Baking Basics 101

Upon successful completion of the one-hour-long course, bakery employees will have basic knowledge of:

• Workplace safety – General Safety Guidelines that include: Machine Guards, PPEs, Equipment Safety, Work Area Safety and Sanitation tips
• Food Safety & Hygiene – Universal Terminology, general practices, definitions, and importance of GMPs, HACCP, Allergen Control, FSMA, Hygiene (personal and behavior)
• Technical Training – Soft skills, areas of responsibility, and recommended guidelines 

Baking Basics Informational Packet

In one short hour of online instruction, new employees will learn the basic fundamentals of working in a bakery.

Communication

Understand the importance of clear communication in all areas of the facility

Weight Sheets

Why weight sheets are needed and view identification markers

Equipment Safety

What to look out for regarding equipment operations and hazards (pinch points, emergency stop buttons, tools, Lock-Out, Tag-Out (LOTO), and Compressed Air

Department Operator Responsibilities

Foundational knowledge associated with areas of the production line, responsibilities, and importance of following procedures. 

• Ingredients: Operator definition, Storage, Cleanliness, FIFO, Weighing vs Measuring, traceability. 
• Mixing: Operator definition, Mixing Sheet (importance of records), production schedules, preparing ingredients (proper identification), Pre-Mixing Checklist, and general procedures. 
• Baking: Operator definition, Stages of Baking, observation, Quality Control areas, Belt Tracking, oven operator responsibilities. 
• Packaging Departments: Operator definitions, core skills and responsibilities.

Dynamic and on-demand

The Baking Basics 101 course includes interactive exercises, videos and photos, a glossary of terms, multiple-choice tests, student activity tracking, and a certificate of completion.

Course chapters are written by baking industry experts exclusively for ABA's Bakers Manufacturing Academy

Introduction 

Glossary of Terms 

Chapter 1: Workplace Safety 

Chapter 2: Food Safety & Hygiene 

Chapter 3: Technical Training 

Access the course through the easy-to-use Bakers Manufacturing Academy portal.

Course Enrollment Information: 

• Completion Time: Half-hour to an hour 
• Enrollment period: Two weeks 
• Resource guide with comprehensive Glossary of Terms printout available 
• Final Test: Students must score 80% GPA to complete the course successfully 

ABA Members: $50

Non-Member: $100 

How to become an ABA Member.

Option 1: Facilities

ABA Members and baking/supplier facilities can enroll employees within the Portal. Enroll facilities here.  

Option 2: Individual Access

Students interested in learning about baking can enroll themselves by creating an account on the Bakers Manufacturing Academy e-learning portal.

The flexibility of the Bakers Manufacturing Academy allows entire corporations to individual facilities determine which programs work best for their employee training goals.

INDIVIDUAL ENROLLMENT

Students interested in learning about baking can enroll themselves by creating an account on the Bakers Manufacturing Academy e-learning portal.

BAKING/SUPPLIER FACILITY ENROLLMENT

STEP 1

Before an individual facility can begin enrolling employees into entry-level or specialized training programs, companies must fill out a Facility Enrollment Form. Each plant within a company must fill out the form. 

If a company is integrating the Bakers Manufacturing Academy into its training programs enterprise-wide, please contact Academy Staff.

STEP 2

Within one business day, staff from the Bakers Manufacturing Academy will set up a company and facility profile within the Academy portal. All administrators will be contacted once their facility profile is enabled.

THIRD STEP

Once the facility profile is activated, plant administrators will receive instructions and may begin enrolling employees. Staff from the Bakers Manufacturing Academy will be available to offer customer support every step of the way.

The baking industry is one of the strongest communities in the food manufacturing sector. Upon completion of any Bakers Manufacturing Academy program, graduates are encouraged to connect on the exclusive LinkedIn alumni group.

• See what alumni in the baking field have accomplished since graduation and expand sense of what is possible
• Identify alumni in the baking industry and reach out for their industry expertise 
• Learn about opportunities and mentoring partnerships

Join the community here.