Pailas, Allelu F.

BSHM 3C

September 07, 2023

Instructor Prof. Mar Anthony Esguerra

An Overview of Bread and Pastry Production

HISTORY OF BAKING

The first breads produced, around 4000 BC, were unleavened flat breads, though there was
usually some natural leavening due to the fermentation of noble rot, wild yeast or steam. The
Egyptians are credited with inventing grinding materials, enclosed earthenware baking
containers, crude ovens, and the use of the levain process which utilizes a piece of day old
dough to introduce fermentation.

Baking has been many cultures' favorite technique for creating snacks, desserts, and
accompaniments to meals for many years. Now, it is very well-known as the method for
creating sweets and all sorts of wondrous mouthwatering pastries. In ancient history, the first
evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked it in water, and mixed
everything together, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste.

Then,the paste was cooked by pouring it onto a flat, hot rock, resulting in a bread-like
substance. Later, this paste was roasted on hot embers, which made bread-making easier, as it
could now be made anytime fire was created. Around 2500 B.C., records show that the
Egyptians already had bread, and may have actually learned the process from the Babylonians.
The Greek Aristophanes, around 400 B.C., also recorded information that showed that tortes
with patterns and honey flans existed in Greek cuisine. Dispyrus was also created by the Greeks
around that time and widely popular.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN BAKING

Successful bakeries have several roles that work together to produce baked goods and
serve them to customers. Each person working at a bakery serves a unique function, from
preparing the ingredients to cleaning the oven. So these are the job opportunities in baking,
1. Dough maker- responsible for preparing dough for bread, pies, pastries, biscuits, cookies and
other baked goods. Dough makers measure and mix ingredients to produce different types and
flavors of dough. They monitor temperature and humidity levels to facilitate the dough rising
process, move dough into proofing cabinets and determine when the dough is ready for baking.

2. Bakery clerk- handle the front-of-house duties at a bakery including greeting customers,
answering phones, taking orders and processing cash transactions. A bakery clerk places
prepared baked goods into packaging, attaches labels to the produce and arranges them into an
appealing display.

3. Dishwasher- work at bakeries to provide bakers with clean kitchen equipment. They clean
and sanitize bread pans, muffin tins, molds, spring forms, mixing bowls, spoons, spatulas and
measuring cups. After washing the bakery dishes, they organize the utensils and kitchen
equipment for easy access. Dishwashers may also assist with other cleaning tasks like cleaning
ovens, wiping stoves and mopping floors.

4. Fryer- operate frying machines to produce fried dough goods like doughnuts, doughnut
holes, beignets, croquettes, fried pies, fritters and fried buns. Their duties include cleaning and
maintaining fryer equipment and regularly replace the oil. They shape the dough, add filling and
place it carefully in the fryer.

5. Bakery assistant- provide direct support to bakers when producing breads, case and other
goods. They can help with front-of-house duties like serving customers or kitchen tasks like
mixing batter and organizing inventory. Other duties for bakery assistants include preparing
fillings for pastries, notifying the manager when ingredients are low, tracking expiration dates
and counting the number of available goods.

6. Chocolatier- responsible for making chocolate for pastry and bread fillings, cake decorations
and chocolate glazes. Their duties include determining which goods need chocolate, grinding
cocoa beans, mixing chocolate for specialty flavors, tempering the chocolate, adding it to dough
and pouring it into molds.

7. Cake decorator- use icing, frosting, candy, fondant and other decorations to make visually
appealing designs. They communicate with clients about the decorations they want, making
notes about the occasion for the cake, color schemes and flavors. When preparing a cake, they
remove the cake sponge from pans and cut it into a uniform shape.

8. Pastry cook- also known as dessert chefs, bake and decorate sweet baked goods like cakes,
cupcakes, tarts, Danishes and custards. They combine ingredients to make pastry dough and
may use the dough to create attractive patterns and designs. Pastry cooks organize baking
implements, measure product temperatures and place requests for supplies.
9. Baker- responsible for producing both savory and sweet baked goods, including bread,
pretzels, rolls, muffins and cookies. They plan flavor profiles for bread, develop recipes and
bake the goods in the oven. A baker's duties include assessing the quality of ingredients, sifting
and weighing flour, pouring batter, arranging dough on pans and removing items from the
oven.

10. Bakery manager- responsible for coordinating and supervising the bakery's business
operations. They hire and train employees, process payroll, manage relationships with supplies,
organize inventory and develop marketing and promotional materials. Bakery managers uphold
safety and sanitation practices at the bakery by inspecting the kitchen and developing
workplace policies. Bakery managers collaborate with bakers to develop a menu, including
planning specials and rotating baked goods.

