Best Online Baking Classes

by Liz Hurley

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If you’re looking for the best online baking classes in 2023, this article is here to help.

With so many online baking courses available it can be hard to know which one to choose.

Plus, the right class should focus not only on recipes, but also skills and techniques that will truly make you a better baker.

That’s why we’ve pulled together this list for the best baking classes of 2023.

We’ve considered different aspects of baking (from bread, to cakes, to pastry), different skill levels (from beginner to advanced), as well as price, value for money, and many other factors.

So with that being said, let’s get stuck in!

Our top 15 best online baking classes 

Our top picks are as follows:

  1. Dominique Ansel teaches French pastry fundamentals (MasterClass)
  2. Apollonia Poilâne teaches Bread Baking (MasterClass)
  3. One Week Baking Mastery (Udemy)
  4. Master the Tarte Tatin (Udemy)
  5. The Butter Book
  6. Cakeflix
  7. Cookies 101 (The Gluten Free Academy)
  8. Bread baking (The Gluten Free Academy)
  9. The Essential Sourdough Bread and Pastry Baking Course (Udemy)
  10. The Basics of Cake (Udemy)
  11. Baking Basics – 6 classic bakes (Udemy)
  12. Know Yo’Dough – baking tools, tips and techniques (Skillshare)
  13. The Science of Easy Vegan Baking (Skillshare)
  14. French Pastry Foundation Level part 1 (Udemy)
  15. French Pastry Foundation Level part 2 (Udemy)

Our top recommendation is MasterClass. And that's because with MasterClass membership, you can learn French pastry baking from Dominique Ansel and bread baking from Apollonia Poilâne — both of whom are among the best in the world at what they do.

Their classes cater for all skill levels, are incredibly well produced, include amazing recipes, and most importantly, teach you the skills you need to become a better baker.

Plus you get access to over 100 other MasterClasses, all taught by world leading experts. You can learn cooking from Gordon Ramsay or Thomas Keller, makeup with Bobbi Brown, photography with Annie Leibovitz plus many, many more. 

What’s more, the pricing structure means the more classes you take, the better the value you get. It can actually be a very cheap way to learn from the world's best. Plus as MasterClass has a refund policy that removes the risk of you losing out if you don’t enjoy it. View more at MasterClass.com.

Alternatives to MasterClass include Butter Book and Cakeflix, both membership platforms that focus exclusively on baking. So if baking’s all you're interested in they can be excellent options.

And if you’re only interested in taking one course, then our top recommendations would be One Week Baking Mastery, Master the Tarte Tatin or the Essential Sourdough Bread and Pastry Baking Course.

Read our mini reviews below to get the full details!

Best online baking course reviews

1. Dominique Ansel teaches French Pastry Fundamentals (MasterClass)

Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Dominique Ansel | Course length: 17 video lessons totalling 3 hours and 37 minutes

Dominique Ansel has been named the best pastry chef in the United States twice. Once by the James Beard foundation and again by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. His creativity is a global phenomenon and he’s famous for inventing some of the world’s most celebrated pastries. This includes the first-ever viral pastry, the  ‘cronut’, named by Time Magazine as one of the 25 best inventions that year.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Turn simple ingredients into something beautiful
  • Understand why things work (or don’t)
  • Transfer acquired skills and techniques to new dishes and expand your creativity
  • Make a wide range of French pastries – including croissants, biscuits, tarts and desserts
  • Appreciate Dominique's process for experimenting with new possibilities

Pros

  • Learn to create amazing pastries and desserts from a globally recognized pastry chef
  • Opens your mind to think differently about food
  • Structured to teach the building blocks of pastry from the base to the finishing
  • Lots of amazing tips and tricks to perfect your baking
  • Simple flexible recipes that you can add your own signature to
  • Access to a community of fellow students

Cons

  • The printable workbook recipe instructions sometimes differ slightly from those given in the video
  • Does not contain the recipe for the famous cronut!

