Baking and Pastry Arts - AOS

In this course students will be introduced to professional baking standards which include: ingredients recognition, food handling and care, mixing methods, baking processes and procedures, baking vocabulary and terminology, and use of industry equipment. This course will give students the necessary insight to fully participate in baking course co-requisites BAK 110, 120, 130 and 140, including group participation, peer evaluations and critiques of properly prepared baked goods. Emphasis will be placed on baking math, formula conversion, scaling, food cost, percentage yield, bakers’ percentage (bread making calculation) and baked goods diagnostics. Students will be able to work with recipes and to follow written directions in co-requisite courses.

In this course students will be introduced to one large and popular baking area: Cookies, Tarts and Pies. This course will retrace the history of this type of baked good and propose a journey through some classical foreign cookies and tarts and American regional cookies, tarts and pies. This course will also cover, through different recipes, the evolution of these classic homemade products from rustic to cutting edge bakery creations. In this course the students will apply the skills being acquired in the co-requisite baking essentials course. The students will practice new techniques and methods and continue to build and apply their skills in this specific baking area while being exposed to crucial principles of safe food handling and sanitation.
 

In this course, students will be introduced to butter and sponge cakes and professional cake assembly. Students will learn how to slice, soak, ice and decorate multiple types of cakes using appropriate fillings, bake shop creams, mousses, and international buttercreams. Course material will also cover the evolution of classic cakes from traditional to modern perspectives and approaches.  In this course the students will apply skills being acquired in the co-requisite BAK 101, Baking Essentials course. The students will practice new techniques and methods and continue to build and apply their skills in this specific baking area, while being exposed to crucial principles of safe food handling and sanitation.

Bread is an essential component of world food culture, so vital that religions and legends have emphasized its value, from antiquity to the French revolution. Its relevance persists in modern times. This course retraces the history of bread from ancient Egypt to modern times and travels through classical breads such as the Italian Ciabatta and the French Baguette. In this course students will be introduced to yeast fermentation, straight dough, sponge method, ten steps of bread baking, loaf shapes, proper scoring, lean dough and hearth bread, flat bread, soft crust bread, rich bread, pre-ferments and sourdough starters. Students will apply baking techniques and math acquired in the co-requisite baking essentials course. Students will practice classic and modern methods applied to bread making while being exposed to crucial principles of safe food handling and sanitation.

In this course the students will be introduced to another large and popular baking area: Viennoiserie, laminated doughs, yeast rich doughs and cream puff pastry (Pate a choux). In this course students will have the opportunity to practice laminated doughs, mastering the use of the rolling pin before using an electric dough sheeter. In this course the students will learn about the origin and the history of this specific type of baked goods. This course will cover the different techniques used in puff pastry making, croissants, Danish pastries, brioche, etc.
In this course the students will continue to develop the skills being acquired in the co-requisite baking essentials course. The students will practice new techniques and methods and continue to build and apply their skills in this specific baking area while being exposed to crucial principles of safe food handling and sanitation.
 

In this course the students will be introduced to the fabrication of ice creams, sorbets, granites, parfaits, frozen soufflés, bombs and a variety of frozen entremets. This course will cover the different techniques used to create a large variety of frozen desserts, such as sorbets, and ice cream, and how to combine them to create complex frozen desserts such as Baked Alaska, parfait Coco Chanel, Soufflé Rothschild, etc. Students will review the history of frozen desserts from the ancient Greeks to cutting edge modern ice cream parlors. An important part of the course will be dedicated to the rules and regulations governing this professional segment. A Strong emphasis will be placed on hygiene and sanitation specific to this type of fabrication.  Prerequisites: BAK 106 Baking Essentials

In this course students will be introduced to specific desserts recommended for restaurants and catering businesses. This course will explain the difference between plated desserts and restaurant desserts. This course will also focus on how to contrast textures, temperatures and sweetness with acidity to create a well-balanced and attractive dish. This course will cover the different techniques used to create recipes such as crème brulée, profiteroles, petit pots de crème, chocolate mousse, coulis, etc. In this course the students will review the techniques and skills learned in their previous classes. They will learn how to adapt and modify recipes to make them suitable for different types of restaurants from family diners to Michelin starred establishments. The students will be exposed to molecular gastronomy and will learn how to incorporate these techniques in plated desserts.  Prerequisite: BAK 106 Baking Essentials

European Immigrants to America brought their cultures with them, including some iconic desserts which are now part of the American repertoire. One of the purposes of this course is to review the history of these now-classic cakes and pastries, to re-connect them with their country of origin, and to discover or rediscover the cultures of these countries through their pastries. This course is also a way for students to understand many of the cultural values and traditions of European nations. The students will practice new techniques and methods and continue to build and apply their skills in this specific baking area including crucial principles of safe food handling and sanitation. Prerequisite:  BAK 106 Baking Essentials

Sweet is an international language. Each country has its way to seduce a palate with a dessert. Using local and imported ingredients, and influenced by religion, culture and conquests, the creativity of the human mind has come up with an amazing diversity of desserts. In this course the students will reproduce a selection of desserts from around the world. One of the purposes of this course is to review the history of these pastries, to match them with their country of origin and to discover or rediscover the cultures of these countries through their desserts. This course is also a way for students to understand many of the cultural values and traditions of Asia, Africa and the Americas. A particular emphasis will be placed on how to adapt and present these desserts to the American public. The students will practice a diversity of techniques and methods.  Prerequisite: BAK 106 Baking Essentials.

