You can attend a culinary arts school and learn how to become a professional baker. A baking culinary school teaches students the art of baking as a profession and includes instruction on the long history of baking too. The program will also include courses in pastry arts.
Baking programs are offered at culinary institutes, vocational and technical schools, and universities. You can earn a 2-year Associate’s Degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s Degree. The Associate’s Degree concentrates on baking and pastry cooking while a Bachelor’s Degree will be more comprehensive.
The 4-year degree includes business classes and teaches management skills to those who want to pursue a manager’s position or own their own bakery. A Bachelor’s Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts will focus on both baking techniques and production methods. You will enroll in courses that include management, business planning and leadership skills as well as a myriad of cooking and baking classes.
Some bakers and pastry chefs open their own bakeries and establish their careers as business owners. Usually they work for another business for a period of time to get real world experience before starting out on their own. Many people choose to work in restaurants, hotels, and cruise lines, or for event planners and caterers.
Learning the Fine Art of Baking
Say the word “baking” and people always get wonderful comforting images of bread loaves, cakes and pies. Say “pastry” and they picture delicately decorated sweet desserts that melt in your mouth. How do bakers learn to make such delicious treats and tasty breads?
The courses that culinary baking schools include in their programs are classes with titles like the following:
Baking Principles and Techniques – bread fermentation, ingredients, baking methods
Baking Equipment – handling and use of kitchen baking equipment
Baking Ingredients – using a variety of wet and dry ingredients including flours, spices and much more
Cake Baking – types of cakes and preparation methods
Decorating – decorating cakes, tarts, tortes and other creations
Breads, Rolls and Muffins
Cookie Baking – baking and decorating
Wedding Cakes – designing, baking and decorating
Baker’s math – dry and wet measurements
Food Safety
Operating a Bakery – business aspects of running a bakery
Baking courses are also included in culinary arts programs. You can learn how to start a business, become a head baker, work as a pastry chef or run a catering business.
A Degree Can Boost Your Career From the Start
A degree can boost your career from the start. When you attend a culinary arts school and pursue a degree in baking, you will attend classes and gain hands-on experience in baking labs and externships. Upon graduation you have actual experience plus proof of industry knowledge which greatly improves your chances of employment.
There are many baking schools to choose from. The best culinary school of baking for you will be affordable, accessible, teach classes that have current information and meet industry standards, and offer post graduation employment assistance. A high quality school will be also be accredited by the American Culinary Federation in addition to traditional higher education accreditations.
Baking school expense can vary considerably depending on the school you choose to attend. Internationally recognized institutes can charge as much as $50,000 for a program. But you can find less expensive programs by doing some research. A good place to start is with the American Culinary Federation.
