A career in baking offers a variety of areas in which to specialize.
Overview
A career in baking offers a variety of areas in which to specialize. Bakers are responsible for making breads, bagels, pretzels, cakes, muffins, cookies and pastries as well as chocolate and candy, sugar sculptures and icing. They can prepare many different baked goods or specialize in just one. Depending on their experience and training, they may hire, train and supervise other baking personnel, order and control supplies and stock, and price the various products as well.
Bakers are not only required to follow recipes, but in many instances to also create them. They first prepare the dough or batter by using tools and equipment such as cake rounds, pastry papers, and an assortment of cooking and mixing utensils, and then cook them at precise temperatures for a specific amount of time. They also make icing or frosting for the many desserts that need it, and then apply it with a piping bag in intricate designs.
Typical Duties
Bakers perform some or all of the following duties:
Prepare dough for pies, bread and rolls and sweet goods, and prepare batters for muffins, cookies, cakes, icings and frostings according to recipes or special customer orders
Operate machinery
Bake mixed doughs and batters
Frost and decorate cakes or other baked goods
Ensure quality of products meets established standards
Draw up production schedule to determine type and quantity of goods to produce
Purchase baking supplies
May oversee sales and merchandising of baked goods
May hire, train and supervise baking personnel and kitchen staff.
Sample Job Titles
Chef
Oven operator
Pastry Chef
Baker
Companies and Sectors
Small retail bakeries
Restaurants
Supermarkets
Catering services
Wholesale bakeries
Self-employed
2023 Territorial Competition Documents
Secondary Competition Scope
Post-Secondary Competition Scope
2023 National Competition Contest Description_Secondary
2023 National Competition Contest Description_Post Secondary
Projects