| Running a bakery requires a lot of things all coming | | | | of the bakery production. |
| together at once. | | | | One of the first operations is to cost your purchases |
| I prefer the term, "The Daily Operational | | | | and then cost the recipe's you will use to acquire a |
| Requirements of a Bakery" rather than "how to run a | | | | sale price to pay all the expenses of your business. |
| bakery". | | | | Of course I am assuming here that you have already |
| The word "running", is a term used in the sports field | | | | written your business plan and you have arranged an |
| and though we as bakers do a lot of fast | | | | ingredient supplier, these are the steps to become a |
| movements and it might seem to some that we are | | | | profitable bakery business. |
| literally running from place to place. It is structured | | | | The daily operations of the bakery are going to |
| and designed to make as much use of our production | | | | change every day. This is because production will |
| time as is humanly possible. | | | | change daily. After-all the chance of selling out every |
| Also running in a bakery business is one of the top | | | | product every day is unrealistic - NOT impossible, but |
| reasons for professional accidents. The only time | | | | not likely. |
| anyone should be running in a bakery business, is in | | | | We of course strive to produce just enough so that |
| the event of an emergency! | | | | few pieces are left over. That way the product is at |
| Now as far as the heading is concerned we are | | | | its freshest. |
| running a bakery but of course as I have explained | | | | In the bakery we produce bread dough's, and some |
| my preferred term is the day to day operations of a | | | | of those bread dough's require a bench time and |
| bakery. | | | | some bread dough's are what we call "No-Time" |
| For some, it is also going to be a headache. It is | | | | dough's. So it is important that we arrange our time |
| certainly going to be a fun and rewarding experience | | | | to work all these productions times into a standard |
| to others. But it can also be your worst nightmare! | | | | operation for optimum use of every piece of |
| I am telling you this right up front... | | | | equipment as well as utilizing our oven space |
| ...NOT to scare you into giving up your business | | | | appropriately. |
| venture, but to open your eyes, so you can see | | | | Besides the bread dough's we also make cakes and |
| outside the box. | | | | cookies, pies and other products that require |
| You have heard that statement many times i am | | | | different operational procedures. They also bake at |
| sure. But, if you can think outside the box then many | | | | different times and temperature. |
| of the challenges will seem like an easy crossword | | | | Breads bake at a temperature of 400 to 450 |
| puzzle. (Unless you hate crossword puzzles of | | | | degrees. But if you were to put a sugared top puff |
| course). | | | | pastry product into that same oven, three things will |
| YOU! | | | | occur. |
| YES you! | | | | 1. The sugar will burn |
| Whatever you do will be imprinted onto your | | | | 2. The puff pastry will not cook correctly |
| business and whatever your employee does will also | | | | 3. The time, ingredients, labor and product are |
| have a bearing upon "YOUR" business. It is therefore | | | | wasted! |
| up to you to know as much about that business as is | | | | Similarly, if you make meringues, the oven |
| humanly possible. | | | | temperature will be 150 - 175 degrees so trying to |
| What you don't know can be purchased, such as | | | | bake a spongecake or bread at that temperature will |
| managers, accountants and lawyers. | | | | be the same result of number three above. |
| You will need to oversee every aspect or employ | | | | In most bakeries, that is a small bakery with just a |
| someone with whom you have complete trust and I | | | | few employees will use a system called "baking |
| do mean complete trust. This person will be spending | | | | down". |
| YOUR money. They will be operating YOUR business. | | | | Baking down is a way to run a bakery by baking all |
| They may not be writing the checks, but they | | | | the highest temperature products first then the cake |
| maybe designing the production flow and controlling | | | | production then the cookie products and finally the |
| your staff so that is where I say they are spending | | | | meringues. |
| your money. | | | | The products are then cooled, decorated, packaged |
| So, just what is involved with how to run a bakery? | | | | and sold. |
| Or as I have already said, arrange the daily operation | | | | |