The joys (and pains) of baking

By Chef Ed Dychauco

Thursday, May 26, 2011

LEARNING how to bake is one thing I learned formally from my late sister, Gloria in the mid-70’s. I had been her "side-kick" when she opened Pots & Pans. I learn a lot of things, from marketing, to budgeting, to preparation, to kitchen management and many more.

I wasn’t into baking nor cooking then but I knew I have an inclination in it because I have been doing a little baking and cooking on my own if I felt like it. You know, when you’re young and carefree, one doesn’t take things seriously. But on the other hand, I knew I had a knack on it because most of the time, everything will turn out right. Gene’s perhaps? Or God-given talent?

At any rate, after all these years, I have realized that being in the bakery industry is not all bed of roses. Usually, everyone starts small. Homebake. For friends and relatives. Then we start accepting orders. Then if one is lucky, the homemade business is turned into a “bakeshop.”

Wow! That really sounds great! Successful entrepreneurs. One gets to do things slowly but surely. Orders are personalized. Designs are unique. Taste is excellent. And there is always a craving for more new ideas. New trends. New techniques.

Which eventually would mean new investments in almost everything like a bigger oven, a professional heavy duty mixer, more ingredients, more man power, more space, bigger earnings and bigger over head expenses. Whew!
Starting small is a good idea. Because as one goes along, he/she gets to know the rigor of everyday life in the kitchen or bakery.

Having all these modern amenities helps bakers in so many ways. Can you imagine mixing egg white with manually hand-spinning mixer like the “olden” times? Good if one is just doing a layer of cake. But what about if one has to make 10 or 20 layers all at the same time? What about the oven? If anyone can still remember the square green-colored stove-top oven, how many of those would one need to make several cakes all at the same time?

A small kitchen can eventually turned into a bigger one by either making use of the “living-room” or any other rooms in particular to accommodate more utensils and equipment. Good if one has a bigger vacant space where one can do extensions for another bakery area, right?

After mixing and putting the mixture into the oven, the anticipation of having a great baked product is the next step. I know when I started way, way back, I keep on opening the oven door to peep if everything is alright. Old ovens don’t have a see-through glass. And in doing so, I always ended up with a bake product that flops! Learning experience for me this way taught me how to be patient, to wait and be more resourceful.

Now, it is always pleasing to all our senses when we get to successfully finish a bake goodie, be it a layer of cake, cookies, brownies, bread or pie. And what a feeling it is if one gets accolade for a job well-done! It’s all worth the effort and energy poured into making such a wonderful creation.

As we go along, we try to learn more, acquire more in all aspects and we become better bakers. We learn new recipes, new variations, new techniques, and also, learning some acceptable “shortcuts” to hasten the process. It takes years of practice (well, maybe weeks or months for some super extra talented aspiring bakers!). But then again, is still takes time to really make oneself be called a Super Baker!

Me, for one, when I get positive feedbacks from clients and the “thank you’s” for their orders, there is always that sense of accomplishment. However, there are also times that it doesn’t come out well I should admit. That is why I try to start all over again. Which would very well drain your pockets. But personally, I don’t mind because I always believe in “customer satisfaction.” Remember the “golden rule?

Then, where will the “pains” of baking come in? Well, for one when the baked product didn’t come out as expected. Or it got over-baked or burned and one doesn’t have the ingredients anymore. Or the baked product accidentally fell. And you have to purchase the ingredient by yourself at some grocery far from your place. It also poses a problem when family member don’t know that it was an order form the customer and they ate it all! Worst is, when there are no available ingredients anywhere in the city!

Sometimes, orders are miscalculated. Either done on the wrong day or totally forgotten! All because of some stupid mistake in the accepting of orders done by your assistant (or maybe yourself!) Horror of all horrors! What would you say to your client? On the other hand, what if your client didn’t pay for her orders?

One has to be a super baker to do all the bakings and decoratings and portionings of the finished product all by themselves. What about making the boxes for those baked goodies? Good if one has readymade, ready-to-fold boxes available on hand. What if it was an off-size order? And your staplers don't work at all!

What if your assistant, (well if one has been baking for quite some time, I am 100 percent sure that there would be an assistant!) fails to work on that particular day of the order? And nobody else can help you? Would you still be cheerful and happy doing all the chores by yourself and with a deadline to catch? Plus, you have to wash all the pots and pans, all by yourself after baking!

Either way, if you “grow” big, you don’t get to see and talk to your customers anymore because you are busy doing a lot of things! And therefore you lose that “personal” touch!

These are just some of the few things one might want to know before venturing into this “business.” The realities of life. But don’t get me wrong. I still find baking a welcome respite for everyday stresses. It relaxes me and like I have always said before, I love baking! Despite the hardships and all! After all, we need to eat!

(Email address: potsnpans1976@yahoo.com; website: www.potsnpans1976.weebly.com)

Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on May 27, 2011.