General baking classes offer the broadest foundation in the craft, covering everything from basic bread techniques to advanced cake decoration skills that many specialised courses build upon. With 40 classes across 24 schools nationwide, these comprehensive sessions typically run for three hours and cost from £35, with a median price of £99.
London leads with six schools offering general baking instruction, followed by Birmingham with three and Chelmsford with two. Students learn diverse skills including professional layering techniques, creating light frosting with burnt honey, crafting farmyard animal cakes, and keeping gluten minimal for pastry work. Some classes even venture into savoury territory with techniques for creating chilli dipping sauces.
The hands-on approach means you'll leave with substantial takeaways. Many schools provide all your baked creations in takeaway containers, with some offering recipe wallets containing class instructions. Bread-focused sessions might see you departing with four different loaves, from 100% rye Vollkornbrot to spelt sourdough.
Schools teaching general baking often expand into specialised areas, with nine also offering
Macarons, eight providing
Patisserie instruction, and five teaching
Cake Decorating. With 91% of classes suitable for beginners, these sessions provide the ideal starting point for developing fundamental baking skills before exploring more specialised techniques.