Who it is for: Anyone wanting to get creative with pastries and desserts. The recipes vary from simple to more complex so there’s something to challenge and stretch every ability level. Less suited to anyone who is strictly vegan, dairy or gluten intolerant as alternative ingredients are not suggested.

Student feedback: “Dominique Ansel tastes pastry to another level, even though you might have made a chocolate cake or croissant before, Dominique shows you all the tricks and tips, and best techniques. I learnt a lot and can see what I have done wrong in the past. thank you Dominique for sharing your passion.” Comment from the MasterClass community

Overall: A great skills based course which aims to help you think outside of the box and get creative with French pastry. Dominique seeks to build confidence with carefully curated recipes, tips and techniques and an encouraging can do attitude. And, as with all MasterClasses, you get to share his journey from a small French town, to a New York Michelin starred restaurant and then his very own bakery.

2. Apollonia Poilâne teaches Bread Baking (MasterClass)

Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Apollonia Poilâne | Course length: 17 video lessons totalling 3 hours and 35 minutes

If the world of bread baking has a royal family, Apollonia Poilâne is surely its queen. A third generation baker, her bread is so desirable, 200,000 loaves are Fedexed direct from her Parisian ovens to over 20 countries every year. And customers include the likes of Oprah, Robert de Niro and Alice Waters. 

You’ll learn to: 

  • Develop all your senses in a way that will make you a better baker
  • Deploy a huge range of techniques for creating consistently wonderful loaves
  • Create and nurture a sourdough starter and make a home kitchen version of the fabled miche Poilâne as well as a range of sourdough and yeast based breads
  • Cook using stale or dry bread as an ingredient

Pros

  • An opportunity to learn from the owner of the world’s most famous boulangerie
  • Teaches a sensory approach to make you an all round better baker
  • Lots of amazing tips and tricks to perfect your baking
  • Clear, concise and well planned delivery
  • Access to a community of students

Cons

  • May not be advanced enough for very experienced bakers
  • Needs more consideration of specialist dietary requirements (eg vegan)

Who it is for: Anyone who wants to learn the science and art of bread baking from one of the best bakers in the world. Especially new or intermediate bakers. More experienced bakers who are fans of Apollonia will also benefit from an insight into baking with the Poilâne spirit.

Student feedback: “She is incredibly clear, looks at so many details. I consider myself to be a quite advanced sourdough baker and still have learned a TON of things with Apollonia.” Comment from the MasterClass community

Overall: This class is more than just amazing recipes, it’s teaching from a world class boulanger. And it’s specifically designed to sharpen your senses, refine your judgement, and make you a better baker. On top of all this, you will be treated to the philosophies, stories and secrets gleaned from the family’s nine decades of bread baking. 

3. Marco Ropke teaches Online Pastry School – 1 week mastery course (Udemy)

Marco Ropke teaches Online Pastry

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Marco Ropke | Course length: 58 lessons divided into 6 different courses totalling 10 hours of video content (designed to be taken over a week)

Marco Ropke is a 4th generation pastry chef. During his 25 years of baking he has worked all over the world from being a chocolatier at the Marron aux Glace Patisserie in Lyon through to being Executive Pastry Chef forThe Ritz Carlton & JW Marriott Hotels in Beijing. He now runs his own Pastry Training Centre in Canada.

You’ll learn to:

  • Get to grips with basic kitchen essentials – reading recipes, converting amounts, adjusting to different ovens and kitchen temperatures, etc.
  • Build skills through carefully curated recipes for a wide range of baking products (eg: strudels, pies, baked cheese cakes, cookies and cakes)
  • Appreciate the science behind baking
  • Understand why things work, and what’s happened if they don’t
  • Build confidence to experiment and create your own recipes in the future
  • Cultivate an awareness of the history of baking

Pros

  • Opportunity to learn an immense range of baking skills from a 4th generation baker with teaching experience
  • Explains why as well as how so that you can apply the skills acquired across all your baking.
  • Filmed with two camera angles to make processes easy to follow and replicate
  • Builds skills incrementally through 25+ carefully selected and organized recipes
  • Covers European, North American and Asian bakes
  • Consistently rated 4*+

Cons

  • The finished product is not always shown so you don’t have a basis of comparison
  • A few of the printable recipes are incomplete so I would advise you print them out and annotate them as you watch

Who it is for: Because of its depth and breadth this course would suit a range of people. New and/or home cooks will benefit from the clear, step by step approach and the ways the recipes progress in terms of difficulty. Intermediate and experienced cooks will up their skills and be challenged by the more complex bakes.

