Baking & Pastry Arts
“I love everything about this program. It’s active and hands-on. I can’t wait to become a successful pastry chef!”
Megan Marshall
Midpark High School
There is nothing sweeter than a career in baking and pastry arts. Employment opportunities for bakers and pastry chefs are soaring, with high growth in retail bakeries, baking manufacturing, and hotels and lodging. Enter this profession and share your artistic baking talents with the world.
The Baking & Pastry Arts program at Polaris provides you with comprehensive hands-on experience. You will obtain the practical and theoretical training necessary to produce quality bakery products, with an emphasis on decorative pastry arts including:
- Cake decorating
- Sugar and chocolate work
- Plated dessert presentations
Through your experiences in the on-site bakery, you will learn effective merchandising and sales training techniques. Whether it's the ability to work in a bakery specializing in baking and pastry goods, or working as a pastry chef in a fine hotel or restaurant, you will learn the skills required for success.
Skills
Basic culinary techniques
Commercial food equipment operation
Bakery product preparation for class-managed bakery
Proper serving techniques/product presentation
Use of spices, flours, sugars, and leavening agents
Preparation of yeast-leavened breads and breakfast pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, and a variety of pastries in both large and small quantities
Specialty pastries such as tortes, gateaux, mousses, bavarois and many other desserts
Design and creation of chocolate/sugar showpieces
Plan food purchases
Effective merchandising
Sales training
Cost control measures
Proper handling and storage of food
Sanitation and safety
Equipment
Commercial mixers
Commercial rotating rack oven
Dough sheeter
Chocolate tempering equipment
Espresso/cappuccino machine
Doughnut fryer
Point of sale system
Other specialized pastry equipment
Career Options
Baker
Baker's helper
Pastry cook
Assistant pastry chef
Bakery manager
Future Opportunities with Further Education
Head baker
Pastry chef
Bakeshop/bakery manager
Bakeshop/bakery owner
Pastry/bakery vendor
High School Credit Junior Year
Baking & Pastry Arts 3.0
Technology .5
Potential College Semester Hour Credit
ProStart credit may transfer into college credit depending on which college you choose to attend. The amount of credit awarded depends on the college or university and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).