An original informative speech, written by our student Siah Mittal.

Siah is 12 years old young writer from Gurugram. Baking is her passion. We are proud to have her as a student of the Little Kathakar Program, an Online Public Speaking through Storytelling & Drama Program using Applied Storytelling & Applied Theatre tools under the mentorship of Trainer Khusshbo Chokhaani. We congratulate Siah for this exemplary true self-expression.

How To Become A Baker?

Imagine a young 12-year-old girl, standing alone in the night, baking in the kitchen. It will seem unusual, isn’t it or can we call this passion? Well, that is what I had done. We started baking during lockdown by baking cakes for family birthdays. We also tried to bake donuts; after that, I developed a passion for baking. Now I am pursuing it as my hobby.

Baking is a form of art. It is pure chemistry. It needs practice, patience, and perfection. One small thing goes wrong and everything fails. Cakes are an important part of human history because cakes are essential for celebrations and birthdays. The sweetness of the cakes also releases stress. I like to bake because I enjoy hearing people’s comments after tasting my creations. I also enjoy the process.

According to food historians, the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the English word cake, back to the 13th century. It is a derivation of ‘kaka’, an Old Norwegian word. Medieval European bakers made fruitcakes and gingerbread. Paris, also known as the heaven of bakery has many creations like macarons, croissants, opera cakes, etc. having originated from there. The earliest versions of cake were actually flat, compact discs of grain, which were dried and compacted together.

To become a baker, you have to dedicate yourself to it. Acquire some recipes and practice them until they become perfect. Take classes and keep on practicing. After you become better, expand your tasting areas. Start with family, then friends, then neighbours and so on. Try selling by putting up stalls in your society and neighbourhood. To earn you have to sell cakes, and to do that you have to bring them to perfection. 1 Kg of cake is sold in the range of ₹1000 to ₹2000. However, the quality of the cake has a major role in how much you earn. For example, if someone does not like it, they will communicate their feedback to their friends and family who will inform other people, so on and so forth.

Some examples of well-established professional bakers are – Xavi Donnay, Duff Goldman, Anna Olson, Florian Bellanger, Buddy Valastro, Nancy Silverton, Roland Mesnier, Paul Hollywood, Henry Jones, Emma Tilman, Ron Ben-Israel, etc. There are many famous institutes to learn baking professionally, For Example – Le Cordon Bleu, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts, Academy, Culinary Institute of America, Institute of Culinary Education, Apicius, Westminster Kingsway College, Kendall College, BHMS, Gastronomicom International Culinary Academy, Culinary Institute of Barcelona, Hattori Nutrition College, etc.

I want to sell cakes and open a bakery as a side hustle along with my regular school. I want to enhance people’s customer experience by sending a rolling table, cutlery, matchbox and tray. So that they don’t have to rush around finding the knife, putting the candles, shifting the cake out of the box on a tray, and etc. I want them to open the box, light the candles and take the cake to the desired room without having to rush around. This way the entire process will be less hectic and the experience memorable. Pursue your hobby with dedication. Have patience. Keep practicing. One day you might achieve your dream. Always remember, “Practice makes perfect.”

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