The baking and pastry industry has been moving away from the general bakery to specializations across the board—for example, Chocolatier and high-end pastry shops. We’ve also seen a large expansion in artisan breads and plated desserts in fine dining across the U.S.
We see a lot of growth and opportunity in the baking industry. A large segment is the world of cafés, from casual to upscale. So baking and pastry students need to know how to make savory items as well as pastries, ice creams, and breads. And they also need entrepreneurial skills.
From our conversations with our various baker customers, the 2017 trends will be the sweet indulgences and quality experiences. Smaller bites that are just the right amount. A growth in cafés, especially in quality baked items like an apple galette, a buttery croissant, or a great doughnut that’s just the right size. Macaroons will continue to grow. Confectionery and chocolate shops will continue to open, especially “bean-to-bar” shops, where pastry chefs take the cacao beans and roast them, skin them, and create their own chocolate. They buy the beans from all over and create their own blends, adding things like spices or truffles.
On the bread side, I see more whole, organic, nonproduction-GMO grains, especially wheat berry, being used. These grains have better flavor and are better for you. Rye will become an important grain—it’s really good for you, and it’s really good for organic growers because, since it adds nutrients to the soil rather than depleting them, it’s the perfect rotational plant. However, rye needs to get incorporated into the chef’s repertoire, and it is a difficult flour to work with because there’s no gluten in it. I also see more individual milling in your own bakery, and more dense breads paired with quality meats and vegetables
Some Tips and Tricks from our Bakers:
- Stick to high-quality ingredients. Use the best butters and flours you can find.
- Make portion sizes small and indulgent for your guests.
- Don‘t be afraid to take risks with your flavor profiles. All cookies don’t have to be chocolate chip! Try a cookie with candied orange, dried cherries, and allspice; or pressed granola bars with macadamias and dried pineapple.
- Science is a big, broad term in the baking and pastry industry, it’s about identifying ingredients and understanding their values, reactions, and purposes. Why do you add them? What’s the meaning behind each of them? It’s our “how baking works” class. We discuss the functions of yeast, sugars, dairy, eggs, flour, nuts, oils, fats, and chemical leaveners—how they work in recipes and why.
- Keep your baked goods covered in an airtight container. They start losing moisture and freshness as soon as they come out of the oven.