In his book Professional Baking (2013), Wayne Gisslen says that in order to become a professional baker chef (boulanger), one needs to study several technical skills related to mastery of rerotian products.
For a baker to be successful, they must be able to master these talents, to begin with.
Bread, cakes, buns, and muffins are all baked products that are made by a baker according to specific recipes.
A baker, like many others in the food sector, must ensure that the materials are of good quality, use machines to form the dough, monitor oven temperatures, and thoroughly clean their equipment to avoid food poisoning.
If you’re running a bakery, you’ll probably need to order some materials and utensils, as well as extras like decorations and boxes for packaging your products.
Baked foods come in all shapes and sizes, from simple baguettes and bagels to more intricate confections like macarons and kouign-amann.
Bakeries itself have a wide range of work conditions, making this a versatile career path with a wide range of possibilities.
Here, we describe the education, qualifications, abilities, and experience needed to become a professional baker and how to get started.
What You Need to Know Before You Start as a Baker
The following are some factors to consider before deciding to pursue a career as a baker:
Occasional Working Hours
When working part-time, it’s likely that you’ll be required to work early in the morning or late at night.
When it comes to making freshly baked items for the public, you’ll likely be working quite early in the mornings for much of the year.
Innumerable Workplace Options
There are numerous alternatives for where you want to work. Resorts, hotels, and, of course, stand-alone bakeries along a commercial strip all have on-site trained bakers on staff.
To a large extent, the jobs you perform will be the same whether you work in a chain of commercial factories, a restaurant kitchen with a brigade system, or a cafe.
Customer Service
In terms of the public, there may be occasions when you’ll be called upon to service clients, which means that you’ll be dealing with money and talking to a wide range of people, not just your coworkers.
Extremely Demanding
Also, keep in mind that this profession might be physically taxing. Every day, you’ll have to be on your feet for long periods of time, whether you’re baking or serving clients.
What You’ll Need To Be A Baker
A baker’s ability to work efficiently in the kitchen extends beyond professional procedures to include the following abilities as well.
Bakers must have an eye for the smallest of details since they keep an eye on their baked goods throughout the baking process and decorate them with meticulous attention to every last detail.
When interacting with consumers, vendors, and employees, bakers must be able to communicate clearly.
Bakers must have a creative mind and curiosity to explore new recipes and come up with fresh ideas for new products.
A baker’s ability to convert fractions and perform mathematical calculations is essential when making changes to a formula.
Bakers can produce their items more quickly and accurately when their ingredients are organized and ready to go.
This requires a lot of patience on the part of the baker in order to produce high-quality baked goods. As an example, they put bread in the oven after it has risen for a while.
A baker’s physical strength and stamina come into play while dealing with large objects like flour bags. It’s also possible that they’ll have to stand for long periods of time.
Tips For Becoming A Great Baker
If you want to be a successful baker, you’ll need more than just kitchen abilities and the ability to communicate well with other people. Essentially, you should:
Get up early and go for it!
A baker, by definition, is a “morning person” because fresh-baked bread and breakfast pastries are linked with the early hours. Bakery products must be sold fresh and have time to prepare and cool, in addition to being common breakfast items.
A bakery owner or employee must be prepared to start their day earlier than most people would if they are running their own business, working in a bakery department at an upscale market, or simply filling orders.
Stay focused and able to perform in stressful situations.
It is necessary to bake in a hot kitchen where precise timing and mixtures are required for every step.
You’ll need to keep your kitchen in order if you don’t want it to become a mess.
Keep an eye on your surroundings and be quick with your thoughts in order to avoid making a baked item go bad.
Don’t ever stop trying to improve yourself.
There are certain recipes or signature goods that you can rely on to get the job done every time.
A master baker, on the other hand, is one who continuously improves their skill set over the course of their career.
For your baking career, you’ll need a unique blend of creativity and curiosity to stand out from the crowd.
Maintain a healthy body weight.
Workdays start early and keep you on your feet, and you’re forced to meet deadlines in a frenzied manner when you bake.
To perform at your best, you will need to be well-rested and able to bounce back from setbacks.
How To Become a Qualified Baker
Achieve High School Graduation or an Equal Level of Education
While a high school diploma isn’t required to work as a baker, most vocational schools demand it to enroll in a culinary or pastry arts degree program.