Student feedback: “Excellent process development, explanation of key points and demonstration of technique. The verbal communication is quite clear, concise and understandable with specific terms explained as needed. All-in-all great instruction. Thank you, sir, very much.” Udemy Review 

Overall: A comprehensive course that covers a very wide range of different bakes and includes over 25 recipes. Techniques are well explained and demonstrated and key baking skills are developed from the ground up with the more challenging bakes providing stretch for able cooks.

4. Irit Ishai teaches you to Master the Tarte Tatin (Udemy)

Irit Ishai teaches the Tarte Tatin

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Irit Ishai | Length: 28 lessons in 13 sections lasting 4 hours

Irit Ishai is an award winning pastry chef with over 20 years experience in the art of baking, pastry, pastry art and cake decoration. Most notably, she was head pastry chef at the three Michelin starred Manresa Restaurant. Currently Irit is founder and course designer of the online Pastry school, CakeNuvo.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Create a huge variety of Tart Tatins
  • Develop critical baking and decorating skills that lead to consistently delicious and beautiful outcomes
  • Build the confidence to personalize your own Tarte Tatin recipes
  • Work with puff pastry and Tuile batter to make cookies

Pros

  • Learn to create amazing pastries and desserts from a chef with over 20 years in the business
  • Clear and simple explanation of what works and why
  • Lots of amazing tips and tricks to perfect your baking
  • Encourages you to be creative and adventurous
  • Great value for money with consistent 4*+ ratings
  • Certificate on completion

Cons

  • Very focused on a particular kind of French pastry
  • Quite a big focus on decoration – which is not a con if this is what you are looking for but is if you want a range of more generic skills

Who it is for: Anyone wanting to get creative with a particular kind of French pastry, the Tarte Tatin. Though there’s a strong focus on this one kind of pastry there’s a lot of variation in the recipes and different levels of challenge. Inexperienced bakers will benefit from the focus on one thing, those with more experience can get adventurous with sophisticated decoration techniques.

Student feedback: ”Brilliant!!! I feel like I'm in a 5 star restaurant having a personal lesson! Irit gives a course par excellence with so much attention to detail there is no way you will produce anything less than a masterpiece if you follow her instructions.” Udemy feedback  

Overall: Developed by an award-winning pastry chef, this course is a great  step-by-step guide to creating tarts and desserts that can’t fail to impress. Beginners benefit from learning to make all of the recipes and decorations from scratch using fairly simple techniques. But there’s plenty for more experienced bakers, especially in terms of making sophisticated sugar decorations.

5.The Butter Book (specialist baking platform)

Butter book

What is the Butter Book and how does it work?

The Butter Book offers online baking lessons in pastry, bread making and cake decorating. 

It’s a subscription service. Once you’ve signed up, you have unlimited access to over 200+ professional baking videos for a year. 

It’s designed to develop skills and knowledge for bakers of every ability with a growing library of lessons, courses, weekly updates and exclusive articles from renowned pastry chefs, chocolatiers and bakers.

Currently it is offering a free 60 day trial.

Who are the Butter Book instructors?

Butter Book is the brainchild of elite French master pastry bakers Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Cannone. Their star studded careers include being executive pastry chefs for a litany of 5* hotels and Cannone has even been knighted for his service to pastry baking

Together they founded the French Pastry School and have been teaching the art and science of bakery for more than 25 years.

Alongside them, other teachers include award winning chefs such as En-Ming Hsu and Jeffrey Hamelman.

