Overview of Field
Baking and Pastry Schools train their students for professions in baking and pastry making. Baking is the art of making cakes, cookies, bread, pastries, crackers, etc. using an oven or even hot stones. The concept of baking is as old as 300 BC and it has always been a sign of celebration and festivity. Historically, baking recipes have been jealously guarded secrets but now it is a formal art with extensive focus on presentation of bakery items.
Programs offered
The baking and pastry schools offer various programs in baking such as diploma, certificate, associate degree and even bachelors programs. It has become a very technical art with stress on ingredients used, quality and decoration. These schools also offer programs for home cooks who want to polish their baking skills.
Admission Requirements
It is quite easy to get admission in to baking and pastry schools as the requirements are not that stringent. English language and mathematics proficiency is demanded by some schools. Last but not the least; students must genuinely like baking as it requires irregular hours and working in a heated environment for a long time.
Coursework
The courses taught in baking and pastry schools depend on the program pursued by the student. The diploma and certificate programs normally focus on basic baking skills such as mixing methods, yeast handling, cake decorations, etc. The associate degree and bachelors programs also include initial business courses. This is done to prepare the students for starting their own businesses in baking and pastry making.
Baking and Pastry Schools in Ohio
There are various baking and pastry schools in the state of Ohio and some of them are listed as follows:
Columbus State Community College: Offers Associate of Applied Science (AAS) with specialization in baking and pastry.
Hocking Technical College, Nelsonville: Offers an associate of arts in business (AAB) program in baking and pastry making.
Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati: Offers an AAB degree in Pastry Arts.
Sinclair Community College, Dayton: Offers AAB degree in baking.
Career Prospects
Students studying from the baking and pastry schools can either open their own bakery shops or join restaurants and hotels as pastry chefs. There are always jobs available for bakers and pastry chefs as this is one job that cannot be outsourced to other countries. Moreover, people can work from home taking in pastry orders through the Internet and baking at home. The starting salary of pastry chefs may be as high as $25,000 and is definitely enhanced through experience.