Chapter 1

The Baking Profession

Baking – Historical Background
• The First Grain Foods
– Early development of grain foods took place
in Eastern Mediterranean regions
• Wild grains abundant in the region
– Toasted dry grain, pounded into a meal and
mixed with water
– Later paste was laid onto hot, flat rocks to
make unleavened flatbread
• Unleavened flatbread first step in development of
breads
Baking – Historical Background
• Ancient Leavened Breads
– The beginning of leavened bread
• Grain paste left to stand
• Collects wild yeasts from the air
• Begins to ferment
• Small part of dough used to leaven the next day’s
batch of breads
Baking – Historical Background
• Ancient Leavened Breads
– Ancient Egyptians developed the art of cooking
leavened doughs in molds
• The first loaf pans
• First mass produced breads

– By the time of the ancient Greeks, true enclosed

ovens were in use, 500 or 600 BCE
• Flat or slightly mounded breads were called maza

– Roman baking began the use of a controlled yeast

source for making bread doughs
• The Gauls developed beer making
• Discovered when the froth for beer was added to bread
dough, made the bread light
– Froth contained yeast
Baking – Historical Background
• Baking in the Middle Ages
– Baking and pastry making begin to reappear
as important professions
– Part of the bread maker’s job was bolting
• Sifting whole-grain flour with coarser sieves to
remove part of the bran, while sifting with finer
sieves to remove most or all of the bran, and made
whiter flour
– Laws regulated bolting yields, bread
ingredients, and loaf sizes
• Bread the most important food at the time
Baking – Historical Background
• Baking in the Middle Ages
– Formation of guilds for bakers and pastry chefs in
France
• Guilds used to protect and further the art of baking and
pastry
– Provided a way to pass the knowledge of the baker’s trade from
generation to generation
• Regulations prohibited uncertified bakers from baking bread
for sale
• Developed their own
– Certification process
– Training programs / techniques
– Apprenticeship system
Baking – Historical Background
• Sugar and Pastry Making
– In the 1400s pastry chefs formed their own guild,
away from bakers
– Early pastries always had a dense texture
– Honey the most important sweetener
• Sugar was rare and an expensive luxury item
– 1492 sparked a revolution in pastry making
• European arrival in the Americas
• Sugar became more abundant and prices dropped
• Cocoa and chocolate introduced for the first time
– By the 17th and 18th century basic pastries, puff
pastry, and Danish dough, were being made
– In the 18th century processors learned to refine sugar
from sugar beets
• Sugar production now available in Europe
Baking – Historical Background
• From the First Restaurants to Carême
– The First restaurant
• 1765, Parisian named Boulanger began advertising on his
shop sign that he served soups, called restaurants or
restoratives

– Two major books on bread making were published

• By Malouin in 1775
• L’art du meunier, du boulanger et du vermicellier
– “The Art of the Miller, the Bread Baker, and the Pasta Maker”
• By Parmentier in 1778
• Le parfait boulanger
– “The Perfect Bread Baker”

