Pastry chefs are the culinary wizards that whip up cakes, cookies, chocolates, and other confections that make our mouths water and our diets a thought of yesterday. You’ll often be found working in bakeries, restaurants, or cafes, crafting and decorating large quantities of goods for individual customers or catered events. While there are no strict education requirements for becoming a pastry chef, training is strongly recommended.
How To Get Training
Training can be gained on the job or through a formal apprenticeship, certificate, or degree program in baking or pastry arts. Two-year degree programs, such as an Associate of Applied Science in Baking and Pastry Arts, are usually comprised of classroom and in-kitchen instruction. Courses cover the fundamentals of baking, nutrition, cake design, sanitation and safety, and culinary management.
While enrolled in these programs, most students will complete externships in commercial kitchens under the supervision of certified chefs. These programs last two to three years and provide paid on-the-job instruction.
What You Will Do At Work
Some pastry chefs start their days as early as 4:00 a.m. You may be working long hours and spending the majority of the time on your feet. The work is slower paced than other food preparation roles; many parts can be made individually and in advance. The components are then brought together to create the final product. It is important that ingredients be measured precisely and added with the correct method and in the correct order.
A Fusion Of Skills
Becoming a pastry chef requires patience, attention to detail, and strong organizational skills. Creativity is also an important quality for you to have, as this area of work is carried out with a level of expression rare among other kitchen positions. However, the preparation of pastries and desserts is as much of a science as it is an art. Becoming a pastry chef requires more accuracy, technical skill, and scientific expertise than any other type of cooking.
If this is your calling, find a culinary school near you now. You’ll have a tasty career before you know it!