Pros

  • Courses designed and led by renowned pastry chefs, chocolatiers and bakers
  • Strong focus on techniques & food science 
  • Designed specifically to emphasize knowledge and skill progression
  • Professionally filmed classes with closed captions
  • 200+ recipes and 40+ courses
  • A glossary of over 4,000 technical terms and definitions
  • Updated weekly
  • Community Facebook group with live Q&A sessions

Cons

  • Subscription is a fairly large initial outlay – but you’ll spend less in the long run if you take at least 3 courses
  • Navigation within lessons could be more slick

Student Feedback: Baking science and techniques thoroughly explained in each lesson. Super helpful for anyone from beginner to advanced Pastry, Baking & Cake decorating learner. I myself am an alumna of the French Pastry School and currently working in the field, still find it interesting to revise my knowledge and learn new techniques through The Butter Book. Facebook Review

6. Cakeflix (specialist baking platform)

Cakeflix best baking class

What is Cakeflix and how does it work?

As the name implies, Cakeflix is like Netflix, but for cakes.

It’s aim is “To empower budding cake artists to achieve their cake dreams, by providing a huge selection of online cake tutorials, a range of attended and online classes and an accredited Programme of certified learning.” (Paul Bradford, co-founder)

You can choose to buy tutorials individually, or with a subscription you can access over a thousand cake based tutorials, live shows and competitions.

Who are the Cakeflix instructors?

Well, it could be you!

Cakeflix was the dreamchild of Paul Bradford and David Brice. Paul has baked cakes for the British Royal Family and Prince Albert of Monaco, to name but a few. David has a background in business coaching and technology.

They’ve combined their talents to offer professional training enabling you to deliver on their platform.

So the Cakeflix instructors include Paul, as well as those that have been professionally trained and approved to appear on the platform.

So, get good at the game and you too could be live on Cakeflix TV.

Pros

  • Super resource for finding creative cake decorating ideas
  • Offers beginner, intermediate and advanced options
  • At least one new course released every week
  • If you don’t want to subscribe, you can purchase courses individually
  • You can watch a short preview before committing to any course
  • Access to hundreds of cake designs
  • Provides access to Cakeflix Master which is an externally accredited course
  • Offers free taster courses
  • Provides live tutorials for full members
  • There are business tutorials for baking entrepreneurs

Cons

  • Slightly more inclined towards decorating than baking – though there are lots of cake recipes
  • Not all the instructors on the platform are professional bakers- though they have to be approved to appear there

Student feedback: ”Love CakeFlix. So much information on there from baking a Victoria sponge through to a tiered wedding cake. Can always find answers to any questions on there. Highly recommended for beginner and professional.” Review from Feefo

7 Heather Crosby teaches Cookies 101 (The Gluten Free Academy)

Heather Crosby teaches Cookies 101

Platform: The Gluten Free Academy | Teacher: Heather Crosby | Course length: 13 video lessons

Heather Crosby is founder of the Good Food Cooking School, has written two books on  plant based cooking and developed over 600 recipes. Her work has been featured by HuffPost, HGTV and NPR. The Gluten Free Academy is Heather’s answer to the problem those with a gluten intolerance have – how to create ‘proper’, delicious baked goods that don’t fall apart and taste like cardboard!

You’ll learn how to:

  • Build confidence in your baking skills
  • Bake 13 different cookies including shortbread, peanut butter cookies and florentines
  • Create ‘naughty’ tasting cookies that are actually nutritious and healthy
  • Achieve a rich taste and texture without eggs or dairy

Pros:

  • No standing mixer or fancy tools needed
  • Shares tips that change your experience of baking and tasting vegan based goods.
  • Whole grain nutrient rich ingredients
  • Gluten AND dairy free
  • Permanent access to the course
  • Access to a lively Community Classmates Group

Cons:

  • You have to enroll and wait for the class to go live
  • Not suited for those with nut allergies

Student Feedback:  “I was very skeptical, it was my first ever online course and I was worried about wasting my money. But I’m really happy to say that it was totally worth it. Heather’s put together a really active online group and to me that’s a definite bonus of the course on top of all the material and the wonderful recipes. I love that I can log in at any time and still access the recipes and nothing takes up any space in my kitchen. It’s worked really well for me!”

