• You will receive instruction from industry professionals with years of baking, pastry, and restaurant experience.
• A ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification test voucher, both required textbooks, and a white KSU-embroidered chef coat is included in the tuition fee.
• Access to our professional catering kitchen and equipment for class.
• Our curriculum focuses on hands-on learning with recipes from multiple cultural backgrounds and preparation methods.
• You will learn about the importance of plating and how to make desserts for special occasions, such as weddings and birthdays.
• Create, feed, and maintain your own sourdough starter.
• Spotlight your Baking and Pastry skills through an official digital badge from Kennesaw State University that can be displayed on your LinkedIn page. You will also earn a certificate of completion from Kennesaw State University.
• You will graduate with the skills and confidence to pursue an entry-level baking, pastry, or dessert role in the restaurant industry, expand your knowledge for your own small baking business, or advance your career with your current culinary employer.

Upon Successful Completion, I will Be Able To..

• Apply ServSafe® safety and sanitation guidelines to prevent cross-contamination and food-borne illnesses.
• Utilize formulas and measurement systems to measure ingredients accurately.
• Recall baking techniques, methods, and ingredients used to produce breads, muffins, and cookies.
• Identify the qualities of well-crafted breads made with preferments and natural starters.
• Form and bake a variety of pies and tarts.
• Assemble and decorate cakes using a variety of techniques.
• Identify and use alternative ingredients to meet special dietary requirements and address food allergies and intolerances.
• Describe and use various methods for tempering chocolate.
• Design and plate desserts professionally by applying the basic principles of plate presentation, composition, and design.

What Do I Need to Take the Class?

• Comfortable non-skid shoes (Shoes for Crews, Dansko, Dr. Scholl’s, Genuine Grip)
• Comfortable, non-baggy pants (jeans, khakis, or tech pants)
• A pocket thermometer (digital or analog)
• A hair tie and covering (chef’s toque, ball cap, chef bandana, or chef beanie)
• A beard net (if applicable)
• A small kitchen notebook
• A sharpie and a pen
• A cake carrier and some airtight containers to take food home from class
• Your KSU-provided chef coat

You will be creating and feeding a starter to make sourdough bread at home for homework. A straight-sided 32 oz plastic or glass container with a lid, a stainless-steel mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, plastic wrap, a sheet pan, a spray bottle, and access to an oven will be needed for homework use. Access to a mixer with a dough hook is optional. The instructor will provide a list of any needed food ingredients for this homework assignment.