Pastry Chef Job Profile: Bake Up Sweet Success

by Jane Greer

Pastry chefs specialize in baking and are considered a breed apart in most restaurants. In some larger restaurants, the pastry chef may supervise a separate team of bakers and may even manage a separate pastry kitchen.

Pastry Chefs: A Day in the Life

As a pastry chef, you'll oversee the preparation of all fresh baked goods each day. You and your staff will be among the first to arrive each morning and will be busy on weekends and holidays, too. On the other hand, you'll be considered a unique part of the kitchen team. Baking is different from other forms of cooking because the recipe must follow a fixed chemical equation and because so many variables, such as the humidity and the temperature of the ingredients and the oven, can affect the outcome. You'll spend hours on your feet every day, but you'll also be able to create culinary treats that the rest of the kitchen staff may be unable to duplicate.

Pastry Chef Culinary Training Requirements

To become a pastry chef, you usually won't need a culinary school education, although it may lead to advancement and certification by the American Culinary Federation. Certification often enhances your job opportunities by offering documented proof of your skill level, and culinary school can help you land the successively more responsible jobs that are required for certification.

If you opt for culinary training, you can choose from short programs of classes, two-year associate's degree programs, or four-year bachelor's degree programs. In the short training programs, you'll learn all about basic methods of creating food that's sanitary, safe, and nutritious. If you're a serious chef with plans to reach the pinnacle of your profession someday, you may decide on a two-year or four-year program that teaches about advanced baking methods, baking in large quantities, and baked goods and pastries from foreign countries. Most longer programs will both require you to do an internship or apprenticeship and help you find one.

Salary Information for Pastry Chefs

Your salary will depend on the size and location of the restaurant you work for, and the best jobs will be at large, sophisticated restaurants in a resort or major city. In May 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest 10 percent of chefs and head cooks earned a salary of more than $64,000. With the right employer, experience, and training, you could earn a top-of-the-scale salary as a pastry cook.

Sources

• American Culinary Federation
• National Restaurant Association
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the author:
Jane Greer is a freelance writer, editor, and communication consultant.