TH2001
History of Baking and Pastry Arts
Baking is a process of cooking by dry heat, especially in an oven. It is one of the oldest cooking methods and
occupations. Bakery products, which include bread, rolls, cookies, pies, pastries, and muffins, are usually
prepared from flour or meal derived from grain. Already a common staple in prehistoric times, bread provides
many nutrients in the human diet (Singh & Matz, 2019).
Ancient Times People in the Eastern Mediterranean toasted seeds of wild grasses to loosen husks.
Then, they pound it to a meal and add water to form a paste before cooking them in hot
stones, producing flatbreads. When left out in the open, grain paste collects wild yeasts
from the air. This fermented the grain paste and created the first leavened bread. People
learned to save a small part of the leavened dough to ferment the next batches of dough.
500 – 600 BC Greeks discovered enclosed ovens with doors that can be used without losing much heat
throughout the baking process. Ancient Greeks described as many as 80 kinds of bread
and other grain products produced in this period.
300 – 400 BC Wafer makers and pastry cooks are highly recognized occupations by Greek society.
50s BC An important innovation in Roman baking using bram or froth from beers was
introduced by the Gauls, a group of European people that developed beer and was
conquered by the Romans. This made well-leavened and light bread.
Middle Ages Baking as a profession almost disappeared after the collapse of the Roman Empire. A
bread maker's main job was sifting or bolting of flour, producing a more expensive white
flour.
1400s Pastry chefs in France formed their corporations and took pastry away from bakers, thus
the development of new kinds of pastry products.
1492 European arrival in the Americas sparked a revolution in pastry making as cocoa and
chocolate were made available to Europe.
Late Middle Ages Baking and pastry careers reappeared as important professions in the service of nobility.
16th Century Guilds were further developed to protect and advance bread baking, and apprentices
work under a master baker, which paved the way to pass bread-making knowledge.
17th Century Basic pastries like laminated doughs were made.
18th Century Sugar beets were processed to produce sugar for a cheaper alternative to imported
sugarcane in Europe.
1775 One (1) of the two (2) major books about bread making, The Art of the Miller, the Bread
Baker, and the Pasta Maker written by French chemist and physicist Paul-Jacques
Malouin, was published.
1778 The second major book in bread making, The Perfect Bread Baker was written by French
chemist and pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, was published.
01 Handout 1 *Property of STI
student.feedback@sti.edu Page 1 of 3
TH2001
1789 Many bakers and pastry cooks who had been servants started their independent
businesses.
19th Century Marie-Antoine Carême (1783–1833), a French chef that served the nobility and royalty,
published La Pâtissier Royal, one (1) of the first books that systematically explained the
pastry chef’s arts. It includes his creation of croquembouche [kraw-kahn-boosh], mille
feuille [mil-feh-yuh), and pulled sugar works.
Improved mechanical machinery appeared, making large-scaled bread kneading
possible.
1830s Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, was used with sour milk to leaven
bread.
1856 Eben Horsford, a chemist, patented baking powder, a leaving agent that made cakes into
a lighter product (Ginsberg, 2006).
1899 Georges-August Escoffier (1846 - 1935), a French chef and the father of the 20th century
cookery, divided the kitchen into departments or stations, based on the kind of food
products they produced, known as the kitchen brigade. He also invented the poached
peach dessert peach melba.
20th Century Refrigeration, advanced ovens, and air transportation that can carry fresh ingredients
around the world contributed immeasurably to baking and pastry making. Preservation
techniques have also helped make available and affordable some ingredients that were
once rare and expensive.
Ferdinand Point, a French chef, and restaurateur and the father of modern French
cuisine, introduced nouvelle cuisine, a technique in the culinary industry that emphasizes
the natural flavors, textures, colors, and artful plating presentations (Myhrvold, 2015).
This marked the beginning of the modern plated dessert.
1960s Gaston Lenotre (1920-2009), a French pastry chef, revolutionized French pastry by
cutting back on the use of sugar and flour, replacing them with airy mousses, and
introducing bright new fruit flavors in pastry. He also mastered the technique of freezing
to protect the quality of his products and extend the shelf life without using chemicals
and preservatives. He is most famous for his signature opera cake (Levy, 2009).
