Do you aspire to be the top pastry chef in your town? Someone who wins the heart of every sweet tooth with the best recipes, a secret baking trick and creative decoration ideas?
Then this blog is for you! By its definition pastry chefs, also known as dessert chefs, are in charge of making a variety of sweets such as pastries, brownies, and other desserts. They can work in a variety of food-related fields and are typically part of a larger bakery staff under an executive chef.
Considering the rapid expansion of the bakery industry in India, there has never been a better time to be a pastry chef and to have your own little bakery business setup. Keep reading to find answers to all of your questions regarding becoming the best pastry chef.
Who is a Pastry Chef?
A pastry chef creates a variety of baked goods, including cakes, pies, eclairs, and sweet pastries. They work in factories producing things in large quantities or in retail establishments like bakeries or fine dines. In a bakery kitchen, they are in charge of inspecting the quality of the ingredients, setting up the necessary tools, measuring and combining the ingredients, and rolling or kneading the dough before baking.
Pastry chefs have to divide their time into acquiring ingredients, keeping track of supplies, and checking that the bakery kitchen is in compliance with health and safety standards.
Tips to Become the Best Pastry Chef
1. Education & Training
Formal education in the culinary arts is not obligatory in order to work as a pastry chef. A degree from one of India’s culinary art colleges, however, would do wonders for your professional standing. A professional degree will teach you everything you need to know to become a pastry chef, both in theory and in practice.
2. Work Experience
Working at a bakery to learn the ins and outs of the baking business is one method to get your feet wet in the baking world. Theoretical knowledge and real experience are vastly different. No amount of classes or videos will ever match the hands-on experience provided by a job in a bakery kitchen.
You can also work & learn from a skilled veteran (it need not be a professional chef but someone who knows the art of baking & is eager to pass you their knowledge). They have the secret weapon of “experience” that will help you refine your own skills & learn new tricks.
Time to call your grandmother to ask for her secret Gajar halwa recipe & turn it into your best-selling cheesecake!
3. Inspiration
If you’re new to baking, keep an eye open for creative ideas to make desserts. Try to find some resources, be it books, videos, people, or courses that could add up to your knowledge of baking. If you keep learning throughout your career, you will never run out of fresh and beautiful ideas always popping up in your head.
Here is your list of bakery shows to binge-watch over the weekend!
4. Experimenting
Baking and creating unique combinations of pastries will always be hit-and-miss. Keep experimenting with the ideas that pop up in your head as and when you get them. You don’t know which one will turn out to be really good.
5. Time Management
Pastry chefs need to be excellent at managing their time. Knowing when to begin measuring components is essential. Your bakery business will most likely involve juggling multiple baking projects at once. A lack of time management skills can lead to being late or even spoiled baked goods.
6. Being Organised
Maintaining a neat and orderly bakery kitchen is crucial for smooth operation. This is so that you not only have everything on hand to bake your order but also know exactly where everything is located. There’s nothing worse than having to stop what you’re doing to hunt down a missing tool or ingredient.
Inspiring Pastry Chefs You Should Know About
Many talented pastry chefs from throughout the world can serve as role models for you. We’ve compiled a list of 5 of the most influential pastry chefs on Instagram so you can learn their secrets right away and start making mouthwatering pastries.
1. Pierre Hermé
To be called “The Picasso of Pastry” is a testament to one’s extraordinary skill. When it comes to baked goods, Pierre Hermé is the equivalent of Pablo Picasso. Rich and distinctive in flavour, his macarons have made him a household name.
2. René Frank
Rene Frank has been named the Best Pastry Chef of 2022, by a leading restaurant ranking company 50Best. Rene launched his own Berlin dessert-focused eatery called Coda. Coda, which serves modern cuisine influenced by pastries from around the world, is largely responsible for catapulting Frank to international fame.
3. Heena Punwani
Heena is the engineer-turned-pastry-chef behind the Instagram account @tiffintales. Her Instagram is filled with mouthwatering cake photos that will make you stop scrolling on Instagram and order a cake immediately.
4. Zoë François
Pastry chef and master baker Zoë François is all about spreading the word about her delectable creations on her Instagram profile, ZoeBakes. She has written the best-selling cookbook “Zoe Bakes Cakes” and has her own cooking show on the Magnolia Network.
5. Shivesh Bhatia
The self-taught baker and culinary writer Shivesh Bhatia is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in desserts. His Instagram is full of mouthwatering photos of delicacies like cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, and pastries. He is also an author of four books along with one successful youtube channel.
If you are starting out as a new pastry chef, don’t stress out. It is only natural to feel overwhelmed with the amount of work there is to do in this field. But, with the tips we’ve provided in this blog and a little bit of experience in the bakery business, you’ll do just fine.
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