Baking and Pastry Arts II

Baking II: Mastery, Refinement, and the Craft of the Pastry Kitchen

Take your baking from skilled home baker to accomplished pastry artist.

Baking II is the second course in our comprehensive baking series and is designed for students who have completed Baking I (or possess equivalent experience). This rigorous, full-year, secular high school course moves beyond the fundamentals and into the techniques, precision, and artistry found in professional pastry kitchens. Students refine their skills while mastering advanced breads, viennoiserie, cakes, chocolate, sugar work, plated desserts, and modern pastry techniques.

Rather than simply following recipes, students learn to think like professional pastry chefs. Through advanced food science, precise measurement, temperature control, and challenging laboratory projects, they'll discover how to troubleshoot, adapt, and perfect every bake.

Course Features

• 🍰 Full-year high school elective (1 credit)

• 📅 36 weeks • 4 days per week • 144 lessons

• 🧪 36 advanced baking labs

• 📖 36 worksheets with complete answer keys

• 📝 36 research and mini-projects

• 📋 Complete grading rubrics

• 🥐 Printable recipe cards

• 🎥 Extensive collection of free online readings and instructional videos

• 👨🍳 Designed for independent homeschool learners

• 📏 Baking I recommended before beginning this course

Students Will Master

• Advanced artisan breads and pre-ferments

• Professional sourdough techniques

• Viennoiserie and laminated doughs

• Croissants, Danish pastries, and puff pastry

• Advanced cake science and construction

• Professional buttercreams and fillings

• Cake decorating and finishing techniques

• Custards, mousses, and frozen desserts

• Chocolate tempering and confections

• Sugar work and decorative showpieces

• Entremets and mirror glazes

• Plated dessert composition

• Dessert table design

• Production baking and small business fundamentals

• Capstone pastry showcase project

Precision Meets Artistry

Baking II introduces an entirely new level of precision by treating temperature as a second measuring tool alongside weight. Students learn professional techniques such as chocolate tempering, sugar stages, custard coagulation, mirror glazes, and advanced pastry assembly while understanding the science behind every process. Every lab reinforces accuracy, consistency, and problem-solving skills that separate accomplished bakers from recipe followers.

Real-World Culinary Skills

Throughout the course, students develop skills used in bakeries, pastry kitchens, restaurants, and culinary schools. They finish the year creating elegant entremets, plated desserts, petits fours, chocolate confections, artisan breads, and professional-quality pastries while learning production planning, recipe costing, and the basics of operating a baking business.

Parent-Friendly

No professional baking experience is required. Students work independently through readings, instructional videos, worksheets, labs, and projects while parents simply provide ingredients, supervise kitchen safety during baking labs, and grade assignments using the included detailed rubrics.

Perfect For

• Homeschool high school students

• Students who have completed Baking I

• Future pastry chefs

• Culinary school preparation

• Career & Technical Education (CTE)

• Family & Consumer Sciences electives

• Students considering careers in baking, hospitality, or food service

• Serious baking enthusiasts ready for advanced techniques

Baking II bridges the gap between enthusiastic home baking and professional pastry arts. By combining science, precision, creativity, and craftsmanship, students finish the course with the confidence and technical skills to create bakery-quality breads, pastries, desserts, and showpieces worthy of any professional kitchen.