Showerthought: Most bakery managers have never even kneaded dough themselves

I mean, how can you run a place if you don't know the basics? Idk, maybe it's just me, but I've seen too many bosses who can't tell good bread from bad.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_michael4d ago

Yeah it's a real problem when they lose touch with the craft. You gotta get your hands dirty sometimes to know what good product looks and feels like. Otherwise you're just managing numbers, not a bakery.

jadeg994d ago

That big bakery chain near me has managers who came from business school, not the kitchen. Honestly, they might not know how to knead, but they know how to order supplies and handle schedules that keep the place open. Tbh, is it really a problem if they can hire bakers who do know the craft inside out? Their main job is to run a business, not to be the best bread shaper. As long as they listen to their bakers about quality, the place can still work fine. Sometimes being good at the numbers part is what lets the artists keep their jobs.

simonh781d ago

My old boss at the bakery insisted every manager work one shift a month on the line, kneading and shaping. It stopped us from ordering cheap flour that ruined the texture, because we felt the difference. @jadeg99 has a point about business skills, but if a manager never touches the dough, they won't understand why a baker needs an extra ten minutes for a proper proof. They start seeing labor hours as just a number to cut, not a needed step for quality. That disconnect is what kills a bakery's soul long before the books go red.