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You probably think of baking as a means to an end. The means is mixing sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl, and the end is cookies, a cake, or something else sweet. But in truth, baking is more complex than that. It's essentially chemistry, and there's a lot more going on behind the scenes of videos, like our How to make Classic Tiramisu video, than you think. For example:
1. Every ingredient has a specific chemical job
The Elevated Kitchen says that the real reason you need the exact amounts of the various ingredients in what you're baking to be precise is that you're making a small, controlled chemical reaction. The wrong amounts mean that it won't work at all. The Columbus Dispatch lays out what each ingredient does in detail:

Flour gives your confection a structure

Baking powder or soda adds air bubbles

Eggs act like the glue holding things together

Oil and butter make it tender

Milk or water gives moisture.

2. It's a struggle between the ingredients to grab the water
Also according to the Columbus Dispatch, it's important to mix your dry ingredients in the right order, because all of your ingredients are fighting for one thing: The water. If you do it wrong, the batter won't be able to get to it and will clump up. Speaking of water...
3. Sugar actually keeps everything together
Sugar is present in what you bake for more reasons than just sweetening, according to Lucky Peach. Its role is to bind to the water, because it's hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water and keeps it from the other ingredients. Too much sugar and the cookie crumbles from brittleness. Too little, and it's hard as a rock. Oh My Sugar High adds to this, by explaining that the absence of sugar in a confection allows flour proteins to create gluten, which is why gluten-free foods contain high amounts of sugar.
4. Flour makes a magic web
As this info graphic from Shari's Berries explains, flour is essential to bringing all of the ingredients in a baked dish together, as it absorbs water, and forms gluten chains, which make a "web" inside what you've baked. That web traps air in your dish as it expands, helping it rise up.
5. The secret of eggs
We mentioned above that eggs keep things glued together, but Lucky Peach actually explains why. Egg yolks contain something called lipids, a special kind of fat that adds colour and flavour to cookies. Meanwhile, egg whites contain albumin, a protein that interlocks when it's heated, giving your dish structure.
6. Yeast literally gets gassy off of sugar
This one's a little gross, but here goes: Bread and other baked goods rise because of a fungus called yeast eating the available sugars, and expelling carbon dioxide (Co2. The expanding gasses make the dough rise. That's right, your bread rises because the yeast eats a big meal, and gets gassy. Try not to think about it too hard.

There' s more science than just this behind baking, which is there for you to learn in Centennial College' s Baking programs, taught at our Culinary Arts Centre. It' s all in the service of making something delicious and making a career out of it.
By Anthony Geremia

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Six cool facts about the science behind baking

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You probably think of baking as a means to an end. The means is mixing sugar, flour and eggs into a bowl, and the end is cookies, a cake, or something else sweet. But in truth, baking is more complex than that.

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Career, Salary and Education Information

What They Do: Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Work Environment: Most bakers work in retail or commercial bakeries (manufacturing facilities), grocery stores or wholesale club stores, and restaurants. Work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

How to Become One: Bakers typically learn their skills through long-term on-the-job training. Although no formal education is required, some learn through an apprenticeship program or by attending a technical or culinary school.

Salary: The median annual wage for bakers is $26,520.

Job Outlook: Employment of bakers is projected to grow 6 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Bakers with years of experience should have the best job opportunities, with employment driven by the growing demand for specialty baked products.

Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of bakers with similar occupations.

Following is everything you need to know about a career as a Baker with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:

Top 3 Baker Jobs

Overnight Baker- Nashua, NH -Panera Bread (PR Management Corp) -Nashua, NH
Come make a difference with Panera as a Baker today! Panera's essence of warmth and quality begins with baking. This is an opportunity to provide an unparalleled quality product to each of our guests

Baker Positions Available/Panadero -Hillstone -New York, NY
Baker positions are available. We are searching for friendly, energetic, highly-motivated individuals who will thrive in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. * Health benefits are available

Baker Positions Available -Hillstone -New York, NY
The Baker role involves high-volume, made from scratch breads with a focus on baguettes, burger buns and rustic loaves. $17-$22/hr based on experience. We look forward to meeting you soon ...

See all Baker jobs

Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods.

Duties of Bakers

Bakers typically do the following:

Check the quality of baking ingredients

Prepare equipment for baking

Measure and weigh flour and other ingredients

Combine measured ingredients in mixers or blenders

Knead, roll, cut, and shape dough

Place dough into pans, into molds, or onto baking sheets

Set oven temperatures and place items into ovens or onto grills

Bakers produce various types and quantities of breads, pastries, and other baked goods sold by grocers, wholesalers, restaurants, and institutional food services.

The following are examples of types of bakers:

Commercial bakers, also called production bakers, work in manufacturing facilities that produce breads, pastries, and other baked products. In these facilities, bakers use high-volume mixing machines, ovens, and other equipment, which may be automated, to mass-produce standardized baked goods. They carefully follow instructions for production schedules and recipes.

