Sourdough Success! Online Course Access

Hello, dearest bread lover! Welcome to Bumblebee Bakery, my little organic artisan bakery in New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Together, we will bake a big and beautiful sourdough loaf in the most easy and relaxed way. From tools and ingredients to mixing, folding techniques, shaping and baking and all the little steps in between....we will do everything together, so you will be a successful sourdough baker from loaf ONE!

Below, you will find all lessons, videos and resources to guide you step by step. Take your time and enjoy the process.

In this video you will meet Franziska, your sourdough teacher, hear a little bit about her baking journey and the beginnings of Bumblebee Bakery.

In this video Franziska shares the difference between yeast leavened bread and sourdough bread and why, through the art of fermentation sourdough is more nutritious. You’ll also get a little science and history along the way!

In this video Franziska explains step-by-step the stages involved in making your own beautiful loaf of sourdough bread.

Hands, dough knife, scales, a special bowl, oven trays and tins. Basic tools found in any kitchen which you will use to make your first loaf of sourdough and the many more that will come after it.

Franziska talks through the 4 ingredients - flour, water, salt and sourdough starter - that you will need to make your own beautiful loaves of sourdough bread.

The excitement begins! In this video Franziska takes you through the process of weighing and mixing together the ingredients that will form your very first loaf of sourdough bread.

This video gives useful insights into the importance of stretching and folding dough, why your hands are one of the most important tools in bread making and how to stretch and fold your dough to create beautifully aerated loaves.

In this video Franziska shares insights into the second stretch and fold and how over-stretching your dough can cause the gluten strands to tear.

In this video you will see how your dough transforms and becomes even more elastic and smooth from the second to the third stretch and fold. The final step before shaping your first loaf!

In this video Franziska shares how to line your proofing vessel, shape your loaf and create tension on the surface of your dough so that it holds its shape when baking.

In this video you will learn to tell whether or not your dough has proofed enough to bake, as well as some tips about why and how you score your dough.

In this video you will learn about the 3 most important factors that lead to a well-baked loaf of bread; temperature, steam and time.

Franziska talks through slicing your loaves like a pro and how to wrap and store your bread so that it keeps fresher for longer.