| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Restaurants and Food Service |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Pastry Chef |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 3 years in a bakery |
Baker job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Baker
Department: Restaurants and Food Service
Reports to: Pastry Chef
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Baker prepares breads, buns, cakes and other baked items in a bakery, hotel or restaurant. They mix and prove dough, bake to the right colour and texture, and finish products for sale or service. The role is early starting and precise. A good Baker turns out consistent, fresh baked goods to recipe and schedule, keeps the oven and section clean, controls wastage, and manages the timing that baking demands so products are ready when needed.
Key responsibilities
- Mix, knead and prove dough for breads, buns and rolls.
- Bake products to the right colour, texture and weight.
- Prepare batters and bake cakes and other items to recipe.
- Finish, glaze and pack baked products for sale or service.
- Follow recipes, weights and baking times closely for every item.
- Keep the oven, tools and section clean and food safe.
- Manage stock of flour, yeast and other baking ingredients.
- Plan baking so products are fresh and ready on time.
- Control wastage and reuse trimmings safely where it is allowed.
Requirements
- Certificate or diploma in bakery or ITI in baking
- Hands on bakery experience
- Food safety awareness
- Fresher or up to 3 years in a bakery
KRAs and KPIs for a Baker
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Product quality | Baked goods meet the recipe standard for taste and finish |
| Freshness | Products baked and ready fresh on schedule |
| Consistency | Weight and size consistent batch to batch |
| Wastage | Baking wastage held within target |
| Hygiene | Bakery section kept clean and food safe |
| Stock | Ingredients stocked and rotated to avoid shortfall |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Ovens and proofers, Dough mixer, Weighing scale, Baking trays and moulds, Cooling racks.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Baker, Pastry Chef, Bakery In-charge
Interview questions for a Baker
- How do you get a consistent rise and crumb on bread?
- Why might a cake sink in the middle and how do you avoid it?
- How do you plan your bake so products are fresh on time?
- How do you keep weight and size consistent across a batch?
- How do you keep the bakery clean and food safe?
- How do you reduce wastage in baking?
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What does a Baker do?
A Baker prepares breads, buns, cakes and other baked items. They mix and prove dough, bake to the right colour and texture, finish and pack products, follow recipes and timing closely, keep the oven and section clean, and manage stock. Their job is consistent, fresh baked goods ready on schedule.
What qualifications do you need to become a Baker?
A certificate or diploma in bakery, or an ITI in baking, with hands on bakery experience. Food safety awareness helps. Employers value dough and proving skill, recipe and weight discipline, oven handling and the timing to have fresh products ready when needed.
What is the difference between a Baker and a Pastry Chef?
A Baker focuses on baking breads, buns and cakes, usually to set recipes. A Pastry Chef leads the pastry and dessert section, develops menu items, plates desserts and manages the team. The baker produces the bakes; the pastry chef leads the section and the creativity.