Basic Bakery Equipment ideas needed

Hi all!

Listen, I've been asked by a potential employer to come up with a list of equipment I would need to enable an existing restaurant to make it's own desserts and breads. I'd basically be starting from scratch-literally-since the closest they have to bakery equipment now is a 5 qt. Kitchenaid mixer.

They want to start small just making breads and rolls for the dining room and maybe introducing some in-house desserts. Eventually they'd like to see a bakery counter where people can buy products.

It's a small place, at most serving 100+/- on Sat and Sun. Their menu is pretty much meat and potatoes straightfoward food.

My question is this: What do I need to establish and bakery big enough to undertake this task, but not so overly ambitious that they can't/won't afford it? I don't have much space to work with in the kitchen, just a small alcove (about 9' by 12') that they said is not being used for anything else and could be converted to my use.

As I say this is all in the talking stages but I need to come up with a wish list of basic bakery equipment to present to them on Sunday. Any ideas? Thanks!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 09:07 pm: Edit

Rev. I have been in the talking stages, set up the whole damn restaurant and when it's time to open they've told me thanks but, we really don't need you for this!!!!!!!
So, my first advise is don't do anything without getting paid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....or get a signed contract reviewed by your attorney, that you will be employed or paid for your time and effort!
Good Luck....ask Spike he's the man in bake shops!!!!...even though he's got no clue about kickbakcks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 09:14 pm: Edit

60 quart mixer, at least one
oven with moisture ability, I can't remember the name now!
convection ovens are always useful
enough display cases
reach in or walk in oven for any kind of volume are good to have
a couple of proofing boxes
a sheeter.....not the kind you poop in either!
plenty of sheet pans.....to keep in the sheet house!!!!!
decorating tools galore
sil-plat sheets
plexi-molds for small items....petit fours...etc.

my 2 cents, I'm not a baker, I'll only bake if I get paid enough, so I 'm guessing by experience

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 11:20 pm: Edit

Rev,
heres my list.
One (1) pizza oven, used. gas. over and under, on legs.make sure the steel inside is FLAT, and check the insulation on the inside of the panels to make sure it has not fallen down(saged)
One wet proofer, or a cress core converted to one.
One 60qt. mixer, new or used(with warrenty)with, paddle, whip, and dough hook.
parchment paper.
100 sheet pans. new(if they will buy them) or used but good ones with no grease on them, and FLAT)
One gal. measuring container.
One wood table. to roll out your rolls, batards, bouls,ect.
Two cotton sheets, white. to cover dough when doing bench proofing.
One pastry brush for egg wash.
One box cutter or very sharp knife to "mark the top of bread"
One box of fresh yeast(comes in one lb. bricks)
One bucket to hold ice.( this is for, after you put french bread in the oven, wait 1-2 min's and then throw a hand full of ice on each side of each sheet pan. you don't need some fancy exspensive steam oven)
(Manny gets a kickback everytime he sells one)
One alarm clock so you can get your ass up at 4:00 am in the morning, and start making bread.
keep the passion alive!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

oh and a 220 hook-up for that 60 qt. mixer

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 07:01 am: Edit

The steam ovens do tend to break down quite a bit, the steam producing part, that is.
Very tempermental!!!

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 03:07 pm: Edit

Spike and Manny!

LOL, ROFL LMAO! You guys are GREAT! (Elwood too)!

That's a great start! Thanks! I also figured I'd need some 5 gal. buckets w/ lids to store bread dough in walk-in overnight, bins for biga/sour dough, ramekins for desserts (creme brulees, yum), springform pans for cheesecakes (ok, no flour), razors for docking the breads, LOTS of organic flour, and LOTS of french roast coffee to wake me up after I throw that alarm clock across the freakin room.

Thanks again!

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 01:09 am: Edit

umm...just the whole kickback, alarm clock, thing from earlier. Maybe I was just punchy when I read y'all's posts but I laughed.

Believe me: I'm aware of the risk I would be taking in pursuing this venture, but then again the owners would potentialy be taking a risk too.
I could be out of a job with no real prospects except to crawl back to my prep job (which I have not yet quit), and hope they haven't hired someone else. The owners could be stuck with hundreds of dollars worth of equipment and no one buying their new food products. People are pretty slow to embrace change here in the boonies.

