I have just completed the preferment course, very informative, it gives suggestions on why a preferment would be used, but not when one would not, just speed over control and flavour?

Last week you made Japanese Milk Bread. The week before that, cinnamon rolls. Both of those bakes taught you something specific: how to handle enriched dough. How butter, eggs, and milk change everything about how dough feels, how it ferments, and how it bakes. This week, we’re putting all of that to work. We’re making Star Bread. If you’ve never seen one, picture this: a soft, buttery, filled bread shaped into a beautiful twisted star pattern that looks like it came out of a professional bakery. It’s the kind of bread people set in the center of a table and just stare at before they tear into it. Here’s the thing. It looks complicated. It’s not. If you made milk bread last week, you already have the hands for this. The dough is familiar. The technique is new, but I’ll walk you through every fold, every cut, every twist. Here’s how the week breaks down: https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/henrys-savory-star-bread?utm_source=skool&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=recipe-share Tuesday - We talk about laminating fillings into enriched dough. What works, what doesn’t, and why your filling choice matters more than you think. Wednesday - The geometry of star bread. I’ll break down the shaping method so it makes sense before you ever touch dough. Circles, stacking, cutting, twisting. We’ll cover it all. Thursday - Filling options and flavor combinations. Sweet, savory, and a few you haven’t thought of yet. Friday - Prep day. Get your dough made, your filling ready, and your workspace set. We go live Saturday morning. Saturday - Bake-along. You know the drill. I’m here all day. Yeasted and sourdough versions will both be available on the Recipe Pantry. A few weeks ago, some of you had never made enriched dough. Now you’ve done cinnamon rolls and milk bread. Star bread is the next step, and it’s the one that’s going to make people ask “you made that?” when they see it on your counter.

Something I've learned after years of baking and thousands of loaves: almost every bread problem traces back to flour. Dense crumb? Flour. Dough won't hold shape? Flour. Switched brands and everything fell apart? You already know where this is going. The problem is nobody teaches flour properly. It's either "bread flour vs all-purpose, the end" or some deep science paper that puts you to sleep. Neither one helps you bake better bread this weekend. That's why I built this course. Flour Deep Dive is six free lessons that change how you think about the most important ingredient in your bread. We start with how wheat becomes flour and work all the way through ancient grains, specialty flours, and reading any flour by feel. Every lesson has a demo bake and a community assignment. You're not just watching. You're baking your way through it. Start with the overview video above to see what's coming. Then jump into Lesson 1 when you're ready. And if this course helps you, do me a favor. Click the little check mark in the upper right corner of this module. It lets me know you're here and it helps the Academy grow. Let's get into it. What flour is sitting on your counter right now?

I’m having difficulty getting the baguette crust right, i think lack of steam. The crust is thick and rock like, flavour superb as is crumb. I just don’t see how to get four minutes of steam present. Tried tray, ice cubes, spritzer. Need to save for a new oven.

Ask and you shall receive. I created a cheat sheet you can print and stick on your refrigerator, tuck into your baking notebook, or keep wherever you bake. It covers all five washes, what each one does, when to use it, and the quick decision guide so you never have to guess again. It's in the classroom under Baker's Fundamentals. Go grab it. Same dough. Different wash. Completely different crust. Now you'll always know which one to reach for.