rise.
- Choose a bread styleOptions include a classic loaf, focaccia, soft rolls or flatbreads.
Tools and materials
- Bread Making Basics recipe and method guide
- Beginner troubleshooting guide
- Ingredients and tools for the teaching kitchen
Who it’s for
- Team socials and wellbeing days
- Virtual and global team events
- Team off-sites and away days
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Bread Making Basics
How long is Bread Making Basics?
Bread Making Basics runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers the essentials of Meet the dough: what makes bread, meet the ingredients and mix the dough. A 60-minute session covers Meet the dough in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Develop and ferment. A 3-hour session adds Shape and finish. A full-day session adds Hands-on in a teaching kitchen.
Can Bread Making Basics be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Bread Making Basics?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Bread Making Basics to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.