8 Heather Crosby teaches Bread Baking (The Gluten Free Academy)

Heather Crosby teaches Bread Baking

Platform: The Gluten Free Academy | Teacher: Heather Crosby | Course length: 20 video lessons designed to be taken over four weeks.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Master all the basics for baking vegan, gluten free breads
  • Apply transferable techniques and tricks
  • Tackle a variety of breads including sourdoughs, yeast based breads and flatbreads
  • Avoid the dry, dusty texture that characterizes so many gluten free breads
  • Shop for vegan and gluten free ingredients
  • Bake and store sustainably to avoid waste
  • Access to a lively Community Classmates group

Pros:

  • One recipe becomes many thanks to secret tips and tricks
  • Once modules are live you can watch in your own time
  • ‘Office Hours’ are available to ask questions and get support
  • 29 recipes in total
  • Permanent access to the course
  • Access to Community Classmates Group
  • Measurements given by weight and volume and a measurement converter is provided

Cons:

  • Only available twice a year

Who these courses are for: Beginners with dietary needs who are keen to learn how to create traditional baked goods that taste as good (or better) than what you buy at a bakery. Also suited to reasonably experienced bakers who are new to vegan/gluten free baking. Not aimed at professional or highly experienced bakers.

Student Feedback:  “This course gave me a lot of information, even though I’m a nutritionist there was a lot of new stuff for me.  For example, the different kinds of grain you can use, and how you can swap them, so you can really make a recipe your own. And I learned some great tricks as well. I like that you are making whole foods with no dodgy ingredients”

Overall: Heather’s courses equip you with everything you need to confidently create wholesome, healthy baked goods that are delicious and kind to your tummy. The tips and techniques she shares enable you to get creative and experiment with your own culinary variations. Most suited to beginners or those with little experience of gluten free/vegan baking.

9. Marcel Dauboin teaches essential sourdough bread and pastry baking (Udemy)

Marcel Dauboin teaches essential sourdough bread and pastry baking

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Marcel Dauboin | Course length: 47 video lessons lasting one and a half hours

Marcel Dauboin is a young entrepreneur and baker based in Cape Town, South Africa. He opened his own artisan bakery in 2019 and has published two cookbooks.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Make a sourdough starter from scratch
  • Bake not just bread but a range of pastries, including croissants, using your sourdough starter
  • Appreciate the immense flavour and texture that sourdough lends the whole range of baked goods
  • Master a wealth of techniques that can used to hone your baking skills

Pros

  • Designed to gradually build and progress skills
  • Recipes not just for breads, but other baked goods such as croissants and bagels
  • Optional lessons that give you a deeper understanding of the baking process that you can return to – or watch straight away if you have some prior experience
  • Clear explanations and lots of tips to perfect your baking
  • Consistently rated 4*+

Cons

  • The short lessons make the course feel a little fragmented at times
  • So much is packed in, it can also feel somewhat rushed – though of course you can replay and revisit the videos at your leisure

Who it is for: Complete beginners wanting to start their sourdough journey will get a sound grounding from this course.  And there are lessons for more experienced bakers (such as the one on flour types) who want a more comprehensive understanding of the baking process.

Student feedback: “His course is great value for money and his instructions are so easy to follow. My first attempt at making bagels was a great success!! Can't wait to try his sourdough bread recipe next!” Udemy Review 

Overall: A comprehensive, skills based approach to baking with sourdough. Designed to build skills incrementally and encourage you to be adventurous in relation to sourdough baking. So much is packed in, you may have to replay and revisit some videos but better too much than too little! 

10. Emily Friend teaches The Basics of Cake (Udemy)

Emily Friend teaches The Basics of Cake

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Emily Friend | Course length: 10 video modules lasting 2 hours

Emily Friend has run and managed cake shops around the world for over 10 years. She also has a background in teaching meaning she understands the importance of explaining why, as well as how, to do things! 

