Pastries Are Art Bakers Are Artists
Baking in its general definition is the process of producing food items using an oven. The oven part is a big deal because you cant bake anything without one. There are other special features to baking such as preparing dough, measuring sugar and other condiments. However the basic process is preparing dough and putting it in the oven. Dont be fooled, its a lot more complicated than it sounds. The person conducting this whole process is known as a baker. Depending on the specialisation they can also be called pastry chefs. Weve got a course on pastry chef training if you are interested. The average annual salary is £24000 according to Indeed.
Two types of bakers are seen across cities, and heres what they do.
Work Environment For Bakers
Bakers hold about 200,800 jobs. The largest employers of bakers are as follows:
| Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing | |
| Self-employed workers | 7% |
The work can be stressful because bakers must maintain consistent quality while following time-sensitive baking procedures, often under deadline.
Bakers are exposed to high temperatures when working around hot ovens. They stand for long periods while observing the baking process, making the dough, or cleaning the equipment.
Important Qualities For Bakers
Communication skills. Bakers, especially retail bakers, must have good communication skills in order to deal effectively with customers.
Detail oriented. Bakers must closely monitor their products in the oven to keep them from burning. They also should have an eye for detail because many pastries and cakes require intricate decorations.
Math skills. Bakers must possess basic math skills, especially knowledge of fractions, in order to precisely mix recipes, weigh ingredients, or adjust mixes.
Physical stamina. Bakers stand on their feet for extended periods while they prepare dough, monitor baking, or package baked goods.
Physical strength. Bakers should be able to lift and carry heavy bags of flour and other ingredients, which may weigh up to 50 pounds.
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There Are A Lot Of Variables
If you like a good challenge in the first hour shift baking has you covered in that regard. There is rarely a dull moment in baking. A new challenge is always around the corner. Things like a change in flour consistency, the temperature, demanding production targets, a new piece of equipment or even a new recipe can switch up all the rules.
While some of these arise through no fault of the baker, the pressure is still on them to create outstanding products each and every time. Your clients and customers rely on your bread quality. If you are up for making quick decisions and on the fly problem-solving then baking is just the right career to keep you on your toes.
Determine If Its The Right Job For You
As with any job, you will be happiest as a baker if you are naturally interested in baking. Maybe you are an experienced baker at home, simply have a knack for making tasty bread, or like the idea of bringing smiles to the faces of your customers with captivating cakes, lovely loaves and piquant pies.
If you have the interest and the passion for baking, the next step is to think about if your skills match up with what is needed to become a baker. If you have roughly the same skillset as what is laid out above, and these are skills that you enjoy using, then this could be another sign that becoming a baker could be a brilliant career step for you.
If you are really not too sure about your career plan, then dont worry, as you are not the only one feeling this way. It might be a good idea to take a career test, such as CareerHunters six-stage assessment. This maps out your interests and skills to different types of career paths that are a good choice for you.
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Job Outlook For Bakers
Employment of bakers is projected to grow 8 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 31,300 openings for bakers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Licenses Certifications And Registrations For Bakers
Certification is voluntary and shows that a baker has the skills and knowledge to work at a retail baking establishment.
The Retail Bakers of America offers certification in four levels of competence, with a focus on several topics, including baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. Those who wish to become certified must satisfy a combination of education and experience requirements before taking an exam.
The education and experience requirements vary by the level of certification desired. For example, a Certified Journey Baker requires no education but must have at least 1 year of work experience. A Certified Baker must have 4 years of work experience and 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and a Certified Master Baker must have 8 years of work experience, 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and 30 hours of professional development education.
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How To Become A Professional Baker In 5 Simple Steps
If you dream of working in a fun, fast-paced environment with fresh-baked treats, then consider a career as a professional baker. Baking is a creative and hands-on job that involves a variety of tasks, including mixing ingredients and portioning doughs and batters. To become a professional baker, youll need to acquire certain skills and take the proper coursework. Learn more about how to become a professional baker in this guide.