Retail bakers work primarily in grocery stores and specialty shops, including bakeries. In these settings, they produce smaller quantities of baked goods for people to eat in the shop or for sale as specialty baked goods. Retail bakers may take orders from customers, prepare baked products to order, and occasionally serve customers. Although the quantities prepared and sold in these stores are often small, they usually come in a wide variety of flavors and sizes. Most retail bakers are also responsible for cleaning their work area and equipment and unloading supplies.

Some retail bakers own bakery shops where they make and sell breads, pastries, pies, and other baked goods. In addition to preparing the baked goods and overseeing the entire baking process, they are also responsible for hiring, training, and supervising their staff. They must budget for and order supplies, set prices, and decide how much to produce each day.

Bakers hold about 191,900 jobs. The largest employers of bakers are as follows:

The work can be stressful because bakers follow time-sensitive baking procedures and often work under strict deadlines. For example, bakers must follow daily production schedules to bake products in sufficient quantities while maintaining consistent quality. In manufacturing facilities, they often work with other production workers, such as helpers and maintenance staff, so that equipment is cleaned and ready.

Bakers are exposed to high temperatures when working around hot ovens. They stand for hours at a time while observing the baking process, making the dough, or cleaning the baking equipment.

Injuries and Illnesses for Bakers

Bakeries, especially large manufacturing facilities, are filled with potential dangers such as hot ovens, mixing machines, and dough cutters. As a result, bakers have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average.

Although their work is generally safe, bakers may endure back strains caused by lifting or moving heavy bags of flour or other products. Other common risks include cuts, scrapes, and burns. To reduce these risks, bakers often wear back supports, aprons, and gloves.

Baker Work Schedules

Some bakers work part time.

Grocery stores and restaurants sell freshly baked goods throughout the day. As a result, bakers are often scheduled to work shifts during early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Bakers who work in commercial bakeries that bake continuously may have to work late evenings and weekends.

Get the education you need: Find schools for Bakers near you!

Long-term on-the-job training is the most common path to gain the skills necessary to become a baker. Some bakers start their careers through an apprenticeship program or by attending a technical or culinary school. No formal education is required.

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Education for Bakers

Although there are no formal education requirements to become a baker, some candidates attend a technical or culinary school. Programs generally last from 1 to 2 years and cover nutrition, food safety, and basic math. To enter these programs, candidates may be required to have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Training for Bakers

Most bakers learn their skills through long-term on-the-job training, typically lasting 1 to 3 years. Some employers may provide apprenticeship programs for aspiring bakers. Bakers in specialty bakery shops and grocery stores often start as apprentices or trainees and learn the basics of baking, icing, and decorating. They usually study topics such as nutrition, sanitation procedures, and basic baking. Some participate in correspondence study and may work toward a certificate in baking.

Other Experience for Bakers

Some bakers learn their skills through work experience related to baking. For example, they may start as a baker's assistant and progress into a full-fledged baker as they learn baking techniques.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Bakers

Certification is voluntary and shows that a baker has the skills and knowledge to work at a retail baking establishment.

The Retail Bakers of America offers certification in four levels of competence, with a focus on several topics, including baking sanitation, management, retail sales, and staff training. Those who wish to become certified must satisfy a combination of education and experience requirements before taking an exam.

The education and experience requirements vary by the level of certification desired. For example, a Certified Journey Baker requires no education but must have at least 1 year of work experience. A Certified Baker must have 4 years of work experience and 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and a Certified Master Baker must have 8 years of work experience, 30 hours of sanitation coursework, and 30 hours of professional development education.

Important Qualities for Bakers

Communication skills. Bakers, especially retail bakers, must have good communication skills in order to deal effectively with customers.

Detail oriented. Bakers must closely monitor their products in the oven to keep them from burning. They also should have an eye for detail because many pastries and cakes require intricate decorations.

Math skills. Bakers must possess basic math skills, especially knowledge of fractions, in order to precisely mix recipes, weigh ingredients, or adjust mixes.

Physical stamina. Bakers stand on their feet for extended periods while they prepare dough, monitor baking, or package baked goods.

Physical strength. Bakers should be able to lift and carry heavy bags of flour and other ingredients, which may weigh up to 50 pounds.

The median annual wage for bakers is $26,520. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,880, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $40,350.

The median annual wages for bakers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:

Some bakers work part time.

Grocery stores and restaurants, sell freshly baked goods throughout the day. As a result, bakers are often scheduled to work shifts during early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Bakers who work in commercial bakeries that bake continuously may have to work late evenings and weekends.

Employment of bakers is projected to grow 6 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Population and income growth are expected to result in greater demand for specialty baked goods, such as cupcakes, pies, and cakes, from grocery stores, retail bakeries, and restaurants.

However, employment of bakers in food manufacturing may be limited as these facilities increasingly use automated machines and equipment to mass-produce baked goods.

Job Prospects for Bakers

Job opportunities are expected to be good because of the need to replace workers who leave the occupation every year.

