What do pastry chefs actually do? I need to know everything I can about them. Same with bakers.?!
Answers:
The first person ahs covered it partially, I am a former chef, classically trained and with 20+ year in the Hotel business I can help you!.
In most cases the baker is someone who makes and bakes things like danish, crossiants, muffins, breads/rolls and some other certain products, he makes and sets the doughs and them finishes them, were as the pastry chef will make the cake batters, pastry doughs like for pies, puff pastry and sometimes the crossiant dough, then finished the pastrys and desserts item, like cheesecakes, petit fours, pastry slices, specialty cakes, the items on pastry carts, banquet pastries and then the desserts for all the other restaurants or hotel operations!. Some even do chocolates, truffles and specialty items for the foodservices and rooms!.
The pastry chef is the head of the department and may have 3-6 underlings or workers, the baker may work by him/herself or has 1-2 helpers, also the baker will start at an early hours even late at night and work all night until the pastry chef and his staff come in at 7-8 am for there shifts!.
Pay wise there is a difference, a pastry chef like a kitchen chef has done an apprenticeship, and wrote exams for qualification, bakers to go through a specific training program just not as involved, and they are long term employees, pastry chefs like regular chefs do sometime move for operation to operation, money and notarity are the biggest reasons!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
In most cases the baker is someone who makes and bakes things like danish, crossiants, muffins, breads/rolls and some other certain products, he makes and sets the doughs and them finishes them, were as the pastry chef will make the cake batters, pastry doughs like for pies, puff pastry and sometimes the crossiant dough, then finished the pastrys and desserts item, like cheesecakes, petit fours, pastry slices, specialty cakes, the items on pastry carts, banquet pastries and then the desserts for all the other restaurants or hotel operations!. Some even do chocolates, truffles and specialty items for the foodservices and rooms!.
The pastry chef is the head of the department and may have 3-6 underlings or workers, the baker may work by him/herself or has 1-2 helpers, also the baker will start at an early hours even late at night and work all night until the pastry chef and his staff come in at 7-8 am for there shifts!.
Pay wise there is a difference, a pastry chef like a kitchen chef has done an apprenticeship, and wrote exams for qualification, bakers to go through a specific training program just not as involved, and they are long term employees, pastry chefs like regular chefs do sometime move for operation to operation, money and notarity are the biggest reasons!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Here's a good description of what pastry chefs do: http://www!.jobprofiles!.org/retpastrychef!.!.!. They are highly trained professionals (usually formally trained) and have a wide range of responsibilities other than simply cooking!.
What a baker does varies by the job!. Advanced education is not required!. It is more of a skilled trade job that you learn through apprenticeship!. Of course, some bakers become extremely skilled professionals running their own retail bakeries!.
Here's a good link with a baker job description: http://careers!.stateuniversity!.com/pages!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
What a baker does varies by the job!. Advanced education is not required!. It is more of a skilled trade job that you learn through apprenticeship!. Of course, some bakers become extremely skilled professionals running their own retail bakeries!.
Here's a good link with a baker job description: http://careers!.stateuniversity!.com/pages!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com