You’ll learn to: 

  • Bake reliably delicious good cakes
  • Get to grips with everything from tools to frosting and everything in between
  • Make visually stunning creations
  • Improve the taste, texture and appearance of your cakes even if you are experienced
  • Make various frostings and fillings and decorate differently shaped cakes
  • How to store, transport and serve cakes

Pros

  • Delivered by a professional baker and teacher
  • Breaks down techniques into easy to follow steps that build skills
  • Lots of clear explanations, tips and troubleshooting to make you a better baker
  • Consistent 4*+ reviews
  • Certification upon completion

Cons

  • Quite a fast pace, though everything you need to know is also in the PDF file
  • Less suited to really experienced bakers

Who it is for: Most suited to those at the start of their cake baking journey who want a complete overview of all the key skills involved. Also suited to intermediate bakers who wish to take their skills to the next level, particularly in terms of improving taste and appearance.

Student feedback: “I really, really enjoyed this course. I was always scared of trying multiple layers cakes and now I have the confidence in doing so, thanks. The instructor was very clear on all her steps. I picked up tips on how to get my cakes smooth and how to get rid of air pockets. Finishing touches, storing, serving and transporting were very informative.” Udemy Feedback

Overall:  Developed by a professional baker with teaching experience, this course is a well explained guide to developing key cake baking skills. Beginners benefit from Emily’s patient and detailed step by step approach and more experienced bakers can up their game in terms of taste and decoration.

11. Rachel Reynolds teaches baking basics (Udemy)

Rachel Reynolds teaches baking basics

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Rachel Reynolds | Course length: 8 video lessons totalling one hour and 36 minutes

Rachel Reynolds ran a successful bakery called Blueberry Hill which designed and supplied cakes for the private and retail market, including Harrods and Selfridges. She is currently baker and decorator for Kara’s Cupcakes.

You’ll learn to:

  • Bake 6 classical recipes that will impress your friends
  • Get to grips with the terminology and tools used in the baking world
  • Master fundamental baking skills and techniques that will give you confidence to experiment further

Pros

  • Very well suited to the complete novice
  • Builds confidence with classical yet popular bakes
  • Includes a recipe for biscuits and meringues to expand your repertoire
  • Well explained with helpful tips and tricks
  • Consistent 4*+ reviews
  • Certification on completion

Cons

  • A very basic course that will not benefit more experienced bakers
  • Rachel is a UK baker so measurements are not given in cups

Who it is for:  Complete novices in the kitchen, or those with a little experience who lack the confidence to tackle cakes! And of course, cake lovers.

Student feedback: “Thank you Rachel for the beautiful tutorials for all the lessons you prepared. You used simple ingredients to illustrate some famous baked desserts which I can now prepare at home. I am a working mother and after understanding the very essence of each recipe, I am confident that baking would be a delightful experience both for me as a baker and for my family. Thank you for your time. Really appreciate your expertise. ” Udemy Review 

Overall: Gain confidence in some really fundamental skills that form the bedrock of good baking. Well explained with an engaging teacher

12. Sue Wilberding teaches Know Yo’Dough – Baking Tools, Tips and Techniques (SkillShare)

Sue Wilberding teaches Know Yo’Dough

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Sue Wildberding | Course length: 14 video lessons totalling 1 hour and 2 minutes

A designer by trade, Becky Sue Wilberding turned to baking as a hobby and found she had a flair for it. She has now added food photography to her talents and runs a blog that makes the most of these new skill sets. She has had recipes published by Dominique Ansel and Alice Waters.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Appreciate the importance of using quality ingredients and specialist tools
  • Make three different types of dough and finished products
  • Deploy tips and techniques for mixing, shaping and baking dough

Pros

  • Clear, easy to follow instructions and explanations
  • Great foundation level course
  • Confidence building with an engaging teacher 
  • Carefully curated recipes that incorporate key tools and techniques you need to succeed as a baker

Cons

  • Not suited for intermediate or experienced bakers 
  • Only covers three recipes

Who it is for:  Best suited for new bakers. This course offers a great, confidence building, way into baking with dough

Student feedback: I felt like she was really in the room with me and was impressed by her poise, humor and outfit! Also, the video was so professional! I am timid in the kitchen but with her tips, explanations and expertise I will grab a glass of wine and confidently try my hand at her recipes.”  

