The best type of baking courses to choose will depend upon what you would like to know about baking and how you want to use this knowledge. If you are interested in expanding your baking knowledge for home use, then baking courses at a local hobby or craft store, community college or vocational school might be suitable for you. These courses focus on the correct pans to use, baking temperature, recipes and other tips and tools to use while baking. A culinary school or baking certificate program might be a more appropriate choice for baking courses if you are interested in working professionally in the baking field. Baking courses in these types of programs cover information similar to vocational school courses, but they also cover information related to commercial baking, baking equipment, pricing, customer service, basic accounting and bakery management
If you are looking to improve your skills as a home baker, a continuing education course or baking courses at a similar facility usually will provide a multitude of information. These baking courses usually focus on how to properly mix your batter or dough, what types of ingredients are best, the best temperature for baking certain items and the proper materials to use for baking. After you have completed courses such as these, you are in a much better position to begin researching baking specifics in great detail and to understand more advanced concepts.
When your career goals focus on a job as a pastry chef or owning a bakery, you might choose to attend a culinary school or a university that has a culinary program. In addition to basic baking information, you will learn more about the business side of baking. Courses in these programs might cover how to properly manage a kitchen, order ingredients, keep ingredient stock from spoiling and properly bake large portions in a commercial kitchen.
Even if your intention is not to become a professional baker, many colleges offer pastry and baking certificate courses. These courses give you more in-depth knowledge than what you might get at a hobby store, but they do not extensively cover the commercial baking business. Look for courses that cover types of ingredients more extensively, as well as the science behind baking. In addition, baking courses should cover many types of baking equipment and techniques, even if they are not commonly used for many types of baking. Having this information might also help you become a better home baker.
