Becoming a Bakery Chef: What is the Job Like?

If you are considering pursuing a degree as a baker, then you'll probably want to know what it will be like working in a bakery on a daily basis before you make the decision to enroll in a baking and pastry arts program. Being a baker can be very challenging, but it can also offer a lot of satisfaction for the right person.

Where do Bakers Work?

The average day of a baker can vary depending on where you work. Most bakers end up working in grocery stores, restaurants, manufacturing plants, and other bigger-sized businesses. While some bakers work part-time, the majority work full-time.

When it comes to responsibilities, bakers will have to gather ingredients, measure, mix, prepare dough, and bake items in the oven. Self-employed bakers are also responsible for hiring and managing their staff. The majority of the day is spent on your feet, which means you'll need to be physically fit, especially since you may be required to do some heavy lifting as well.

What is a Typical Morning Like?

As for the typical day of a professional baker, they start earlier than most. Baked goods are in high demand in the mornings, especially breakfast items, such as croissants or bagels. As a result, most bakers often get up before 4:00 AM. This allows them to get to the bakery and begin preparing the day's baked goods by 5:00 AM.

The first thing you will do every morning as a baker is to sanitize the kitchen space. You'll need to clean the baking bins and perform an inventory of the goods that you need to bake. Once the kitchen is ready, you will begin preparing the dough needed to make bread, pastries and other baked goods.

You will also need to begin mixing ingredients needed for different items. Larger items, such as bread, will need to be prepared in special bins, while smaller items, such as cookies, are baked on trays. Pastries are generally baked in special ovens.

What About When the Customers Arrive?

Bakeries and grocery stores will often open around 9:00 AM. However, if you work at a restaurant, the hours may be a little different. Either way, odds are you'll have been working for a good three to four hours by the time your business opens up shop to the public. While the items you've just made are being sold or used, you'll be making and packing more baked goods for lunch.

Around noon, the kitchen will need to be cleaned again. This includes cleaning all the dishes, utensils, and equipment used to make the morning products. You'll spend the majority of the afternoon preparing ingredients and food items for the following day. If you work at a smaller bakery, then your day is likely to end around 3:00 PM. However, if you work at a restaurant or a grocery store, your hours may extend into the evening.

The day can be challenging, especially physically. Not only will you be using a lot of equipment to bake goods, but you'll be lifting heavy bags of ingredients and constantly going in and out of freezers to retrieve those ingredients. Of course, you'll need to be able to rise early in the mornings as well. However, for those with a true love of baking bread and pastries, the challenge being a baker can present can be incredibly rewarding as well.

Enrolling in a Baking and Pastry Arts Program

Even if you consider yourself a talented baker, you should strongly consider enrolling into a baking and pastry arts program if you want to pursue a future as a professional baker -- no matter what kind of environment you want to work in. A good program will teach you the ins and outs of baking, in terms of how to measure and mix ingredients, baking methods, and how to make all kinds of baked goods from around the world, including pastries, artisan bread, sweet doughs, custards, crèmes, frozen desserts, and more.

However, the process of baking isn't the only thing you'll learn. You'll also learn how to run a bakery and about the business side of things, which can be invaluable. For example, you'll be taught about kitchen sanitation, kitchen safety, how to purchase ingredients, cost control, production efficiency and much more.

Are you interested in becoming a professional baker? If you want to earn a Diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts, ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this diploma at an accelerated pace. For more information, connect with one of our helpful admissions counselors today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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