Overall: A great entry level course that focuses on reliably making good dough which is a key skill for good baking.

13. Samita Sakar teaches the Science of Easy Vegan Baking (SkillShare)

Samita Sakar teaches the Science of Easy Vegan Baking

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Samita Sakar | Course length: 14 video lessons totalling 50 minutes

A scientist by training, Samita Sakar has put her knowledge of chemistry and nutrition to work as a vegan baker and author, having written the book Taste Tests – the Science of Simple, Healthier Desserts.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Make no nonsense healthy dessert staples with no animal products
  • Understand the science behind the recipes and techniques used
  • Bake a range of ten cakes, desserts, pastries and cookies including such staples as shortbread and brownies
  • Develop the confidence to experiment with vegan baking

Pros

  • Clear, easy to follow instructions 
  • Simple easy to find ingredients
  • The science behind the recipes is explained- covers the hows and whys of what you are making
  • Recipes are dairy and also nut free

Cons

  • The quality of the video and audio could be better

Who it is for:  Best suited for plant based beginners or those with a dairy intolerance.

Student feedback: “I  made it my mission to try and absorb everything I can about the culinary world that I can find on skillshare, and I have to say, yours was one of the best. I really really liked the in-depth analysis you provided, and even if the audio and video quality isn't top notch, I feel like I really learned something.”  

Overall: A great introduction to the science of vegan baking with a wide range of different recipes to try. The digestible scientific tidbits explaining the chemistry of the recipes and the reactions of the ingredients will help you to explore and design your own baking projects.

14. Chef Professor Philippe Salomon teaches French Pastry Foundation Level Part 1 (Udemy) 

Chef Professor Philippe Salomon teaches French Pastry

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Chef Professor Philippe Salomon | Course length: 23 video lessons lasting 1 hour 5 minutes

Chef Professor Philippe Salomon was executive pastry chef at the 2 starred Michelin Le Grand Véfour, and then professor of pastry for 18 years at the Ferrandi school of culinary arts in Paris. After retiring he became a teaching professor at TrueFoodies.com.

You’ll learn to: 

  • Master the basics of making pastry (doughs and fillings)
  • Make a variety of doughs and tarts including Pâte Sucrée, Pâte Brisée, Lemon Tart and Tarte Tatin
  • Build confidence to move on to the more challenging pastries in Part 2

Pros

  • Learn the basics of French Pastry with a former professor of pastry from the top French culinary school Ferrandi
  • Create doughs and recipes step by step
  • Recipes curated to increase in difficulty and develop skills 
  • Opportunity to develop techniques further in part 2 of the course
  • Consistent 4*+ reviews
  • A quiz and certification upon completion

Cons

  • Rather a short course that’s a little more focussed on recipes than skills
  • Chef Phillipe makes the dishes but does not engage with you as the viewer, instead there is a female voice over

Student feedback: “I really like the instructions that you can download that go with the course. So when I am cooking and watching the video I have both the instructions in writing and the video to refer to. Plus I can prepare all the ingredients and equipment in advance. For me as a not so experienced baker – it is really good to follow and understand. And the results have been really delicious and impressive for my family!” Udemy Feedback

15. Chef Professor Philippe Salomon teaches French Pastry Foundation Level Part 2 (Udemy) 

Chef Professor Philippe Salomon teaches Pastry

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Chef Professor Philippe Salomon | Course length: 16 video lessons lasting 1 hour 1 minute

Professional French pastry (foundation level) Part II

You’ll learn to: 

  • Build your skills and techniques step by step 
  • Gain the confidence to bake more challenging pastries
  • Bake French classics such as profiteroles, eclairs and pâte au choux in Part 2

Pros

  • Learn to cook like a French pastry cook under the guidance of a former professor of pastry from the Ferrandi culinary school
  • Classical recipes selected to develop skills
  • Bonus recipes included
  • Consistent 4*+ reviews
  • A quiz and certification upon completion

Cons

  • Chef Phillipe makes the dishes but does not engage with you as the viewer, instead there is a female voice over

Who it is for: Most suited to those fairly new to baking and who want to build skills incrementally by working through classical French recipes of varying difficulty.