This could go great or blow up in our faces. I'm scared out of my mind, but I'm willing to see it through if it means I can bake again fulltime and be closer to home and church. Lots of decisions coming up. Hope we all make the right ones.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 06:33 am: Edit

Typical emotions!!!!....Go for it, you have the Man looking after you!!!!!!
Good Luck

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:04 pm: Edit

That's a great start! Thanks! I also figured I'd need some 5 gal. buckets w/ lids to store bread dough in walk-in overnight, bins for biga/sour dough, ramekins for desserts (creme brulees, yum), springform pans for cheesecakes (ok, no flour), razors for docking the breads..........................Rev, you can't store bread dough overnight, it kills it. If you're gonna do a starter dough for sourdough, that's one thing, but there are so many bread doughs that have to be made fresh, and you want them to be fresh so that you can get the volume out of them, and volume is profit. I have some wonderful bread dough recipes that I would be happy to share with you that run the gammit of bread flavors. About those ramekins, don't buy ramekins. What you wanna buy is Pyrex glass baking dishes. There are two sizes, the one size I have in my hand is #463 and this one holds 3/4 of a cup fl. oz., then there's another size bigger. Why these you ask? Becaue not only can you bake with these, but they are an excellent serving dish for if you wanna make another kind of custard, fruit, mousse and bavarois', and you can also use these for your creme' carmel because they take the sugar.
Cheese cake pans, spring form pans are crap! Use a 3" deep 10" round cake pan and before you put the graham cracker or crust on the botton, use spray grease and parchment paper, and you'll never have a problem taking these cheese cakes out after they're cool. And again, if you want a good cheese cake recipe, let me know because mine are blue ribbon winners.
Use those buckets with lids to store your flour in.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:22 pm: Edit

Rev, I know that I fool around here a lot, but this is what I did for many, many years and I can show you how to make some money and not throw anything out. Do you guys have bake sales at the Church?, if not start them, and send this/your product from there to it. Also, if theres a way to sell some product or just a few simple products to other rest., do that too.
Also, I forgot, you need a couple loaf pans, but not TIN !!!, get teflon or glass. I have a french bread/cheese loaf thats to die for.
Also, Father, I have sinned.....big time.
there were these twins......................shall I go on?

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 11:51 pm: Edit

Okay, before I hit the sack, Spike, thanks for your time and input!

The buckets actually are intended to be used for sourdough based breaddoughs. I have used them in the past to store bread dough covered in the walk-in overnite with no ill effects.


I'm always looking to try new things so yes, if you have time, please send any recipes you might have to me. They'd be very much appreciated. In turn, I have some nice bread recipes I can send you that have stood me in good stead for years.
Re: ramekins, I just like the way they look as opposed to the pyrex. I do use pyrex to get nice sloped sides on the tuile cups I make.

In answer to your second post, Our church does bake Welsh cookies about once a month. I had never heard of them before moving to this area, but they sell great and are low cost to make so we clear a nice profit from them. That selling idea is one I hadn't thought of but it's worth a try.

About the twins, well how bout "Go and sin no more"? ;-)

P.S. Talked to the aforementioned owners today and they're still interested so we're continuing discussions. More later. G'nite!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 12:06 am: Edit

Go and sin no more?...I'll give that a try.
lol.
and please don't misunderstand, I'm just trying to help, I have no idea what you know or don't know, but I would never assume, from discussions here that your a beginer. just want to see it happen for you.
spike

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 08:29 pm: Edit

Spike:
I received your post in the spirit with which it was intended and thanks.

By Ladycake (Ladycake) on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 03:15 pm: Edit

Rev,
I thought you might like to know that I have been baking for years in a restaurant just the size (or maybe a little bigger than) the one you are talking about. I work with very little equipment that they bought for me. They did have a 60 quart mixer already, I bought cheesecake pans, cake pans, tart pans (large and individual), gratin dishes, ramekins, a docker, tips and bags, bench scrapers, dough scrapers, spatulas and I was ready to go. I do have a yearly budget for new acquisitions and replenishment of worn equipment. Both parties have been more than content.

The key is to check out what they have already.

Spike - I would love to use your recipes with my students. Also, I but biga in the walk-in overnight all the time. It retards it just enough to make the timing good for lunch service.
Rev - I can use all of the good recipes I can use.

Thanks guys, I hope this helps you, Rev.

By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Friday, February 27, 2004 - 04:16 pm: Edit

Thanx ladycake,

I have to transcribe all of the recipes into a form my new computer will use, butas soon as I do I'll let you all know; if you're still interested at that time.

Appreciate everyone's suggestions!