BakingHistorical background

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GRAINS- have been the most staple food in the human diet since prehistoric times, so it is only a slight exaggeration to say that baking is almost as old as the human race.

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The First Grain Foods

Before human beings learned to plant, they gathered wild foods. The seeds of various wild grasses, the ancestors of modern grains, were rich in nutrients and valued by prehistoric peoples as important foods.

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The earliest grain preparation was made by toasting dry grains, pounding them to a meal with rocks, and mixing the meal to a paste with water. Because the grains had already been cooked by toasting them to remove the husks, the paste needed no further cooking.

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Later it was discovered that some of this paste, if laid on a hot stone next to a fire, turned into a flat bread that was a little more appetizing than the plain paste.

Unleavened flatbreads made from grains pastes are the first step in the development of breads as we know them.

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By the time of the ancient Greeks, about 5 or 6 hundred years BCE, true enclosed ovens were in use. These ovens were preheated by building a fire inside them. They had a door in the front that could be enclosed, so the oven could be loaded and unloaded without losing so much heat.

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Several centuries later, ancient Rome was slow to develop breads. Not until master bakers arrived from Greece did grain foods much beyond porridges and simple flatbreads. By the latter period of the Roman Empire baking was an important industry.

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At the beginning of the 21st century, the popularity of fine breads and pastries is growing even faster than new chefs can be trained. Those entering a career in baking or pastry making today find opportunities in many areas, from small bakeshops and neighborhood restaurants to large hotels and wholesale bakeries.

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The First BakerThe Greeks were the master bakers of

antiquity, with more than 70 differents recipes for bread. As early as 200 b.c The Greeks established public bakeries.

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When the Romans conquered Greece, the conquerors improved the industry. The Romans turned baking into a large scale industry and passed many laws regarding the quality of bread. Poor people generally ate coarse, dark bread. Fine, white bread was only for the rich.

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The first leavened bread was probably made by accident by a royal baker in Egypt. The baker made the mixture of crushed grain, water and sugar and had set this aside. His attention was diverted somewhere and forgot all about the mixture. When he remembered it, the dough has expanded. In his fright, he kneaded the dough and baked it on hot stones and frightfully, offered his bread to his royal master. The Royal masters liked is bread and so he stayed at his job. That was the accidental birth of the leavened bread.

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Wheat Comes to the Philippines Because of our tropical climate, wheat is not grown in the Philippines. However, records have shown that when the Spaniards were with us sometime in the early 17th century, they introduced the planting of wheat in some provinces, particularly in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Cagayan Valley mainly for the purpose of using this in the making of bread for the holy communion.

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Until modern Technology can come up with a way of producing wheat in the Philippines, we will always depend on importation of wheat to meet the growing demands for baked products that only wheat can fill.

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What does it take to be a good baker or pastry chef?

--The emphasis of a food service education, whether in baking and pastry or in the hot kitchen, is on learning a set of skills. But in many ways, attitudes are more important than skills because a good attitude will help you not only learn skills but also persevere and overcome the difficulties you may face in your career.

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Important Requirements to be a good Baker

1. Eagerness to Work- One of the hardest discoveries for new culinarians is the repetitive nature of the work-doing the same tasks over and over, whether making up hundreds of dinner rolls a day or thousands of cookies for holiday sales. Overcoming the stress created by hard work requires a sense of responsibility and a dedication to your profession, to your co-workers and to your customers or clients.

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2. Commitment to learning –Never stop learning. Read. Study. experiment,. Take continuing education courses. After that help others share your knowledge. Be a mentor to a student. Teach a class Do what you can to raise the skill level of the profession.

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3. Dedication to Service- Good service requires sourcing high quality ingredients and handling them with care and respect; guarding the health of guests and coworkers with full attention to food safety and sanitation. Look after others, and your own success will follow.

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4. Professional Pride- Professionals take pride in their work and want to make sure it is something to be proud of. A professional cook maintains for high quality.

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BAKING

The term baking means the use of heat in an oven to convert flour, water, yeast, sugar and such into baked goods.

Baking is a way of preparing food by the process of conduction, generally in a closed oven.

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In the process of baking, starch content in the food is processed usually decreased that provides the food a brown color which lends it an attractive and appetizing look.

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On today’s market there is a never ending variety of the most delicious sweets and pastries to please both the palate and the eyes.

Baking pastries are little more complicated because everything is measured to the exact amount indeed no ore or less.

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The baked food even lasts long. It does not stale easily, as it contains less moisture.

Everything has to be perfect or the product being made won’t come out the way it is supposed to be.

Cooking is much more different. It isn’t measured just added by eye or to the taste.

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FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION

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Cross -contaminationWash your hands frequently and

thoroughly, Gloves are not a substitute for proper hand washing.

Keep your fingernails short, clean and neat. Do not bite your nails or wear nail polish.

Keep any cut or wound antiseptically bandaged. An injured hand should also be covered with a disposable glove.

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Bath daily, or more often if requiredKeep your hair clean and restrainedWear work clothes that are clean and

neat. Avoid wearing jewelry or watches. Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in

food preparation areas.

Cross-contamination is preventable by observing proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures.

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The Safe WorkerFood service professionals are also

responsible for their own personal safety as well as that of their customers and fellow workers. The best ways to prevent work related injuries are proper training, good work habits and careful supervision.

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The following list should alert you to conditions and activities aimed at preventing accident and injuries

Clean up spills as soon as they occur. Learn to operate equipment

properly;always use guards and safetydevices.

Wear clothing that fits properly;avoid wearing jewelry, which may get caught in equipment

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Use knives and other equipment for their intended purposes only.

Walk, do not run. keep exist,ailes and stairs and

unobstructed. Always assume pots and pans are

hot;handle out of the aisles so that they do not get bumped.

Get help or use cart when lifting or moving heavy objects.

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Avoid back injury by lifting with you leg muscles, stoop, don’t bend, when lifting.

Use an appropriately placed ladder or stool for climbing; do not use a chair box, drawer or shelf.

Keep breakables items away from food storage areas.

Warn people when you think you must walk behind them, especially when carrying a hot pan.

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Job Opportunities in BakingThere are several ways by which an

individual who has adequate knowledge and skills in baking can use such skills to make one self-sufficient. Some of these are:

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1. By working in a bakery2. By accepting orders for

baked products at home3. By putting up a bake shop

Job Opportunities in Baking

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Personnel needs of a bakeryManager- The Manager is usually the

owner. He manages the entire operations.Chief Baker- he is commonly called the

“maestro” He takes charge of the preparation of recipes for baking.

Assistant baker- the understudy of the chief baker. He assists the chief baker.

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Oven helpers- They attend to the baking of the breads in big oven.

Cashier- handles the money from the actual sales of the day. He operates the cash register.

Counter salesgirls- they attend to the finishing of the baked products from the baking pans, and other jobs like:

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Counting the pieces of bread baked and displaying these in the counters.

Portioning of the baked products like pies and cakes. Portions or cuts of these are done in uniformly so that prices could be set for each portion.

Attend to the cleanliness and orderliness of the bake shop.