New Baking degree to emphasize specialty baking, decorating, and bakery management
08/04/2011
Edmonds College’s Culinary Arts program adds a two-year Associate of Technical Arts
Baking Degree this fall with an emphasis on specialty baking — a progression of decorating
skills and bakery management. Examples of specialty baking could include preparing
chocolate, sugar art, artisan breads, wedding cakes, and boutique pastries, and creating
a line of products for a bake shop or dessert menu.
The degree prepares students for entry-level work as bakers for hotels and restaurants as well as for catering businesses, resorts, independent bakeries and pastry shops, wholesale and retail markets, and high volume bakeries such as the bake shops in major grocery stores.
The degree program builds on the college’s one-year Baking Certificate, which began in fall 2008 following the remodel of the college’s commercial cooking kitchen, cafeteria, and opening of a baking kitchen in Brier Hall. The Edmonds College Foundation raised funds — including a donation from The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs international gastronomic society — to equip the kitchens and restaurant with commercial quality and capacity ovens, freezers, mixers, and ranges.
Students in the baking program learn industry standards for professional baking through hands on bakeshop operations. Classes include Principles of Cooking, Baking Theory, Procurement, Restaurant Operations, Food Service Nutrition, Food Service Sanitation, Sustainable Food Service, and Introduction to Hospitality Beverages.
Pastry chef Betsy Buford leads the baking program. She previously worked as a corporate baker in food services for a local biotechnology company and has been a pastry chef at fine Seattle restaurants, including Falling Waters, Ray’s Boathouse, and Campagne, as well as at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop.
"Students in this advanced program have more opportunities to develop proficiency in baking, decoration, and management. As students become confident and skilled, they will be positioned to expand their employment options in the exciting field of baking,” said Buford.
For more information about the baking program or culinary arts classes at Edmonds College, call 425.640.1473 or go to www.edmonds.edu/clart. For the complete class schedule, go to www.edmonds.edu/schedule. Fall quarter runs Sept. 20-Dec. 9.
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Culinary Arts at Edmonds College | www.edmonds.edu/clart
The college’s Culinary Arts program, which graduated its first class in 1987, serves about 60 students annually. Students range in age from 18 to 60 and include recent high school graduates learning the craft as well as industry professionals adding to their knowledge of culinary technique and theory. The training prepares students for positions as cooks, kitchen managers, caterers, bakers and pastry chefs, as well as servers and hosts in the food service industry and gives them the skills needed to enter management training positions in fine dining, fast food, and institutional food service.
Graduates of the program work at restaurants and catering companies in Snohomish and King counties including: Luc, Cafe Juanita, Hot Cakes, Specialties Bakery, Beth's Cafe, QFC, PCC, the Belltown Pub, Ray’s Boathouse, Crush, Bon Appetit at the Seattle Art Museum, Roadhouse Grill, Tulio Ristorante, Ponti’s, the Tom Douglas restaurants, and Celebration Catering. They also run their own restaurants and catering businesses.
The college’s chef instructors and students prepare desserts at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon, have been featured in Northwest Palate, are members of The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs international gastronomic society, and have participated in apprenticeships locally at Quillisascut Farm School and internationally at the Cannes Film Festival. Our students baked and decorated the cakes for Snohomish County’s 150th anniversary celebration held Jan. 14, 2011.
The college’s Culinary Arts program provides all food services and catering on the Edmonds College campus including at two Triton Espresso stands and the college cafeteria in Brier Hall. Students design, prepare, and serve lunches at the College Café, a fine dining restaurant on campus