Baking is a highly precise culinary art that requires strong attention to detail, a heaping cup of patience, and a dash of creativity. No matter if you dream of someday owning a bakery or simply want to get your foot in the door as a novice baker, the right education and training can make all the difference.
What makes a good baker, then? Is it technical skill, instinct, attitude — or maybe a little bit of everything? Let’s dig in.
Essential Skills for Every Aspiring Baker
There are many qualities of a good baker that you’ll want to acquire if you plan to work in this exciting field. From proficiency in baking chemistry to a keen eye for detail, each of the below skills is critical to building a solid career as a baker.
Precision in Measuring Ingredients
One of the most essential points to remember about baking is that it is a very precise science. Unlike cooking, where there’s at least some margin for error when it comes to measuring ingredients, baking isn’t nearly as forgiving. Professional makers must make sure they can accurately measure out every last ingredient, as even the seemingly smallest of mistakes could result in an inedible dish.
Understanding of Baking Chemistry
Was chemistry one of your strong suits in school? If so, then you might already possess one of the most crucial qualities of a good baker. In fact, there’s a lot of chemistry involved in baking. Professional bakers need to understand how different temperatures can cause different reactions to ingredients as well as the chemical reactions that can occur when certain ingredients (such as amino acids in eggs and sugar in a cake batter) are combined.
Proficiency With Baking Tools and Equipment
Baking requires the use of a wide range of tools and equipment, too, so professional bakers need to be proficient in their use. An experienced baker, for instance, will understand that glass measuring cups are ideal for measuring liquid ingredients, whereas metal may be more suitable for measuring and leveling dry ingredients.
In addition to measuring cups, bakers regularly use digital scales (for precise ingredient measurement), thermometers, stand mixers, and whisks. Different types of pans may also be needed to achieve different results.
Ability to Adjust Recipes Creatively
Part of being a good baker involves being able to follow and even memorize recipes. However, most bakers get into the profession not just to follow but to forge their own paths as well.
With this in mind, the bakers who tend to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack are those able to take “traditional” recipes and put their own unique spins on them. By being able to adjust recipes creatively, you can serve up something truly one-of-a-kind. From experimenting with different flavors and textures to inventing entirely new treats (ever heard of the “brookie”?), the possibilities are endless with a creative mind.
Mastery of Temperature and Timing
Bakers are often tasked with adjusting baking temperatures and times based on various factors, such as altitude or equipment. This is a skill that can take a long time (and plenty of practice) to develop — but it’s also one that can pay off many times throughout the course of a baker’s career. Over time, a great baker will learn how to adjust baking times for certain dishes based on the addition of ingredients or desired results.
H3: Skilled in Various Baking Techniques
Professional bakers need to master numerous baking techniques in order to do their jobs well. There are essentially five basic baking techniques to perfect if you want to work in this demanding field, including:
- The creaming method
- The whisking method
- The “mix it all together” method
- The rubbing-in method
- The melt, mix, bake method
There’s a time and place for each of these methods in a professional kitchen, so learning how to be a good baker is all about knowing when and how to apply each one accordingly.
Eye for Detail and Presentation
There’s no overstating the importance of presentation in baking. With the right presentation, you can wow your customers’ eyes as much as you impress their taste buds. Whether it’s a beautifully decorated cake or a precisely plated pie slice, the right presentation can make all the difference. This type of skill requires a strong eye for detail on behalf of the baker, making sure that not even the smallest of details is overlooked.
Patience and Persistence in Perfecting Recipes
Baking is a skill that also requires a great deal of patience and persistence. Sometimes, bakers will spend hours upon hours prepping and baking a recipe before they finally get to see the finished result come together. Maintaining this level of patience isn’t always easy — particularly compared to the more instantaneous gratification that often comes with other cooking methods.
Some recipes in baking can be especially demanding and may require several attempts before they’re perfected. In this sense, becoming an excellent baker also requires a fair amount of persistence, especially when things get challenging.
Strong Organizational Skills
Working as a baker often involves pulling out and using many different ingredients, tools, and equipment at once. Without proper organization skills, a workspace can quickly become cluttered — which could increase the risk of a baker making mistakes.
Thus, strong organizational skills can serve bakers well because keeping an organized workspace can improve efficiency and accuracy while reducing stress and avoiding ingredient waste. Proper organization is a skill that is gradually learned over time, so deliberate practice is crucial.
Passion for Learning and Experimentation
Perhaps above all else, great bakers never feel as though they’ve learned everything there is to know about baking. Instead, they constantly crave experimentation and continuous learning about various baking techniques, trends, and emerging innovations in the field. If you’re a curious person who is always eager to learn new things, this characteristic can certainly serve you well in the culinary arts.
Cultivating a Baker’s Instinct
In addition to all the technical skills that great bakers can develop over time, there are some other instinctual skills that bakers should learn.
Developing an Intuitive Feel for Dough
Bakers work with numerous different kinds of dough, ranging from pie and cookie dough to pizza dough and more. At first glance, it may not seem like any of these types of dough differ significantly from the others. However, any professional baker will be able to take a ball of dough, knead it with their hands, and tell you about its ingredients or other notable characteristics.
The best way to develop a feel for dough is to simply work with it as much as possible. Bakers can learn much about dough and its properties by kneading it, resting it, and observing it.
The Importance of Sensory Evaluation in Baking
Additionally, bakers use a technique known as sensory evaluation to improve their skills each time they bake. For example, they may perform flavor profile tests and texture profile tests on baked goods to determine areas where they may need improvement. From there, bakers can work on sharpening their skills until their recipes are closer to perfection.
Attitude: A Key Quality of a Good Baker
You can have all the “textbook” skills of a great baker and still suffer without the right attitude.
Embracing Failures as Learning Opportunities
One nugget of wisdom for new bakers to remember is that failure is inevitable. How you react to failure, however, is what matters most. The best bakers in the industry are those who have embraced their failures and viewed them not as hindrances but rather as learning and growth opportunities. When something goes wrong, ask yourself what you can learn from the experience or how you can use your mistake to help you down the road.
The Joy of Sharing Baked Goods With Others
At the end of the day, baking is all about creating something that you love and being able to share it with others. If you can center your career on that joyous feeling, you’ll likely be in good shape.
Learn About How to Be a Good Baker at FTC
A substantial mix of ingredients contributes to becoming a great baker, and none of it can be learned overnight. Instead, the best bakers are those who diligently focus on sharpening their technical skills and maintaining the right attitude day in and day out.
Looking for the right diploma program to help you build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to be an incredible baker? Florida Technical College is proud to offer a baking and pastry diploma program that covers the essentials of creating, preparing, and presenting a variety of special baking recipes in a supportive, hands-on environment. Request further information about this program or learn more about applications and admission.
These examples are intended to serve only as a general guide of possible employment opportunities. There are many factors that determine the job an individual may obtain and Florida Technical College cannot guarantee its graduates any particular job. Some positions may require license or other certifications. We encourage you to research the requirements for the particular position you desire.
Sources
https://ftccollege.edu/program/diploma/baking-and-pastry-diploma-english/
https://preppykitchen.com/brookies/
https://www.lecreuset.ca/en_CA/blog/a-simple-guide-to-baking-techniques.html
https://preppykitchen.com/brookies/
