Cultural Traditions in Baking

This course provides students with an introduction to the ingredients, processes, techniques, tools, and equipment used in the production of culturally significant breads and pastries from around the world.

Geographical, agricultural, historical, technological, and cultural influences and traditional techniques are explored, including mixing and handling, shaping, baking, frying, deep frying, and finishing.

Emphasis is placed on the similarities and differences among diverse cultural practices in baking, including ingredients, methods, and characteristics of the finished products, as well as critical thinking, time management, communication, and teamwork.

Prerequisites

What you will learn

• Relationship between the geographic, agricultural, historical, and sociocultural influences on traditional sweet and savoury breads and pastries.
• Traditional sweet and savoury bread and pastry formulas, production techniques (including knife skills and deep frying), quality standards
• Baking Science: sensory perception; classifications, composition, handling, and storage of: herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, legumes, nuts, seeds
• Relationship between ingredients, techniques, environmental conditions, and baking processes in the production of traditional sweet and savoury bread and pastries
• Reflective practice: analyzing outcomes of traditional sweet and savoury breads and pastries based on inputs and quality standards, observation, and objectivity; generalizing, problem-solving, and refining knowledge and skills
• Trade calculations: calculating required dough weight based on desired dimensions of assembled product
• Production planning and time management: reading and following diverse baking formulas, preparing for production, direct vs. indirect production time, prioritizing production assignments, sequencing the production of multiple components
• Safety and sanitation: tools & equipment operation and care; principles of food safety; personal hygiene and safety practices; safety procedures and regulations; accident prevention
• Professional communication in the baking industry: workplace safety, terminology, engaging respectfully with peers/colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds
• Bakery management: inventory and receiving procedures, storage temperatures and procedures, waste management procedures; packaging and labelling; posting images of finished products on social media

How to register

This course is offered as part of a VCC program only.

Contact us

If you have any question, please email at advising@vcc.ca.

† This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.