Become a professional bakerby completing your education, building experience, and perhaps even looking forpaid internships. Here are five steps to help you start in this rewardingcareer.
Finish high school or equivalent
Though not a requirement,the end goal of earning a bakers diploma is to pursue a culinary or pastryschool. While most vocational schools do not require that you obtain theequivalent of a high school diploma, if your local high school offers anelective that would expose you to baking and/or nutrition, that could bolsteryour resume as an applicant to one of these types of programs.
Skills Needed To Be A Baker
You dream of being one of the best bakers in the globe, dont ya? To get this crown, you need to adopt the following skills and knowledge:
- A genuine passion for baking
- Knowledge of food production methods
- Nice and firm control over your hands
- To be thorough and pay attention to detail
- Ability to work well with others
- Proficient in math
- Strength to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- Capability to use your initiative
- Able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
See, I told you, being a baker is not a hard nut to crack!
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Essential Skills And Qualities
Being a baker requires using a variety of different skills, some of which might be quite surprising at first glance. The reality is that becoming a baker is a result of combining technical proficiency, creative prowess, relationship management and communication, and even a little bit of mathematics! Here are the top ten professional skills and qualities you will need to become a baker:
- Knowledge of bulk baking and food production methods
Is It Hard To Become A Baker
Frankly saying, baking is not an easy peasy job to be done. That is to say, working as a baker can be challenging and physically demanding. Commonly, you will be working in a hot, dusty environment, making it far from ideal if you suffer from allergies.
Besides, it can be nerve-racking if you have giant orders to meet. If you go freelance, you have to handle all the stresses that come with starting a small business from scratch, including a lack of stable income.
But you love baking, in it? And as long as you know how to bake, life is sure to be sweet! So, Im sure youll beat the stress with the whisk.
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Gain Experience As An Apprentice Or Bakers Assistant
Picking up anapprenticeship in the baking industry is a great way to learn and build yourportfolio. During your apprenticeship, you will receive training in safe foodhandling practices, sanitation, and other basic baking skills. As you workunder a professional baker, youll have the chance to practice these skillsuntil you become comfortable enough to take on more responsibilities. And bybuilding relationships with other bakers, you may find it easier for you toland a job as a professional baker when it comes time to move on.
Choose a specialty
Baking is a profession thatrequires a lot of hard work and dedication. To become a professional baker,its best to start by gaining some experience and learning about the differenttypes of baking. After youve learned how to bake and gained some practicalknowledge, choose what type of baking you are interested in so you can pursueyour dream career!
Commercial bakers work in manufacturing facilities and use equipment tomass-produce baked goods for stores. This can be a high-pressure job whereworkers often have to meet strict deadlines. However, the pay is competitive,and many bakers feel that their work has a higher purpose.
A retail bakery produces and sells bread, cakes, and other bakedgoods to its customers. They work in grocery stores or specialty shops andbakeries to produce smaller amounts of baked goods for customers. A retailbaker is responsible for creating new recipes for their customers.
Continue perfecting your art.
How To Become A Baker About This Section
Bakers typically need no formal educational credential to enter the occupation however, employers may prefer or require that candidates have a high school diploma, and some candidates choose to attend a technical or culinary school. Bakers typically learn their skills through on-the-job training, which may include participating in an apprenticeship program.
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Licenses Certifications And Registrations
Employers may require candidates to obtain certification in food safety procedures. Check with your state or local health department for certification information.
Optional certification may demonstrate a level of competence and experience that makes candidates more attractive to employers.
For example, Retail Bakers of America offers certification for several levels of competence, with a focus on topics such as baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. Those who wish to become certified must satisfy requirements for education and experience before taking an exam. Other organizations may offer credentials for specific skills, such as the American Culinary Federations pastry chef certifications.
Own Your Bakery Business
Bakeries are the best type of low-cost start-ups one can think of. With low running costs, and limited investments all you need is an oven to start baking. When you own the bakery you work at, the environment is much more permissive for experimenting. The plus side is you get to decide what to bake, create your own recipes and serve your local customers with a smile.