Confectionary is the art of preserving flavors and fruit through the use of sweeteners. It is an ancestral art using well proven techniques. Technology helps us to understand the chemistry behind these inherited practices. This course progresses through recipes and techniques from the middle ages when honey was the common sugar, to modern days where inverted sugar and glucose are part of our daily diets. Students will learn methods and procedures used in the production of classical confections such as nougat, lollypops, caramels, candies, etc. and techniques used in modern confectionary such as adding texturizers and applying molecular gastronomy methods. Jams, jellies and marmalades will be discussed in detail. Candies are also part of this course culminating with maple candies done using our own maple syrup.  Prerequisite: BAK 106 Baking Essentials

The Latin name of cocoa is Theobroma cacao which means ‘food of the Gods’, a worthy name for the magic that is chocolate. Native to tropical America, chocolate was used in Mayan and Aztec cultures medicinally, in religious ceremonies and as monetary exchange. Since the time that it was brought to Europe by conquistadors, chocolate conquered the world, becoming one of the most renowned foods. In this course students will learn about chocolate history, fabrication, the different types of chocolate available in market, the specific use of each type of chocolate, how to temper and work with chocolate couverture. A specific emphasis will be placed on chocolate bonbons using ganache, pralines, liquors, marzipan filling, just to name few. The use of chocolate in decoration, to fabricate roses and ribbons will also be covered. Prerequisite: BAK 106 Baking Essentials

Students are introduced to the functions of a marketing system to gain a better understanding of the consumer and industrial market place. Creating in design work that illustrates persuasion, emotional allurement, and ability to attract sales is taught. Different strategies necessary to market a product or service are discussed from scientific and practical viewpoints. Topics discussed include product planning and development, quality, pricing promotions, and channels of distribution. (3 hours lecture). Completes General Education Requirements:SC-R, RE-R.

This course is developed to provide pastry students with the necessary culinary skills to be able to perform and develop simple and innovative savory recipes such as soups, salads, sandwiches and entrée tarts in order to be versatile in any commercial kitchen.  Students will be introduced to culinary professional standards which includes knife skills, food handling and care, cooking processes and procedures, product identification, culinary vocabulary and terminology, and use of industry equipment. The course will utilize chef demonstrations, group participation, peer evaluations and critiques of properly prepared foods.

This course is one of the three components of the bakery retail experience courses. Each course is independent; however, they are all connected, representing the three aspects of the bakery retail business: sweet, savory and sales. In this course students will deepen their culinary skills as they develop recipes and produce savory items to be sold in the bakery. These items include sandwiches, soups, salads and dishes such as savory tarts, hand pies and comfort food suitable for a bakery retail shop. Using the data collected from sales, students will adjust recipes and production to maximize profit and minimize waste. Additional emphasis will be placed on students’ ability to work as members of a cohesive team and to communicate with students in the sales and sweet courses. Prerequisite: completion of 19 hours in major.

This course is one of the three components of the bakery retail experience courses. Each course is independent; however, they are all connected, representing the three aspects of the bakery retail business: sweet, savory and sales. In this course students will deepen their baking and pastry skills as they develop recipes and produce baked goods to be sold in the bakery. These items can be breads, cookies, tarts, eclairs, croissants or anything that is not savory but suitable for a bakery retail shop. Using the data collected from sales, students will adjust recipes and production to maximize profit and minimize waste. Additional emphasis will be placed on students’ ability to work as members of a cohesive team and to communicate with students in the sales and savory courses.  Prerequisite: completion of 19 hours in major.

This course is the last of the three components of the bakery retail experience. The other two being Sweet and Savory. In this course students will be introduced to the management functions of planning, organizing, leading and control applied to small businesses in general, and bakery retail in particular. The course is designed to give students the opportunity to manage a team, analyze sales data, create marketing/advertising promotions, stimulate merchandise sales, price product, minimize waste and create appealing displays as related to the day to day operation of a retail bakery. Each student will act as General Manager in rotation, supervising students from the complementary courses noted above. Emphasis will be placed on students’ ability to work as members of a cohesive team and to communicate effectively.

Completes General Education Requirements for: QP-R
 

This course is the culminating course designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they have obtained the goals of the program. This final course will ask students to demonstrate their culinary technique, aesthetic appreciation, research, management, and leadership abilities. Students will design and execute all of the aspects of managing a conceptual baking business. During their Executive Pastry Chef rotation, students will create a menu, order food supplies, develop a budgetary proposal, and assign duties pertaining to food production and front of house service. At the completion of Executive Pastry Chef rotation students will prepare and defend a portfolio which will include a complete research report.