AHi everyone, I'm a single mother of three children I'm 23 and am trying to start my own business, with three children and no help things can get a bit crazy around here, any tips on how you go about prep and organization? I think I read some where to mix all dry ingredients and package them in a zip lock bag? Good idea yay or nay? Let's say I wanted to put all wet ingredients in a air tight bowl or big zip lock bag, how long would it keep in the fridge I've even thought about freezing all wet ingredients but I do not want anything going bad, just a idea! Please please share any tips or tricks you have its much needed lol!! Thank you in advance!!
Your question is actually complicated because it completely depends on what your recipes are and what prep work you want to do. I can tell you that I do as much prep in advance as possible but with the type of pastry and cake I make, there isn't much I can do. I mean, if I'm making a ton of pie I can make the dough weeks in advance and freeze it, then make filling a few days ahead and put it in the walk in. But if I am baking wedding cake the most prep I can do is pull the butter to soften.
I'm not sure where you are located, but the first thing you need to do is take a food safety class. I'm not sure if it's required for the license to operate in your area, but it's a good thing to take and know for anyone that wants to sell food to the public. For example, you'd never ask if you can pool your wet ingredients together and for how long they are good for because you would have taken that class and learned about time/temperature control, managing pH levels, etc.. and you'd know that you should never do that with raw eggs. And you'd also know that it doesn't matter what I say - your Health Department will have an answer for you that is the only answer that matters since they are the ones to bust you!
Anyway best of luck for your business!
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Original message sent by remnant3333
A lot of the people bake their cakes and once they cool they wrap them in saran wrap two times then some put them in freezer bags or aluminum foil wrapping them again. Everybody does it differently. The cakes stay moist this way and you can pull them out of the freezer to thaw. Most torte the cakes and level them before freezing them. I am sure there are others here who will give you more information. I only do this for a hobby but some of the experts on this forum will be able to help you more than I can.
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Original message sent by FromScratchSF
Your question is actually complicated because it completely depends on what your recipes are and what prep work you want to do. I can tell you that I do as much prep in advance as possible but with the type of pastry and cake I make, there isn't much I [I]can[/I] do. I mean, if I'm making a ton of pie I can make the dough weeks in advance and freeze it, then make filling a few days ahead and put it in the walk in. But if I am baking wedding cake the most prep I can do is pull the butter to soften.
I'm not sure where you are located, but the first thing you need to do is take a food safety class. I'm not sure if it's required for the license to operate in your area, but it's a good thing to take and know for anyone that wants to sell food to the public. For example, you'd never ask if you can pool your wet ingredients together and for how long they are good for because you would have taken that class and learned about time/temperature control, managing pH levels, etc.. and you'd know that you should never do that with raw eggs. And you'd also know that it doesn't matter what I say - your Health Department will have an answer for you that is the only answer that matters since they are the ones to bust you!
Anyway best of luck for your business!
One thing I do is do the last things first so that at some point I meet up with my work and I can really get a big wind in my sail. Let me explain that
I make the box first. I make any flowers or decor that can be done in advance. I make boards. I make icings and filling before I bake. I can prepare pans for baking days in advance--just keep them protected from dust & stuff. I make sure my car is ready for delivery. I make sure my box will fit. I make sure there's a roll of paper towels in my car because they work great to level the seat. I put the sheet pan in there to place over the paper towels to sit the cake box on. I make sure I have the ribbly shelf liner in the car so I can keep my boxes from sliding. I will put the plateau in the car days in advance sometimes so I don't have to think about it. I keep scissors in the car just in case I forget.
So then I bake and start assembling tiers and whatever, icing and doweling, put borders whatever last minute decor--then lo and behold I've met up with
my work and I can sit back and apply all the butterflies and flowers and just stick it in my box slap it in the frige and breathe easy. Because after all the structural assembly and cleaning up the mess I'm tired. I'd hate to have to be responsible for getting all creative at that stage. So I try to let my creative juices flow early on while I'm fresh and do all the mechanical things as early as possible.
And if you chill your cakes before delivery, get the frige re-arranged for that as early as possible 'cause that is the biggest bummer of a task at 11:30 12 midnight or later when you gotta arm wrestle that baby into the chill box anyhow but you gotta clear out room for it oh deliver me!!!! ;)
I like to do the ingredient mise en place within 24 hours of baking or making icings/fillings. I don't like to do that too far in advance. But yeah every little bit of advance work done is time gained for you at the end when you're tired facing that deadline and the extra minutes are a cool breeze on a hot brow.
Anyhow--some thoughts for you.
Even though you are just planning a business now, you NEED to learn and follow the food safety rules ASAP. The certificate is usually good for 3 years.
It is EXTREMEL:Y important to not learn any bad habits for the sake of convenience of a "hobby". Do each job the right way the first time, in the end you will work better when you do start that business. That means WEIGH dry ingredients, and write the date and recipe on every prepackaged set of ingredients. Because someday you will have to provide that info on labels.
Yes you can premeasure the wet stuff the night before you are going to set up and bake. Remember that most recipes tell you to have the eggs as well as the butter at room temperature... so remember to let the premeasured stuff warm up in the morning. You have clearly never frozen whole eggs mixed with milk, or you wouldn't even ask that question. It's OK to freeze whites, but yolks turn into this disgusting lumpy mess when they thaw.
Best place for you to start right now: go to your public library and see if they have a copy of something called "Professional Baking". Authors can be Wayne Gisslen, Joseph Amendola, Toba Garret, to name just a few...read the book and look at the careful explanations of how they bake and set up their fancy cakes.
ASAP if you go on with your plan, you should buy a used copy of Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen, any edition, from www.abebooks.com and NEVER let it out of your hands. It will have large scale recipes as well as the lessons. And good luck.
AOP had asked about how people organize their work processes in preparation for starting a new bakery business. I guess OP didn't like the answers and thought that removing the first post would delete the thread.
I didn't think you were able to edit your post so long after creating it, maybe the rules are different for the first post in a thread.
AI believe OP has decided to delete all her posts.
ACan you restore the first post of this thread so at least people will know what the question was?
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Original message sent by FromScratchSF
I believe OP has decided to delete all her posts.
Not to be rude lol, I googled my name and all of my CC post came up, not a great look when customers are looking up my name for reviews :).
AIf you don't want your business name to be associated with your posts, you should request to have your CC account name changed. Deleting all your posts can send the wrong message.
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