*Some content used by permission of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

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What They Do: Bakers mix ingredients according to recipes in order to make breads, pastries, and other baked goods. Work Environment: Most bakers work in retail or commercial bakeries (manufacturing facilities), grocery stores or wholesale club stores, and restaurants. Work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

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Middle Ages
In the medieval period baking was a luxury few were able to enjoy. But those who could afford a wood-burning stove (and to heat it) would start with bread. The better the quality, the higher up the social order you were
Middle Ages
In the medieval period baking was a luxury few were able to enjoy. But those who could afford a wood-burning stove (and to heat it) would start with bread. The better the quality, the higher up the social order you were
Ovens were not a standard fixture in any household, so bread-baking never really entered the home in the medieval period, says Pennell. It was a niche, commercial activity. For example, you had bread-bakers in London.

Rich people ate fine, floured wheat bread. But if you were poor you cut your teeth on rye and black bread, says Walter. Only the very wealthy ate the cakes we tend to think of today. But they were much heavier - 10 to 20lbs. This was subsistence-focused baking, with an emphasis on bread and pies.

"If you were wealthy, your baked goods would be rich in exotic colour. But if you were poor, you were grateful if you could afford meat for your pie," says Walter.

15th century
Britain saw an explosion of expensive spices, such as saffron, in the 15th century. Sweet dough, with lots of cream and butter, started to be enjoyed by those who could afford it
The wigg - a small bun made with sweetened dough and herbs and spices - became popular.

But mince pies were made with minced beef or mutton, and biscuits were "the equivalent of Ryvita - pretty nasty stuff," says Walter.

Meanwhile, gingerbread was made with breadcrumbs.

16th and 17th centuries
Baking was transformed in the 16th and 17th centuries by globalisation, which heralded an explosion of treacle and currants. Plump cake and bready dough with lots of butter, cream and raisins became popular
Economic growth prompted an emerging middle class, and baking 'trickled down', says Walter. Amid growing wealth and social change, people could think about eating things other than bread, and imitate the upper-class diet.

Baking became more accessible, and so more people started to bake cakes and biscuits.

By the late 17th century sugar was cheap, and so you saw the emergence of mince pies as we know them, made with sugar and spices. And with the refinement of flour you saw the development of gingerbread as we know it.

From the 16th century came the first cookery literature, in which you start to see recipes for things we might recognise today as small, yeasted cakes and buns, says Pennell. They would be eaten as part of the dessert course, to help you digest the rich meal you had eaten beforehand.

You also started to see the emergence of kitchen equipment, such as the 'cake hoop' - that is, a cake tin. The tin was lined with buttered paper.

But cakes were made with ale and were very solid. The modern-day equivalent, in terms of the yeast-bread-based dough, would be a lardy cake. Seed cakes were also popular.

Pastries, too, were considered fashionable in the late 17th century. The English prided themselves on their pastry-making and it was considered a skill all good housewives should have, says Pennell. London cookery schools also began to teach pastry-making - it was a fashionable skill.

18th century
Cake-making soared in popularity in the 18th century, but the industrial revolution from 1760 saw a return to more stodgy baked goods
The 18th century was when cake-making really took off, says Dr Pennell.

The Art of Cookery, written by Hannah Glasse and published in 1747, contained a catalogue of cake recipes. Integral to this was the development of the semi-closed oven. "The development of baking is as much to do with technology as it is taste," says Pennell.

Fast-forward to the industrial revolution and Britain saw a return to heavy baking, where the working class ate bread and jam, says Walter. But at Easter, Christmas and other seasonal occasions, a richer diet would be available to even the poorer members of society.

Merchants and shopkeepers could afford ovens by the 18th century, and to bake.

19th century
Convenience food grew in popularity in the 19th century, and the advent of baking powder saw cakes become lighter
As more working-class women were employed in the 19th century, they had less time for elaborate food preparation, says Walter. "We often think of the 'fast food culture' as being a recent thing, but women in Britain in the 19th century increasingly relied on convenience food such as pasties and pies."

Meanwhile, the introduction of baking powder saw the style of cakes change from dense, yeast-based bakes, into cakes made with flour, eggs, fat and a raising agent.
Professor John Walter is Emeritus Professor in the Department of History at the University of Essex, specialising in popular political culture in early modern England. Dr Sara Pennell is a senior history lecturer at the University of Greenwich who specialises in social and cultural histories of 17th and 18th-century Britain, with particular interests in food cultures, health and architecture. This article was first published by History Extra in October 2013

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In the medieval period baking was a luxury few were able to enjoy. But those who could afford a wood-burning stove (and to heat it) would start with bread. The better the quality, the higher up the social order you were In the medieval period baking was a luxury few were able to enjoy.

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Something interesting I know is when yeast is combined with sugar it makes it “gassy” which makes the thing you’re trying to make rise.

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A person that I know that is a baker is Paul Hollywood

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This benefits society because people get to enjoy sweet treats

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The approximate salary for being a baker is 27,000

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I would use bowls, whisks, measuring cups, mixer, etc.

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I would work at Mazetti’s Bakery which is in California

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I would make cake, cupcakes, brownies, banana bread, and other treats

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No formal education is required but some go to culinary or technical school.

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In medieval times only a few could afford wood ovens and they would make bread rich people would have the light soft and fluffy bread we all know and poor people would have hard rye bread and black bread.