If your high school offers an elective in baking or nutrition, sign up for it so you can start honing your talents.
The Qualified Baker position is one of the most popular positions in Australia. Companies such as Woolworths and Coles provide employment to people in Baker positions.
If you want to work as a Baker at Woolworth today, you can apply for Woolworths Job Application Online. If you are looking for a job as a Baker in Canada, you can view all active jobs on JobBank.gc.ca.
Consider Enrolling in a Culinary or Technical School
A culinary or technical school can help you enhance your baking skills and refine your art, even if you already have a few family recipes down pat.
Various cuisines, proper cooking practices, kitchen management, and recipe calculations are all included in the courses.
Attending culinary or technical school isn’t required, although it can help you hone your culinary abilities.
An associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts may be useful for those who desire to start their own bakery.
The length of time it takes to complete a culinary or technical school degree usually ranges from one to two years, depending on the program’s length and the number of hours you attend each week.
Be an Apprentice or Helper in the Bakery to Gain Experience
As an apprentice, trainee, or assistant at a neighborhood bakery, you can learn about the business from the ground up.
A baker’s apprenticeship typically lasts from one to three years, during which time he or she learns about safe food handling, cleanliness, and other basic baking techniques.
Building relationships with other bakers while working as an apprentice or helper can help you land a position as a professional baker down the road.
Identify a Speciality
Learn to bake and then specialize in a certain type of baking that interests you. You may need to learn specific talents if you decide to take a particular route.
Industrial machinery and ovens may necessitate additional training to operate effectively in the bakery of a factory.
The following are some typical sorts of baked goods:
- Those in the business of mass-producing baked goods for retail outlets are known as commercial bakers, and their activity takes place in commercial baking facilities.
- They are employed by grocery stores, specialized shops, and bakeries, where they make small batches of baked items for clients. Retail bakers who run their own businesses are in charge of everything from hiring employees to keeping track of inventories.
- It is common for pastry chefs to be the ones who are in charge of the dessert menu, which is why they are often known as pastry chefs. They are in charge of all areas of the kitchen related to pastries, including developing and selecting recipes.
- A bread maker who works exclusively with flour, water, yeast, and salt is known as an artisan bread baker. These bakers work on a small scale and often by hand.
- Craft bakers may start their own bakeries in order to have complete control over the store’s menu and hours of operation, among other factors.
- Specialized in the preparation of pie crusts and fillings, these bakers are known as “pie makers.”
- Decorators use frosting and other embellishments to enhance the beauty of a cake, generally by custom order, for special events.
- Even though they’re not chefs, food stylists are skilled in the art of enhancing the visual appeal of a variety of foods, including baked goods.
Consider Becoming Certified as Well
A certification can create a lasting impression on future employers and prove that you have the knowledge and abilities necessary to operate in a bakery.
The Retail Bakers of America certifies bakers in the following four categories:
- Certified Journey Baker: A year of professional experience as a journey baker is required for certification.
- Certified Baker: At least four years of baking experience under your belt, or be a journey baker with three years of baking experience.
- Certified Decorator: A minimum of four years of decorating experience is required to become a certified decorator.
- Certified Master Baker: At least eight years of experience in the industry, 30 hours of professional development training, and a 30-hour sanitation course are required for certification as a certified master baker.
Keep Improving Your Craft
You’ll be fine-tuning your culinary skills for the rest of your working life. Always be on the lookout for new techniques or new recipes to improve your cooking skills.
As a superb baker, you’ll have the ability to learn and flourish as long as you have a creative and visionary mindset.
- Maintain a consistent training schedule. Developing your baking abilities can be facilitated by weekly self-practice and experimentation with different recipes. To improve your baking, you have to experiment with different ingredients and methods.
- Become part of a group. It is possible to enhance your career as a baker by making contacts with other bakers who may be able to refer you to potential employers. You can meet more individuals in the business by attending a networking event for bakers or by joining a professional association.
- Don’t stop learning. As the world of baking evolves, it’s critical to stay up to date on the latest techniques and trends. A certification or further lessons, either online or in your local area, can help you achieve your goal.
