When we think of sweets, it is impossible not to go with our minds to the many occasions they emphasize in the course of everyone's life. Sweet means celebration, family, sharing with loved ones, and this universal aspect finds, precisely in Italy, its fertile ground. Not only because of our temperamental and social tendency to celebrate all kinds of occasions, but also and above all because Italian know-how finds, precisely in the Pastry, its highest expression. It is perhaps no coincidence that it is Italians who are world champions in this field, that Italy places at every competition on the podium, and that names like Paolo Biasetto and Iginio Massari represent the Pastry Gotha.
It is an ever-changing world that has seen a real race for renewal in recent years in terms of techniques, tools, approaches and philosophies.
Particularly attracting attention are special needs, as is the case for those with celiac disease or lactose intolerance. Another growing trend is that of finger food, the single-portions that we generally find at receptions, but also at informal after-dinners.
Expertise, technique and creativity
The art of pastry making binds form and substance, taking the best from both. If it is the creativity what fuels it, the expertise and the technique are not an end in themselves, but a weapon in the service of innovation, How to think and create on a solid professional foundation. At the same time, creative thinking takes shape in the making of a cake that pleases and surprises not only because of the mere aesthetic component. Expertise and technique allow them to be able to know and master the tools of the trade, so as to ensure the perfect success of each recipe. Fundamental is the management of the pastry laboratory, in fact this is the space where the doughs are preparedand the subsequent processes are carried out, to arrive at the finishing of the cake ready for sale or to be served. In addition to skill in the preparations, in thebakery business product presentation and decoration is then of paramount importance: it is essential that cakes look good as well as taste good, and this is where the creativity.
A versatile multifaceted figure
A pastry chef creates cakes and desserts for bakeries, restaurants, hotels, cruises, and of course bakeries. He coordinates auxiliary staff who work with him as theassistant pastry chef and is responsible for the care and maintenance of professional equipment. May have management duties, such as selecting and ordering raw materials, choosing suppliers, and manage procurement, take care of stock storage, all in compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.
Depending on the context in which he or she operates, a pastry chef might even be in charge of setting up the display case in which to showcase his or her creations and sweets for sale, or be the salesperson himself or herself, for example, at the pastry counter in supermarkets, where he takes care of the display areas, handles customer orders quickly and performs checkout operations. Another employment opportunity is, in food companies that produce industrial sweets: here the pastry chef works on automatic and semiautomatic equipment with industrial kneading machines and ovens for the Production of cakes and other packaged products.
Pastry chef, when pastry becomes art
When the plate represents a real canvas on an easel where the dessert becomes a work of art, it is appropriate to differentiate the craft of pastry making from that of pastry chef. The confectioner sets his or her work by devoting himself or herself to preparations for a large, commercial audience, having to set up a showcase and attract as many customers as possible to him or her, the pastry chef, on the other hand, devotes himself or herself exclusively to the preparation of a limited selection of desserts targeting a high-end, attentive and demanding catering audience.
Italian Food Academy's Professional Pastry Course.
How to become a true professional? The watchwords are training and practice. In November in Milan, the Italian Food Academy Pastry Course, a full-time training course that will teach you basic and advanced techniques for preparing desserts from the great Italian and international confectionery tradition. With 72 hours of full-time classroom training and 500 hours of internships at top pastry shops, the course allows you to acquire the skills you need to be able to enter a variety of work settings.
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