Student feedback: “I loved everything about it, great food, amazing recipes and it was explained really well.” Udemy Feedback

Overall: With over 14 recipes in each part of this French Pastry course it represents good value for money. Skills are developed incrementally and the variety of classical bakes build in difficulty and challenge. 

Buyers guide: what to look out for in a baking class

Choosing a baking class that’s right for you can be confusing, so we recommend you consider the following points when making your purchase:

  • Experience of the instructor— if you’re going to spend your time and money on an online baking class, you should ensure you’re learning from someone with considerable experience an ability to share that experience in a relatable way
  • Develops skills – an online course shouldn’t be just a recipe book. The right class will teach you the skills and techniques to be a confident, independent and adventurous baker
  • Great recipes – You’re taking the class in the hope of producing amazing baked baked dishes. So you want to be sure that the recipes included are the sorts of things you want to eat
  • Syllabus and skill level – make sure that what’s on offer is what you’re looking for! Are you looking for a broad course or to focus on one particular area? 
  • Price – obviously you’ll want to choose something that’s in budget, but it’s important to consider the value you’re getting too. If one course was twice the price of another (and still in budget) but the teacher had 10x more experience and the course was much longer, you may want to take those factors into account!

How much does it cost?

Prices for individual classes mentioned in this review vary between $20-$90. Even at the top end, this is cheaper than in person training.

And they’re even better value if you calculate them on an hourly basis and factor in that you are developing or improving an important life skill.

In terms of the subscription platforms (MasterClass, Skillshare, Cakeflix and the Butter Book) prices change, but annual subscriptions are usually around the $180-$200 mark.

Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all the available classes on that platform for a year. And the more courses you take during that year, the better the value you get. 

In the long run, if you’re serious about learning a subscription can save you money. And on a platform like MasterClass where you are learning from global leaders in their field the value for money is unbeatable.

How long does it take to learn baking?

Courses in this review vary in length from an hour to four weeks!

However, you should also account for practice. A general rule would be to take the length of the course and multiply by 5 (which accounts for practice hours) to get a feel for how long you need to put aside to learn this skill.

And remember, you can view and revisit the videos at your own pace. 

In addition to that, all the courses we have mentioned provide printable resources that you can keep for permanent reference.

How do we rank our results?

We rank our results based on which courses we believe to be the best. 

Inevitably, this is subjective. But the factors we consider are:

  • The experience of the teacher
  • Provides transferable skills
  • Has a strong, varied syllabus
  • Is well taught and explained
  • Student feedback
  • Quality of production
  • Overall impressions 

Where we can, we complete the courses in order to review them. Where this is not possible we do extensive research on the course, it’s syllabus and student feedback. 

Conclusion

If you’re looking to learn how to bake, fortunately you have plenty of options. 

MasterClass is perhaps the most interesting offer as it provides you the opportunity to learn from two world class bakers, plus the ability to learn from leading experts in a whole host of other categories including cooking, music, writing, meditation and more.

Butterbook and Cakeflix are great options if you really want to double down on baking specifically, while there are plenty of good individual courses on Udemy. 

Hopefully this article has helped you understand what the best baking course is for you! 

Related article: Best online cooking courses

Frequently asked questions

What is the best online baking class?

Our top recommendation is MasterClass because with MasterClass you can learn French pastry baking from Dominique Ansel and bread baking from Apollonia Poilâne.

How much does a baking class cost?

Online baking classes included in this roundup cost between $20 – $200. Online classes are typically much cheaper than in person lessons.

How long do online baking classes take?

Classes included range between 1 hour up to 4 weeks. You should also account for practice time!

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