So ive been working at the bakery for a couple weeks now but i cant get any faster at baking even though i feel im doing things as efficiently as i can and coworkers havent helped me at all after asking for help with it, any advice on what to do?
So ive been working at the bakery for a couple weeks now but i cant get any faster at baking even though i feel im doing things as efficiently as i can and coworkers havent helped me at all after asking for help with it, any advice on what to do?
How much do you have to do and how long does it take you to do it?
Are you doing a full bake? Usually after I train someone they get a bit faster after they get a routine down. The way I bake and get everything done may not be efficient for someone else. I can usually get everything baked and bagged including doing the donuts in about 4 hours.
Are you doing a full bake? Usually after I train someone they get a bit faster after they get a routine down. The way I bake and get everything done may not be efficient for someone else. I can usually get everything baked and bagged including doing the donuts in about 4 hours.
You must have a very small bake if you're able to get it baked AND bagged in four hours. If someone else does the donuts, I can usually get the bread baked in about three and a half hours if everything proofs the way it should and I don't have any interuptions. Someone else does the bagging. I don't pay too much attention to how fast they work but I would say it takes them about four hours since they have to slice all the Artisan bread too.
So ive been working at the bakery for a couple weeks now but i cant get any faster at baking even though i feel im doing things as efficiently as i can and coworkers havent helped me at all after asking for help with it, any advice on what to do?
The trick is to always have something baking, because that is your bottle neck. If you can do that, you can create any routine that is comfortable. When you get super good, you can even combine racks (assuming 1 oven) with different items and times/temps. I haven't baked in a while but if i can recall my routine:
2am START - turn everything on, put self service rolls and packaged rolls into proofer
prep bagels/tolera (some of the rolls should be done proofing by then, then I'll proof the bagels)
bake shine (if you do this) and dry proof rolls while weaving in CAP and product pulls.
usually after CAP and product pulling, I'll be able to start throwing stuff in the oven
while continuing to proof and bake, weave in breaking your load (if your closer doesn't hit the loads)
get your CAP, start panning up breakfast stuff (including croissants on another rack for proof)
4am - pan up donuts while continuing to constantly making use of your oven times (bagels should be out of the proofer, and dry proof for a bit)
430am - bagels/tolera should be done baking, throw in donuts, get those pretty before 5am opening
5am - all self service cases should be ready (sometimes I'll run late 5-10 min depending on load sizes), I'll have my breakfast sweets already baking while i stock these cases, croissants should also be done by now and can be thrown in after the sweets.
6am - opener comes in, all self service cases, breakfast sweets+croissants, all the packaged rolls should be done by now (you should also have everything cleaned up by then as well to start prepping your breads)
usually take first break around this time
615am - pan up breads, usually 3 racks for me, ill double up the la brea racks here in the oven then pan up the other breads while that bakes. baker here will package bread
7am - i'll finish breakfast glazing and icing (bread timing can go over 7am but i try to shoot for the la brea gallery to be up by 7am)
730am - pan up pies according to cap, get those in ASAP, then I'll pan up cookies to CAP which is usually 4 racks
ill take my last break before i get to my order and tomorrow's pan up, i'll usually start at 8:45-9am and finish it off til 10am. make sure you clean up everything, that includes sweeps and mops. if i got extra time, i'll mop the oven and proofer.
i've always been able to complete my cap, order, pan up, clean, and throw the load with this routine. I know some stores have additional self service stuff like cinna rolls, can add that into the routine by racking your breakfast sooner. sometimes i'll scan the cap at 7a when a telxon is available (i for sure do it before i pan cookies)
I am in a market place store and no we don't have a small bake. If you manage your time wisely and work fast enough, you can get it done in that amount of time. Bagging the bread and putting it out doesn't take long. The baker here does their own donuts and also starts slack out for the next day.
I could always do my bake in about 5 or 6 hours and that was with me doing morning cap and helping to fill the sales floor too. I would put my pies and turnovers in the oven first, as well as my par baked items. Then i would get my italian bread and rolls in the proofer. After the pies/turnovers came out of the oven, i would bake the donuts for the donut case. Once the donuts are done, the bread should be ready to come out of the proofer, and then can go in the oven. This way is the quickest way in my opinion to get the bake done. Then start packaging what you baked first after you get the donuts in the case. I baked at 4am and would have most things packaged by 9 or so most days.
I am in a market place store and no we don't have a small bake. If you manage your time wisely and work fast enough, you can get it done in that amount of time. Bagging the bread and putting it out doesn't take long. The baker here does their own donuts and also starts slack out for the next day.
It doesn't matter how fast you get it panned out if you have certain doughs that are stubborn about proofing, unless of course you're like this one baker we used to have. With her it was all or nothing. If one tray on the baking rack looked proofed enough, the whole rack came out of the proofer. The same thing applied to the baking portion. If one item was done, the whole cart came out. We often had things that were barely tan. At the other end of the spectrum her sweet goods would sometimes come out of the oven more than just a tad overdone. She would just put extra icing on them to cover them up.
You're only as good as the technology and coworkers they give you. You have to figure out the personality and hicups of your technology and try to time manage them. The food is frozen and just needs to be defrosted and warmed up. A couple posts stated some good time management. I don't know how big your bakery is. Team work is essential in departments. Unfortunately you get stuck with what you get stuck with. You either figure out how to work with your peers or don't.
