Pastry Chef Training – Skills Taught in Schools

What are the elements of the trade that you will have to learn in pastry chef training? Aside from basic baking and pastry making, there are other skills that are included in the coursework of culinary schools. In the practice of culinary arts, food is not simply prepared. It is also judged by its aesthetic value – how delectable your creation looks and tastes.

Aside from that, there are other courses such as food chemistry and dietetics that are included in pastry chef training. These improve your understanding of food substances. Sanitation, kitchen management and communications are also included. These will prove useful when you become an executive chef or manage you own place.

Curriculum

All culinary schools combine theory and practice. Your classes will probably start with a lecture on the fundamental recipes, procedures, and equipment involved with complex pastry making. You work will be overseen by professional Chef-Instructors that will judge the end products of your exercise.

Culinary schools include creation of classic pastry dough, petit fours, cakes, plated desserts and candies into their curriculum. Here is some pastry chef training that most culinary schools offer within their curriculum:

Classic Pastry dough – You will be taught the basics of baking. You will learn how to make French pastry dough as well as short dough such as pâte brisée and pâte sucrée. Cookie dough and tart fillings will also be taught. Maybe, your first exercise would be to make French apple tarts.

Cream puffs – Try out different desserts using great cream puff dough or pâte à choux. You will learn the secrets on how to make perfect cream puff dough along with the fillings, glazes and shapes.

Bread – You’d be baking bread, not only the ordinary ones you see in supermarkets but also croissants, brioches, muffins, scones and yeast breads. Add to that European breads and specialty breads. You’ll create an array of flavorful pastries and breads.

Cakes – Put together cakes, fillings and icings. Learn how to make meringue-based cakes, sponge cakes and cakes with biscuit layers. You will also be taught how these creations should be decorated with icings, frostings and smooth glazes. Fill your cakes with mouth-watering meringue, Bavarian creams, mousse and ganache fillings.

Wedding cakes – This will be learned later because it will require more skills. Assemble a three-tiered wedding cake based on what you have previously learned. You’ll be encouraged to be creative with the decorations as well as the cake itself. You’ll be taught specialty fillings and techniques in frosting and decorations.

Petit fours – Learn how to make baked and unbaked petit fours. You will learn how to cut, mold, fill, glaze and decorate these tasty and pretty treats.

Chocolates – Whether white, milk, or dark, your instructors will help you learn how to make heavenly chocolate creations. You will be molding, tempering and melting chocolates to turn them into wonderful showpieces. Aside from making simple candies and truffles, you will also know how to express your creativity using chocolates.

Plated desserts –Restaurants usually serve individual desserts (à la minute). You will not only learn baked desserts, but you will also be asked to prepare frozen and hot desserts. Know how to prepare soufflés, crepes and individual cakes. Sorbets, ice cream and parfaits are some frozen desserts that will be included in your pastry chef training.

Sugar – your instructors will surely teach you how to blow, spin and pull sugar. Make your creations works of art by decorating them using marzipan, nougatine and pastillage. These are best for presentation pieces that will surely tickle the palates of your “clients”.

These are the techniques that you will learn with a formal education. Most schools offer 6 months of day classes. If you opt for pastry chef training on evenings, you will finish the course after 9 months.

You will be working in fully-equipped kitchens with equipments for all your baking needs. Culinary programs aim to train students on real-time production methods by hands-on training. After giving you in-depth lectures on the theories and principles, you will be working in small groups.

You’d also be taught how to organize dessert menus. Mainly, in upscale restaurants, a professional pastry chef will take charge of the dessert menu. They work on cost budgeting, ingredient list and set of choices of the kitchen’s desserts. Not only are students taught how to make desserts, they are given some background on kitchen management.

Some institutions offer externships to give you broader experience into the pastry industry. This will help you gain more knowledge and enable you to practice your skills so you can improve them.

Employment and Occupational Outlook

The food industry is a growing sector. Similarly, the demands for professional chefs with experience will also rise. So, if you want to be in the pastry industry, start your pastry chef training in premier culinary schools to land top-notch job positions after you finish the course.

Start out as kitchen staff or cook and work your way up by giving out excellent performance in your expertise and kitchen management. Or you could have your own bakeshops or bistros after you have learned the techniques in making savory pastries and desserts. Take a look around you. There’s a world of possibilities for a pastry chef.