Our highly concentrated, focused curriculum features a high level of hands-on practice, deliberately small classes and the opportunity to intern in a production-oriented environment for two weeks after graduation, as well as spend an optional two weeks of training in France. Below we summarize the curriculum for each week of training to give you a better picture of the breadth and depth of the learning you will experience as a student in the Bread & Pastry Professional Training Program.
Week 1 – During the first week of training at the San Francisco Baking Institute you will be introduced to the baking and pastry profession. You will be introduced to the functions of bakery equipment, learn general baking terminology, learn baker’s math and learn in depth about the main ingredients of bread. Students will roll up their sleeves and be introduced to the processes of dough mixing, fermentation, shaping and baking. You will practice beginner shaping techniques and begin to learn what characteristics are desirable in a properly baked loaf of artisan bread.
Week 2 – This week, students will continue learning about the fundamentals of bread making and the science behind the baking process. A variety of preferments will be used to show the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Students will learn in detail the relationship between mixing and fermentation. Students will also begin using alternative types of flour such as whole wheat and rye. More advanced shaping techniques will be covered.
Week 3 – Sourdough and retarding processes are the main topics of this week. Students will learn all about sourdough, including topics such as how to start a starter, how to maintain a consistent culture, and how to control the starter to obtain specific characteristics in bread. Students will use stiff and liquid starters and compare results between the two. The retarding process will also be covered and a variety of formulas will be mixed and delayed in various forms. Production planning and scheduling will be reviewed.
Week 4 – This week, students will build on what they have learned so far to learn a variety of Specialty Breads and Sweet Breads. These breads are characterized by varied mixing techniques, fermentation techniques, specialty flours and secondary ingredients. A selection of specialty shapes will be used for an intriguing presentation. You will make classic specialty loaves such as Miche and Fougasse as well as more contemporary loaves including Sesame Semolina, Walnut-Raisin and Olive Bread. Sweet Breads will include Egg Bread, Brioche, Challah and Portuguese Sweet Bread.
Week 5 – During this week, students will be introduced to the art and science of German Breads. Students will learn how to work with a variety of rye starters and rye flour to produce German classics. A variety of sweet yeasted doughs will also be covered including Stollen and German Butter Cake. On the last day of this week, Sanitation and Good Manufacturing Processes will be presented by a certified Sanitation instructor.
Week 6 – This practical week is designed for students to work independently and in small groups on all phases of the bread baking process. Students will be given a list of formulas they need to produce and a production schedule to follow. Instructors will work with the students to improve technique and critique the products.
Week 7 – This first week of Viennoiserie (laminated sweet dough and non-laminated sweet dough) will introduce students to the process of mixing, lamination, make-up and fermentation of sweet yeasted pastries. Students will learn and produce a large selection of Croissant, Danish, Puff Pastry, Laminated Brioche and Brioche. A variety of fillings will be made to add to pastries such as almond cream, pastry cream, lemon filling and cream cheese filling. Various fermentation and retarding techniques will be covered to show how to manipulate flavor and production schedules.
Week 8 – During the second week of Viennoiserie, students will continue to practice lamination techniques to produce Croissant, Danish, Puff Pastry items and Laminated Brioche. In addition to this, a large selection of non-laminated dough will be made, including items such as Gibassier, Kougelhopf, Pan D’Oro, Pannetone, Pasqual d’ Colomba and Strawberry Brioche.
Week 9 – Students will begin this week by having a practical exam on Viennoiserie. Students will independently produce a selection of laminated and non-laminated sweet dough to present to the class for discussion. The last three days of the week will focus on savory baking and its applications in restaurants, cafes and wholesale bakeries.
Week 10 – Students will learn the fundamentals of pastry this week. Ingredient functions, mixing methods and make-up techniques will be covered in detail. Students will produce a variety of cookies, scones, loaf cakes, muffins, tea cakes and pies. Students will learn a variety of techniques for producing these items for production and with ease.
Week 11 - Students will continue building on the fundamentals of pastries this week and learn to work with pastry essentials such as pate sucre, pate a choux, and puff pastry. Students will use these bases to make items such as éclairs, Paris-Brest, apple and pear tarts, fresh fruit tarts, pithivier, and jalousie and Napoleon Cake.
Week 12 – This week, students learn the formulas and processes for cakes. An in depth study and intensive hands-on practice will allow students to understand and practice cake mixing methods and baking procedures. Mixing methods will include the creaming method, high-ratio method, and all of the sponge methods. Products will include angel food cake, chiffon cake, genoise, pound cake, chocolate butter cake and more. Students will also learn the formulas and processes for producing icings and simple fillings such as Italian butter cream, French butter cream and ganache. Piping skills will be introduced and practiced through-out the week.
Week 13 – Building on the knowledge learned about cake mixing, students will move on to learn classic cake assembly this week. Students will learn how to split, fill, mask, ice and decorate a variety of classic and contemporary layer cakes. Students will focus on producing consistent results for their cake assembly and decoration. Piping skills will be emphasized and implemented on finished products. A selection of cakes will be made including Lemon Curd Cake, Black Forest Cake, Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, Buche De Noel and more.
Week 14 – Specialty Cakes and Creams will explore the more advanced cake bases and creamy fillings of cake. Students will learn how to create a variety of creamy fillings such as Crème Anglaise, Pastry Cream, Diplomat Cream, Bavarian Cream, Mousseline Cream and Cremeux. Several mediums for finishing cakes such as Italian butter cream, various chocolate glazes, ganache, fruit glazes, mirror glazes and marzipan will also be implemented. Some of the final products produced will include Cremeux Tarts, Bavarian Cakes, Frasier Cake, and Charlotte Russe. For the final project of the week, each student will construct and decorate a tiered wedding cake using contemporary design.
Week 15 – This week students learn the formulas and processes for making and working with mousse to produce dessert offerings that reflect today’s high end pastry trends. Students will learn about product composition, advanced mousse preparation, advanced cake finishing techniques and chocolate. Students will learn how to work with infused creams, frozen inserts, textured cake bases and seasonal fruit preparations. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the balance between flavor, texture and visual elements to create eye catching and flavorful desserts. Students will also learn the theory and hand skills for how to temper and work with chocolate to create chocolate candies and decorations.
Week 16 – The production, composition and presentation of petit fours and plated desserts will be the focus of this week. Students will learn the techniques for producing classic and contemporary petit four and plated desserts. Items to be produced include petit four sec, petit four mousse cakes, petit four tarts and a variety of plated desserts using numerous pastry components and plating techniques.
Week 17 – For the first four days of this week, students will have a practical test on pastry. Students will work in small groups and independently to produce a selection of items. The focus will be to reinforce theory, technique and hand-skills gained during the previous seven weeks. Students will present their items to the class at the end of each day for critique. The last day of this week will be used as a question and answer session with Michel Suas, President and Co-Founder of SFBI and TMB Baking. He will discuss and answer questions on everything you need to know about equipment selection, bakery design, layout and more!
Week 18 – This week, the focus will be to produce items for a Grand Buffet that will be displayed during the graduation ceremony. Students will work independently and in small groups to produce a huge display of their achievement during their past 18 weeks. The work will be displayed up until the Graduation Ceremony at which point it is enjoyed by family and friends and disappears quickly!
Optional Weeks 19 & 20 – Spend two weeks in France training at one of the most prestigious craft schools in Europe. On the weekend, travel to Paris to see first hand the numerous bakeries and pastry shops that are famous for perfection in presentation and flavors. Don’t miss this special opportunity!
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