How to Become a Pastry Chef

When we think of pastry, we imagine beautiful cakes and tarts in the bakery window and a cooking show host who makes it look so easy to do. A pastry cook, more commonly called a pastry chef (or patissier in French), seems like it would be a fun job to have. The average person does not realize how much training and hard work a person must submit to in order to become a pastry cook.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cake decorating supplies
• Culinary arts degree or pastry certificate
• Camera
• Portfolio of recipes and creations
• Comfortable shoes

1. Practice baking often if your dream is to become a pastry cook. Obviously, the most basic baking and cooking skills are essential to anyone in the food service industry. Before taking courses, practice your skills at home.

2. Take some cake decorating classes before committing yourself to a full-time culinary arts program. See if you like the work and have a talent for it. Inexpensive cake decorating classes are sometimes offered at arts and crafts stores, local bakeries and colleges.

3. Get a formal education in the culinary arts. There are 2- and 4-year degree programs in the culinary arts at many schools around the country. This is an excellent background to have if you want to cook professionally.

4. Enroll in pastry courses within your broader culinary arts program. At some colleges, you can earn a pastry certificate that states you have excelled in this area of food service.

5. Consider taking an art class to get your creative juices flowing. A pastry cook must have a good eye for color, texture and shape in order to concoct desserts that will look appealing to her customers.

6. Put together a portfolio of the pastries and other sweets you have cooked. These can be recipes from others that you have reproduced or your own original recipes. Take pictures of the completed products to be able to show prospective employers.

7. Apply for positions that allow you some room for advancement, even if they are not pastry chef jobs. It is sometimes possible to work your way up to the job you want if you have worked for a particular company for a long time and show excellent workmanship. Consider all the different ways in which you may become a pastry cook.

8. Scope out the competition discreetly once you have landed the job you wanted. Look at magazines and other bakeries to see what is popular and what kinds of pastries have run their course. Think about what new delectable sweet you could introduce to the world.

Tips & Warnings

• Expect to work very long hours as a pastry cook, especially if you are employed by a small bakery. Food service is a very tough industry in terms of a regular schedule. Be sure to take care of yourself by getting enough rest and wearing comfortable shoes to protect your feet from hours of standing.

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