1981 Lionel Poilane (1945-2002), a French baker, rediscovered and documented the regional
bread recipes in his book, Guide de l’Amateur de Pain [gihd-deh-leh-matuhr-deh-pahn]
(Bread Lover’s Guide), a book used as a reference throughout France to this day.
1990 Raymond Calvel (1913-2005), a French baker, researched on flour composition,
fermentation, and other aspects of bread baking and wrote Le Goût du Pain [le-goo-deh-
pahn] (The Taste of Bread), one (1) of the most important reference books for artisan
bakers. He also invented the autolyse resting method (Chiron, 1995).
2000s The popularity of fine bread and pastries are growing.
A rise in the number of small bakeshops and restaurants made pastries readily available
for everyone.
01 Handout 1 *Property of STI
student.feedback@sti.edu Page 2 of 3
TH2001
Baking as a Profession
The pastry department is usually separated physically from the hot kitchen for at least two (2) reasons. One is
that many of the desserts and confections produced by the pastry department must be prepared in a cool
environment. Another reason is to prevent pastry products like creams, icings, and batters to absorb the
aroma of savory food products/items.
In bigger operations of food and beverage establishments, executive pastry chefs oversee the pastry
department. They supervise the workers in the department, including the bread baker (boulanger [boo-lahn-
zhey]), the ice cream maker (glacier [glah-siy-er] ), the candy maker (confiseur [khon-fi-zher]), and the
decorator (decorateur [deh-koo-re-tohr]). In small to medium-sized establishments, the pastry chef may work
alone and prepare all dessert items.
Aside from restaurants and hotels, many organizations require the services of bakers. These organizations
include caterers, institutional volume-feeding operations (hospitals, schools, employee lunch rooms),
executive dining rooms, and private clubs.
Retail bakeries such as independent bakeshops, in-store bakery departments in grocery stores, and
supermarkets have opened opportunities for bakers. The head baker is the professional in charge of retail
bakeries. Although some bakeries offer a wide variety of products, some bakeshops make their reputations by
selling one (1) or two (2) specialty items and concentrate only on those types of products.
Professional Requirements
Mastery of skills is essential to success. But several personal qualities are also equally important for a pastry
chef or baker. These are a few of those characteristics:
• Eagerness to work: Baking professionally is demanding both physically and mentally. Bakers and
chefs who continue to give their greatest effort are the ones who advance the fastest. Working in
the kitchen might require repetitive work day in and out. Bakers and chefs find this as an
opportunity for building and mastering specific skills.
• Commitment to learning: Baking and foodservice industries are constantly changing as new
products and techniques are developed and new technologies are introduced. Therefore,
continual learning is necessary for success.
• Dedication to service: Foodservice, as its name implies, is about serving others. Respecting guests
is expected, as well as respecting ingredients and workspace. Baking and cooking professionally
mean bringing enjoyment and a sense of well-being to guests.
• Professional pride: Professionals take pride in their work and want to make sure it is something
they can be proud of. But, at the same time, professional pride should be balanced with a strong
dose of humility. A professional who takes pride in their works and achievements also recognizes
the talents of others.
References:
Chiron, H. (1995, December). Professor Calvel. Association International Du Pain Français. http://aipf-calvel.org/en/
Ginsberg, J. (2006, June 12). Development of baking powder. American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakingpowder.html
Gisslen, W. (2017) Professional baking (7th ed.). Wiley & Sons.
Labensky, S. R., Martel, P. A. & Van Damme, E. (2020). On baking: Textbook of baking and pastry fundamentals (4th ed.). Pearson.
Levy, P. (2009, January 15). Gaston Lenotre: Pastry chef who brought patisserie into the modern age. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/gaston-lenotre-pastry-chef-
who-brought-patisserie-into-the-modern-age-1366591.html
Myhrvold, N. (2015, February 25). Nouvelle Cuisine. In Encyclopaedia Brittanica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/nouvelle-cuisine
Singh, R. P. & Matz, S.A. (2019, June 6). Baking. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/baking
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2008, October 31). Gaul. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Gaul-ancient-region-Europe
01 Handout 1 *Property of STI
student.feedback@sti.edu Page 3 of 3
