Skills
Baker Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in bakers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do bakers need?
Bakers need technical skills such as ingredient scaling, dough mixing and fermentation, and shaping and proofing, plus people skills like precision and patience. They also use tools such as Mixers and dough dividers and Proof boxes.
Technical (hard) skills
- Ingredient scaling
- Dough mixing and fermentation
- Shaping and proofing
- Oven management
- Cake decorating
- Food safety
People (soft) skills
- Precision
- Patience
- Creativity
- Time management
Tools, equipment and technology
- Mixers and dough dividers
- Proof boxes
- Deck and convection ovens
- Scales
- Piping bags and decorating tools
- Sheet pans and racks
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how bakers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Ingredient scaling” and “Dough mixing and fermentation.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “precision,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Food handler card near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our baker glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Baker training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.