– In eighteenth century came the invention of the stove

Baking – Historical Background
• From the First Restaurants to Carême

– Marie-Antoine Carême lived from 1784 to 1833

• The most famous chef of the early nineteenth century
• Elevated the jobs of cook and pastry chef to respected
professions
• Wrote the book, Le pâtissier royal
– The first systematic explanations of the pastry
chef’s art
Marie-Antoine Carême
Baking – Historical Background
• Modern Baking and Modern Technology
– In the 19th century
• The development of roller milling
• Availability of flours from wheat-growing regions of
North America
– Wheat varieties higher in protein
– In the 20th century
• Refrigeration
• Sophisticated ovens
• Air transportation
• Preservation techniques
• Modern equipment introduced
Who is Georges-August Escoffier?
• Georges-August Escoffier, 1847 – 1935
– Revered as the father of 20th century cookery
– Main contributions
• Simplification of the classical menu
• Systematizing the cooking methods
• Reorganization of the kitchen
– Le Guide Culinaire
• Basic cooking methods and preparation that we study
based on this book
– Invented several desserts such as peach Melba
• Poached peach with raspberry sauce served over
vanilla ice cream
Georges-August Escoffier
Baking – Historical Background
• Modern Styles
– Fernand Point (1897 – 1955)
• Restaurant, La Pyramide, in Vienne, France
• Simplified and lightened classical French cuisine
• Wrote Ma Gastronomie
– 1960s to early 1970s
• Nouvelle cuisine introduced
– Urged natural flavors and preparations with lighter
sauces and seasonings and shorter cooking times
– Emphasis on artful plating presentations done by the
chef in the kitchen
Fernand Point
Baking – Historical Background
• Modern Styles
– Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA
• Opened in 1971 by Alice Waters
• Philosophy of Waters and restaurant:
– Good food depends on good ingredients, locally and
organically grown
– Fusion Cuisine
• Use of ingredients and techniques from more than
one regional cuisine
• Popularized in the 1980s
Alice Waters
Baking – Historical Background
• Reactions to Technology and the
Evolution of Modern Bread
– 1920s
• mixing machines become popular
• Stronger commercial yeasts available
– 1950s and 1960s
• Bread mass produced – boring and flavorless
– Raymond Calvel
• Returned to older-style flours and traditional mixing
techniques
• Developed new technique - autolyse
 Baking and Pastry Careers
• Careers in baking or pastry
– Where to find opportunities:
• Small bakeshops
• Neighborhood restaurants
• Large hotels
• Wholesale bakeries
 Baking and Pastry Careers
• Restaurant and Hotel Food Service
– Auguste Escoffier most important achievement was the reorganization
of the kitchen
• Divided the kitchen into departments
– Saucier – Sauce chef
– Poissonier – Fish chef
– Rôtisseur – Roast chef
– Chef garde manger – Pantry chef
– Pâtissier – Pastry chef
– Sous chef – assistant to the Executive chef
• Known as the kitchen brigade
– In small to medium – sized restaurants, pastry chef may work alone
– In large restaurants and hotels
• Executive pastry chef – Chef in charge of baking and desserts
• Boulanger – Bread baker
• Glacier – Ice cream maker who makes frozen desserts
• Confiseur – Confectioner or candy maker
• Décorateur – Decorator who prepares showpieces, sugar work, and
decorated cake
 The Kitchen Brigade
Title in English Title in French Tasks
Station Chefs Chefs de Partie
Sauce Chef Saucier Responsible for sauces and sautéed items

Fish Chef Poissonier Responsible for fish dishes

Roast Chef Rôtisseur Responsible for roasted foods

Pantry Chef Garde Manger Cold foods, such as salads, cold appetizers,
pates, salad dressings, sandwiches
Pastry Chef Pâtissier Desserts and pastries

Executive Chef Chef de Cuisine In charge of all food production

Sous Chef Sous Chef Assists the executive chef

Directly in charge of cooking during production
Executive Pastry Chef In charge of all baking and pastry production

Bread Baker Boulanger Prepares yeast goods

Ice cream maker Glacier Makes all frozen desserts

Confectioner or Candy Maker Confiseur Makes all confections and candies

Decorator Décorateur Prepares showpieces, sugar work and

decorated cakes
 Baking and Pastry Careers
• Bakeries
– Retail bakeries and in-store bakery
departments
• Head baker
– Worker in charge of the production in a retail bakery
– In charge of staff with in departments
– Departments may include breads and yeast good, cakes,
and decorated items
– Wholesale
• Accomplish the same tasks as retail bakeries,
except production may be more automated and
industrialized
 Baking and Pastry Careers
Professional Requirements
• Professional Requirements
– Food service education
– Attitude
– Mastery of skill
• Eagerness to Work
– Repetitive nature of work
– Use as an opportunity for building and mastery of skills
• Commitment to Learning
– “Never stop learning”
– Take continuing education courses
– Join appropriated professional associations
– American Culinary Federation or Retail Bakers of America
– Join alumni association
– Enter competitions to hone skills
– Learn Management and business skills
– Keep up with the latest developments in technology, baking techniques,
and food trends
– Help others to learn
 Baking and Pastry Careers
Professional Requirements
• Dedication to Service
– Bring enjoyment and well-being to your
guests
• Professional Pride
– Maintain a positive attitude
– Work efficiently, neatly, and safely
– Take pride in your work
– Set a good example for others