THE BASIC INGREDIENTS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IN BREAD AND PASTRY PRODUCTION

Ingredients

 Flour (All purpose flour, Bread Flour, Cake Flour) Provides the structure in baked goods.
 Leaveners ( Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Yeast) A leavening agent is a substance that
causes dough to expand by releasing gas once mixed with liquid, acid or heat.
 Sugar ( Granulated Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Brown Sugar) It keeps baked goods soft and
moist.
 Salt ( Granulated Table Salt, Sea Salt) Stabilizing the yeast fermentation rate,
strengthening the dough, enhancing the flavor of the final product, and increasing
dough mixing time.
 Dairy ( Unsalted Butter, Milk, Butter Milk) Moistens batter or dough, and adds protein,
color and flavor to baked goods.
 Fats: Oil and Shortening ( Vegetable Oil, Butter) Contributes to the tenderness of a
product as it prevents flour from absorbing water.
 Extracts and Flavorings ( Pure Vanilla Extract) Yield a more uniform flavor across the
baked goods than using whole seeds, nuts, or fruit.
 Spices ( Ground Cinnamon) To add flavour and aroma to cakes, cookies, chocolates,
caramels, hard candies.

Tools and Equipment

 Measuring Cups (Liquid and Dry) and Spoons- Baking is all about precision, so having a
full set of measuring cups and spoons on hand is a must. Don't think you can get by with
just one type of measuring cup, you'll need both dry and wet measuring cups to
 accurately measure all your ingredients. Keep these tools in a spot that's easy to reach,
because you'll use them all the time.
 Wooden Spoon(s)- One wooden spoon is enough, but this tool is so handy, it can
sometimes be helpful to have a couple around. Wooden spoons are so sturdy they're
great for all kinds of stirring. You'll be able to use them with even the thickest, heaviest
doughs. Just remember to handwash them when you're done, so they don't end up
cracked.
 Rubber Spatula/Scraper- This tool is ideal for scraping the last bit of batter or dough
out of a pan or for scraping all the nooks and crannies out of your jam jar. They're also
super handy for folding together wet and dry ingredients. Note that silicone scrapers
will stand up to high heat better than rubber ones.
 Spatula/Metal Turner - When you need to transfer fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies to a
cooling rack or serve a piece of cake from a 9x13 pan, there's no tool better than a good
old spatula. Having one with a thin metal blade can be especially handy, and it'll be
flexible enough to easily slide under anything you're moving without squishing the
dough or crumbling your cookies.
 Pastry Brush- This handy tool has more uses than you may realize. It can be used to
grease a pan before pouring in cake batter, to coat the dough with melted butter or egg
wash, or to "paint" milk on top of a pie crust.
 Whisk - You can use a wire whisk to beat together a few eggs, but it's handy for other
things too. In particular, it's one of the best ways to thoroughly mix together dry
ingredients. It's also great for stirring together a homemade custard.
 Kitchen Scissors- Whenever we're making a recipe, baking or otherwise, we always
have our kitchen shears handy. They can be useful in so many ways, including snipping
fresh herbs, cutting parchment to fit a pan, or even just opening stubborn packages and
containers.
 Rolling Pin -Rolling pins are definitely most useful for rolling out pie crusts, cookie
dough, and puff pastry, but there are other ways you can put this tool to work in your
kitchen. For example, if you don't have a food processor and need to crush cookies,
chips, or crackers for a recipe, just put them in a sealable bag, then use your rolling pin
to smash them to pieces.
 Oven - use to cook any baked goods.
 Chef's Knife - If you have only one knife in your whole kitchen, make it this one. A chef's
knife is great for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing just about any ingredient your
recipe calls for.
 Square Baking Pan - You don't always need to make a huge pan of brownies, and when
you just want a small batch, you'll need a square baking pan. Cookie bars, cakes,
 brownies, and corn bread are just a few of the baked goods you can create using this
baking essential.
 Baking Sheet/Cookie Sheet/Sheet Pan- This pan is essential for baking almost any kind
of cookie, but baking sheets and sheet pans with raised sides are also useful for cookies
and work best for sheet pan dinner recipes.
 Hand Mixer/Stand Mixer - It will make mixing doughs and batters faster and easier, and
it's by far the best way to mix ingredients into a thick, stiff cookie dough without tiring
out your arm.
 Parchment Paper - Spreading a sheet over your pan before you start baking will make
cleanup much easier and prevent your baked goods from sticking to the pan. Avid
bakers might consider investing in a reusable silicone baking mat to be more eco-
friendly.