Baking and Pastry Schools

Baking and pastry schools are part of culinary arts training and education, and are often a specialized area of training in making specialty cakes, cookies, and other delicacies.

Becoming a professional baker or pastry chef requires in-depth training. Professional bakers learn how to bake bread, cakes, pies, cookies, tarts, and other desserts. Pastry chef careers are not just centered on baking and cake decorating. Bakers and pastry chef career include creative menu planning, finishing desserts, and consulting with clients to create desserts for upcoming events such as wedding and parties. Pastry school courses also focus on teaching students how to create baking schedule for commercial kitchens, and courses on starting and running their own catering company or business. Baking and pastry programs take two years to complete, leading to an associates degree. However, you can also complete a certificate program at culinary arts-focused career colleges and technical schools. Most programs have a built-in internship programs to provide hands-on experience for their students.

Baking and Pastry Education and Training

Training as a baker or pastry chef covers the delicate art of baking by covering topics in candy making, mousses making, making wedding cakes, marzipan, baking croissants and cookies, scones, puff pastries, pies, and cheesecakes, and advanced piping skills.

Students also take course in food safety and handling, nutrition, and culinary management. In addition students gain practical skills that are necessary for creating desserts. Students also learn the fundamentals of menu development, facility design, and the history of baking. With a well-rounded and comprehensive culinary education at pastry arts schools, you can enter the baking and pastry profession.

Baking and pastry school courses in baking and pastry arts programs by school but typically include hands-on training in the preparation of breads, pastries, cakes, and other all-purpose baking skills. Students can earn a baking and pastry arts degree, baking and pastry diploma or certificate. Common programs in baking and pastry schools include:

• Associates Degree in Applied Science Culinary Arts
• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Culinary Arts
• Baking and Pastry Certificate

Baking and pastry classes may include:

• Candy making
• Chocolate sculpture
• Dough methods and pastry fillings
• Baking breads, cakes, and cookies
• Making tartlets, pies, icings, and specialty cakes
• Display cakes and centerpieces
• Cake decorating
  
• Sculptured icing
• Plating dessert and food presentation
• Culinary theory and technique
• Nutrition and food science
• Food sanitation
• Catering basics
• Business management
• Specialized programs in French pastry chef training and European techniques
  

Baking and Culinary Careers

Baking schools and pastry chef schools lead to a career with flexibility, were you can work in restaurants, hotel, cruise ships, casinos, college dining facilities, food packing companies, spas and resorts. You can also start your own catering business like a pastry shop or bakery. Other opportunities include cake designers, bakery owners, pastry instructors, and catering managers. As a pastry chef, you may be responsible for:

• Ordering supplies
• Sourcing contracts and clients
• Food quality control and management
• Overseeing baking staff and maintaining kitchen order
• Making baked goods
• Decorating and plating desserts and pastries
  

Estimated Income and Projected Career Outlook

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors is expected to increase by 6% between 2008 and 2018. Trained bakers and pastry chefs are in demand. Experienced chefs can earn over $60,000 a year but you would have to probably start at the bottom and work your way to the top. But in general, baking and pastry schools graduates generally average $37,176 and $60,262 a year.

Baking and pastry schools and Le Cordon Bleu Schools