The certification training courses in Bakery at the École Lenôtre are designed for adults looking to train or to switch careers:
- Hobbyists and enthusiasts looking to switch careers
- Young professionals
- Professionals who left the trade for a while
Given the intensity of this program, each candidate needs to be genuinely motivated by careers in bakery or gastronomy in general.
The objective
The goal is to quickly reach a high level of qualification in 15 weeks, internship included. The École Lenôtre will provide you with the basic methods and essential techniques in bakery needed to master its skills.

The pre-requisites
The pre-requisites eligibility for this course:
- To be aged 18 years or older
- To have a minimum level in English or French (level B1)
- To know the basics of hygiene and safety in a food environment
- To have basic knowledge of basic reasoning (calculations and logic)
Our strenghts
- 13 weeks of intensive courses (520 hrs.)
- Class size limited to 12 participants
- Two-week internship in a Lenôtre establishment
A two-part training
L’Essentiel
- 240 hours
- (6 weeks)
- 5 weeks of lessons
- 1 week of revision and exams
La Maîtrise
- 280 hours
- (7 weeks)
- 6 weeks of lessons
- 1 week of revision and exams
Intership
- 80 hours
- (2 weeks)
- Feedback from the internship supervisor
- Internship report to write
We offer a flexible planning that allows a 15 weeks course, or independent programs.
L’Essentiel
MAKE THE BASIC BAKERY RECIPES (6 weeks)
The aim of this module is to allow students to learn the basics of bakery making and to master the fundamental skill.
Practical lessons:
- Technology and study of the different kinds of flours
- Learning the basic temperatures
- Discovering the various tools used in the art of bakery.
- Making breads according to several fermentation techniques : poolish, organic yeast, levure biologique, wild yeast dough, liquid surdough (realization of mother surdough and refreshed)
- Training in kneading : slow, fast (enhanced, intensed)
- Initiation to autolyse and pontage
- Training in various types of shapings and dressings according to the bread: baguettes, short bread sticks, batards, round loaves, crowns, small individual breads
- Discovering the fermentation modes : slow, controlled, live.
- Learning about scarification
- Initiation to different types of cooking according to the size of the bread
- Breads you will bake : farmhouse bread, French baguette, standard baguette, yeast bread, rye pie, sandwich bread, special breads (rye, wholewheat), crowns…
La Maîtrise
WORK ON RECIPES AND ELABORATED BAKERY TECHNIQUES (7 weeks)
The aim of this module is to enable students to further develop their knowledge of bakery and to master the necessary techniques to produce the absolutes and classics of the Maison Lenôtre.
Practical lessons
- In-depth study and practical work regarding the l’Essentiel certificate
- Training in additional elaborated recipes
- Learning about further shapings and dressings such as fougasses, moulded breads…
- Mastering new breads such as méteil bread, bran bread, cereal bread, olive bread, dried fruits bread, fougasse, zebra bread, decorated bread…
- Viennese pastries prepared : Epiphany cake, croissant, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins, brioche
Work placement
DISCOVER THE PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND APPLY SKILLS ACQUIRED DURING THE TRAINING (from 2 to 6 weeks)
The internship’s aim is to discover the professional world of gastronomy.
It is a mandatory experience to complete the diploma.
The internship aims to :
- Strengthen a previous experience learned beforehand
- Implement the practical application of the knowledge acquired
By totally immersing yourself in the world of bakery within Lenôtre production laboratory in Plaisir, students will be given the opportunity to carry-out missions within the field of your future endeavors. Each day, you will be involved in the daily tasks of a given company, working side-by-side with professionals whose fundamental values are defined by sharing and transmitting their knowledge.
At your request, the internship may be extended to a total of 6 weeks.
At the end of the 2-week internship, you must submit a written internship report to the Lenôtre School which will be reviewed and taken into account before giving out your final grade.
The “Bakery” certification will only be awarded once you have passed each certificate and successfully completed your internship.
The Theory
APPLIED AND TESTED IN EACH MODULE
Hygiene and safety practices (both food and work environment) in compliance with environmental standards.
Packaging, labelling, storage and preservation of basic, finished and part-finished products according to the HACCP.
Tools used in cooking (utensils, large and small equipment).
Organization, storage and cleaning of work surfaces, and the kitchen laboratory.
Daily stock control and storage of incoming dry goods and fresh ingredients (observation of the cold chain), cold rooms and freezers.
Awareness of the importance of a technical information sheet to rationalize the production and optimize the quality of the recipes.
Writing and creating a technical recipe sheet.
Selection of the quality of ingredients and raw materials for the recipes being created.
Equipement et materials
The school will give every student his own set of utensils (knives, whisk, rolling pin,…) at the beginning of the training program. This set of utensils will be useful during your training, but also during your whole career.
Every student will also receive a mandatory professional uniform, that will include:
- 2 white professional jackets with the Ecole Lenôtre signature
- 2 professional trousers
- 1 pair of safety shoes
Usual timetable (40 hours per week)
Monday to Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Every day, breakfast is served half an hour before the beginning of the training session.
The lunch is served from 12:00 to 12:45 pm.
This timetable may vary sometime according to the civil calendar or for some specific themes. We recommend to have a look on the hour timetable available on the begining of the training.
Accomodation
The Ecole Lenôtre will send you a list of useful addresses to help you to find a room, a studio or a flat to rent.
Registration and fees details
Fees for the advanced training
Fees for the 2 certificates (13 weeks of training + 2 to 6 weeks of internship) : 15 600 € VAT excluded. (18 720 € VAT included)
Fees for the certificates
Certificate « L’Essentiel » : 7 200 € VAT excluded (8 640 € VAT included)
Certificate « La Maîtrise » : 8 400 € VAT excluded (10 080 € VAT included)
Validation of Acquired Experience
Possibility of accessing the training via the VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience)
To access our training via the VAE, a VAE file must be completed to demonstrate your bakery experience. Each certificate is accessible via VAE. Following the assessment of the registration folder, the VAE candidate will be offered a training program corresponding best to his level and expectations. The minimum required to validate the title Baker Ecole Lenôtre is the achievement and success during the examination weeks of each of the 2 certificates and according to the techniques of the Ecole Lenôtre.
- FEES FOR THE DIPLOMA via VAE : 2 600 € VAT excluded(2) (3 120 € VAT included)
- FEES FOR THE CERTIFICATE « L’ESSENTIEL » via VAE : 1 200 € VAT excluded(2) (1 440 € VAT included)
- FEES FOR THE CERTIFICATE » LA MAÎTRISE » via VAE : 1 200 € VAT excluded(2) (1 440€ VAT included)
Given the limited number of seats in each session (12 maximum), we advise you to register at least 3 months before the starting date of your course.
Registration folder
The application for registration must include of all the following documents :
- Completed registration application form
- Copy of an official government identity card
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover letter
After receiving these documents, we will organize an in-person or Skype interview to assess your motivation and assess the necessary prerequisites to start the training.
Means of access | Yes | No |
---|---|---|
After a initial training course (with student or pupil status) | X | |
Apprenticeship contract | X | |
After a vocational training course | X | |
Professionalization contract | X | |
Free application (extra-curricular) | X | |
Through VAE professional experience (implementation date:) | X |
Jury composition:
- 20% of jury members depend on the organization, 80% of members are external and sector professionals.
- 50% of them are employees, 50% are employers.
Registration terms
École Lenôtre provides intensive training allowing everyone to quickly access the professions of cooking and pastry.