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Who Is A Baker
Are you thinking Im talking about the people whose surname is Baker? Certainly Not!
Semantically, a baker is a person who makes bread and cakes, especially as a trade. He bakes and sells bread and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place he works is called a bakery.
However, the first evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked them in water, and mixed everything, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste. Later, when humans mastered fire, the paste was roasted on hot embers. It made bread-making even easier. Bread baking pitched in Ancient Greece around 600 BC, and after that, the invention of enclosed ovens took place.
So What Are The Good Parts About Baking
There are success stories. We’re one of them. We’re well established and make a good living. The things that draw people to making food are hard to quantify. At the end of the day, you can see what you’ve done.
I get this absurd amount of respect because I’m the baker. I’m just making cookies and bread, but people hold that in high esteem. When people come to see the bakery, they’re happy. It’s a pleasant experience for them. The community made the bakery. It’s a focal point for the neighborhood because people have made it that way. If they hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here.
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Complete Your High School Education
Although becoming a baker doesnt necessarily require higher education, such as a bachelors degree, focusing on the right subjects at school will be useful in giving you a head start into the career. The best subjects to focus on in order to become a baker would be STEM subjects, as well as home economics or culinary classes.
It is worth a thought to consider post-high-school education to prepare yourself to become a baker. This could be achieved through diplomas in the culinary arts, or baking programs that will give you a useful introduction into the profession, as well as hands-on experience.
The Job Outlook For Bakers Is Good
The market for bakers is expected to grow 10% between 2020 and 2030 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is about on par with the national average for growth.
But there will be the need for many more bakers than that. Some existing bakers will leave the industry during those years, either due to retirement or changing careers. The U.S BLS estimates that there will be over 28,000 baker positions to be filled each year between now and 2030, between new roles and replacing those who separate from the industry.
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How Does Someone Become A Baker
My advice to becoming a baker is to first see if you truly marvel at the complexities of good bread and enjoy the process of making it . It’s unlikely you can get hired at a bakery without experience handling dough so get some sort of training. Many colleges have good beginner baking programs, and you can often find workshops or baker groups in your area . I definitely recommend getting your hands on and reading ALL of the bread books you can handle!
What Does It Take To Be A Baker
With no degree to become a baker, you can still land a job in the field with extensive on-the-job training. In fact, thats the normal pathway to this career. While some attend culinary or technical programs, baker schooling is not a requirement. However, there are certain qualities and skills that a baker needs to succeed on the job. These skills are not always taught in the classroom. In fact, many are honed during the training period. Below are several important qualities a baker must have to succeed.
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Career Salary And Education Information
What They Do: Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.
Work Environment: Most bakers work in retail or commercial bakeries , grocery stores or wholesale club stores, and restaurants. Work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.
How to Become One: Bakers typically learn their skills through long-term on-the-job training. Although no formal education is required, some learn through an apprenticeship program or by attending a technical or culinary school.
Salary: The median annual wage for bakers is $29,750.
Job Outlook: Employment of bakers is projected to grow 8 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of bakers with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a Baker with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Complete An Apprenticeship Or Internship
Technical training colleges offering baking courses will usually also offer some form of apprenticeship, where you spend a part of the course learning baking theory, and a part of the course working in bakeries, learning from professional bakers. Most apprenticeships last around one year, but some take a lot longer. Becoming an expert baker takes many years of practice and skill, so an apprenticeship is usually seen as the first recognized step to become one.
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Technical Or Culinary School
To improve your craft and learn more technique, you can enrol to a technical or culinary school. It will help you to spot your niche as a baker. These programs usually last from 1 to 2 years. They will educate you in nutrition, health, and mathematics, among other related topics.
If you feel like this is the best path for you, look into programs in your area that offer an excellent financial package. Also, If you wish to be a high-end pastry chef, for instance, then you should get coached at the best program you can afford. This kind of work is highly specialised, and extra training will give you the edge you need to get noticed and hired.