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Learn How to Bake with BBC Good Food

Keen to take your baking skills up a notch? Become a better baker with BBC Good Food’s brand-new course on baking for beginners.

4,968 enrolled on this course

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Learn How to Bake with BBC Good Food

4,968 enrolled on this course

  • 5 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Open level

Find out more about how to join this course

Master the baking basics – from how to read a recipe to top cake baking tips

Are you a beginner baker keen to take your brownies to the next level? Or an experimental baking enthusiast looking to learn the science behind your best bakes?

This course offers both beginner and more advanced bakers alike the chance to learn the mechanics of common basic baking techniques, as well as delicious baking recipes to make – and eat!

Each class begins with a taste or texture investigation, equipment and ingredient run-down, and pain point troubleshooting for different bakes. At the end of each class, you’ll find recipes to try out your new skills!

Master basic bakes and dip your toe into baking science

2020 saw more of us than ever take to the mixing bowl while confined to our homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From banana bread to pizza bases, baking gives cooks of all levels the chance to enjoy the mindful (and tasty) practice of making something from scratch.

On this course, you’ll learn the basic baking techniques for sponge cake, shortcrust pastry, white bread, tarts, pillowy meringues, and brownies.

Jazz up and improve your recipes when baking from scratch

A recipe is a static set of instructions, but it’s important to remember it can be open to interpretation.

You’ll learn how to annotate a recipe, add extras, and explain why each part of the recipe process works.

As you build your confidence, you’ll have the chance to share, advise, and collaborate on recipes with your fellow learners and Good Food experts.

Get insider baking tips and build your baking skills with BBC Good Food

BBC Good Food has over 30 years of culinary teaching experience and their course offers a wealth of knowledge to any budding baker.

You’ll move from easier bakes to the more technically difficult as you become comfortable with new ingredients and techniques week on week.

What topics will you cover?

Beginner baking covers the techniques, skills and baking science that will help you improve your baking.

  • Week 1 - How to make the lightest, airiest sponge cake
  • Week 2 - Make an easy white bread dough that can be used as a loaf, rolls or pizza bases
  • Week 3 - The secrets of crisp, tender shortcrust pastry tarts
  • Week 4 - Fail-safe methods for making meringues
  • Week 5 - How to use chocolate in recipes and the best ever brownie recipe.

Each class involves a taste or texture investigation, tips on the best equipment to use, and a look at how to choose ingredients. Plus we teach you to evaluate new recipes and anticipate and eliminate potential failure points.

Each class ends with a recipe to make and supplemental recipes to grow your baking repertoire. We will help you every step of the way.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the techniques used in cooking, and in particular baking.
  • Investigate the behaviours that they will create around them as they cook, the cultural role that baking plays in life and how to become better cooks.
  • Research and compare recipes that they want to try, they will learn to evaluate what makes a good set of instructions.
  • Interpret or "read" a recipe to see if it is workable, and to annotate it to improve it
  • Explore new flavours and experiment with different ingredients and be brave when cooking
  • Reflect on failure if it happens, assess possible causes and modify techniques.
  • Produce baked goods throughout the course will therefore test the theory

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for beginner to intermediate bakers.

Whether you want to learn how baking works so you can be more experimental with your bakes, you’re looking to avoid unhealthy bakes and want to bake from scratch with family, you’re interested in becoming a baking hobbyist, or you’re an experienced baker and want to quantify your skill level while adding new abilities – this course has something for you.

What software or tools do you need?

To take part in this course you’ll need a functioning oven and some basic kitchen equipment. An electric whisk will be very useful.

Who will you learn with?

Cassie is food director for BBC Good Food. She trained as a chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine before joining BBC Good Food 10 years ago. She enjoys baking and creating family focused recipes.

As the longest standing member of the team, skills editor Barney has written thousands of recipes for BBC Good Food. Barney is also Good Food's resident bread baking expert. Follow @barney_desmazery

After completing a professional chef diploma at Westminster Kingsway, I went on to work as a pastry chef at the House of Commons before joining the team at Good Food as the recipe developer.

Who developed the course?

BBC Good Food

BBC Good Food is the no 1. food media brand in the UK comprising the monthly food magazine launched in 1987, leading food website, and bi-annual BBC Good Food Shows.

Ways to learn

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$134/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 3 May 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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