Hello Chefs,

Today in culinary school, we focused on one of the most foundational elements in the world of bread baking: lean doughs.

A lean dough is made with just four humble ingredients—flour, water, yeast (or starter), and salt. That’s it. No butter, eggs, or sugar. Nothing fancy. Just pure bread potential. It might sound simple, but lean doughs are all about technique—and when done right, they create breads that are crusty, chewy, and packed with flavor.

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Baguettes

Let’s start with the baguette—crusty, golden, and undeniably French. These are classic lean dough loaves, and while they may look simple, making them well is a technical challenge. The dough is soft and slightly sticky, so developing gluten is key. We used a combination of kneading and stretch-and-fold techniques during fermentation to build strength in the dough without overworking it.

Shaping was a lesson in finesse. To get that iconic baguette shape, we gently folded and rolled the dough to create surface tension, then placed them on a couche (a floured linen cloth) to rise. Right before baking, we scored them with a razor blade to control how they expanded in the oven, and baked them with steam for that crackly crust.

I was amazed how versatile a baguette can be—not just for sandwiches, but sliced into crostini, torn for dipping, or turned into French toast the next day.

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Sourdough

Ah, sourdough—the funky, fabulous wild child of the bread world. This dough doesn’t use commercial yeast. Instead, it relies on a natural starter, which is a fermented mixture of flour and water teeming with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. That’s what gives sourdough its tangy flavor and complex aroma.

We learned that sourdough is all about timing and temperature. It ferments more slowly than yeasted dough, so you have to be patient. There’s a lot of hands-on time—not in constant kneading, but in paying attention to the dough:

Autolyse phase: where flour and water are mixed and rested before adding salt and starter to promote gluten formation.

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Stretch and folds: rather than kneading, we gently pulled and folded the dough at intervals to develop strength without deflating it.

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Bulk fermentation: where the dough rises slowly, sometimes over 4–6 hours depending on room temperature.

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Cold retardation: after shaping, the loaves often rest overnight in the fridge, which helps deepen the flavor and improve oven spring.

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We baked our loaves in Dutch ovens to trap steam, giving us an open crumb and blistered, caramelized crust. It was hands-down the most involved bread of the day—but also the most rewarding. You really feel like you earned that first slice.

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Bagels

Last but absolutely not least: bagels! These were my personal favorite. Bagel dough is still a lean dough, but it’s stiffer and lower in hydration, which makes it easier to handle. The fun starts once you shape them—whether you roll them into ropes and connect the ends or poke holes in dough balls and stretch them out (both techniques are valid!), shaping was a blast.

What makes bagels unique is the boiling step. Right before baking, each bagel takes a quick dip in simmering water, which sets the crust and gives it that signature chewiness. But here’s the trick: we added baking soda to the boiling water—and this made a huge difference. The alkaline water helps the bagels develop a deeper golden color and a more flavorful, slightly crisp crust in the oven. (It’s the same science that gives pretzels their signature look and bite!)

We added toppings after boiling:

Cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunch

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Everything bagel seasoning for the ultimate savory bite

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They baked up beautifully golden, chewy on the outside, and soft in the middle. Honestly? I could’ve eaten six. (And maybe I did. But we’re not talking about that.)

Why Lean Doughs Matter

What struck me today is how much technique transforms simplicity. Lean doughs don’t rely on richness from fat or sugar—they rely on:

Fermentation to develop flavor

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Shaping to create structure

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Scoring and steam to give that perfect crust

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Time and touch to guide them through each stage

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With just flour, water, salt, and yeast (or starter), you can make bread that’s rustic, refined, or somewhere in between. These doughs are the foundation for so many styles of baking—and now that I’ve worked with them hands-on, I see why they’re considered essential.

Here is the recipe we used for the bagels. It will change your life!

Until next time, stay crusty and bake on!

— Brennah