Evaluate baker experience by examining their bread-making techniques, pastry expertise, and commercial production experience. Focus on specific dough handling methods, proofing knowledge, and high-volume baking capabilities rather than general kitchen experience. Ask candidates to describe their most challenging bake and how they solved fermentation or timing issues.
Common misunderstanding: All kitchen experience translates to baking expertise
Many candidates claim baking experience when they've only worked in general food preparation roles. Probe deeper by asking about specific bread types they've made, their understanding of gluten development, and experience with different proofing methods. A true baker will immediately discuss hydration ratios and fermentation timing.
Let's say you are interviewing someone who claims "5 years baking experience" but when you ask about sourdough maintenance they look confused. Their experience might be limited to reheating frozen pastries rather than actual bread making.
Common misunderstanding: Formal culinary training automatically indicates practical baking skills
Some culinary school graduates lack hands-on commercial baking experience and may struggle with production volumes, equipment differences, and time management pressures. Test their knowledge of scaling recipes from small batches to commercial quantities and troubleshooting oven inconsistencies.
Let's say you are interviewing a recent culinary graduate who excelled in school bread classes. They might understand theory perfectly but struggle when your deck oven bakes unevenly or when scaling a 2-loaf recipe to 200 loaves.
Ask about specific baking challenges they've overcome, their experience with different flour types, and how they've managed production schedules. Questions about sourdough starters, laminated dough techniques, and batch timing reveal genuine baker expertise. Focus on their problem-solving abilities when fermentation goes wrong or ovens perform inconsistently.
Common misunderstanding: Generic food service questions reveal baking competency
Questions about "cooking under pressure" don't reveal baking competency. Instead, ask: "Walk me through how you'd handle discovering your sourdough starter died overnight before a weekend service" or "How do you adjust baking times when working with a new oven that runs hot?"
Let's say you are asking "How do you handle stress in the kitchen?" versus "Your prove is running slow and breakfast service starts in 2 hours - what are your options?" The second question tests real baker problem-solving skills.
Common misunderstanding: Recipe knowledge is more important than production management skills
A skilled baker must coordinate multiple bakes with different timing requirements. Ask how they schedule overnight bakes, manage proofing times across different products, and handle last-minute volume changes. Their answer reveals whether they understand commercial baking logistics.
Let's say you are comparing two candidates: one who memorises recipes perfectly but can't explain how to coordinate croissant lamination with bread baking, versus one with solid recipe knowledge who understands timing coordination. The second candidate will succeed better.
Assess their knowledge of fermentation processes, temperature control, and recipe scaling. Look for evidence of working with commercial ovens, understanding of food safety protocols, and ability to troubleshoot baking failures. Candidates should demonstrate familiarity with different flour types, hydration calculations, and the impact of humidity on baking outcomes.
Common misunderstanding: Vague answers about baking bread indicate sufficient experience
A qualified baker should explain concepts like windowpane tests, final dough temperature calculations, and how altitude affects rising times. If they can't discuss gluten development stages or explain flour choice for specific applications, their experience is likely limited.
Let's say you are asking about their bread-making process and they give general answers like "mix ingredients, let it rise, bake it." A skilled baker would mention checking dough temperature, judging gluten development, and adjusting for environmental factors.
Common misunderstanding: General food safety knowledge covers baking-specific safety requirements
Bread production involves unique safety considerations like proper cooling procedures, storage temperatures for different products, and allergen cross-contamination risks from flour dust. Ensure candidates understand HACCP principles as they apply to baking, including critical control points for temperature monitoring.
Let's say you are testing food safety knowledge with general questions about handwashing and temperatures. Baking has specific risks like flour dust contamination, proper bread cooling to prevent condensation, and managing allergens in shared equipment that general food safety training might not cover.