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Are you interested in becoming a pastry chef? Have you ever wanted to open your own bakery? Learn how to craft pastries, cakes, tarts, breads and more in Johnson County Community College’s Pastry and Baking courses.

The Pastry and Baking program at JCCC teaches students the skills and techniques of a professional pastry chef, while also covering the business and management side of the trade. If you want to pursue a career in baking, JCCC’s Pastry and Baking program is exactly what you need.

What Will I Learn in JCCC’s Pastry and Baking Program?

At JCCC, Pastry and Baking is a one-year program that falls within the Culinary Arts department. In just two semesters, you will be coached on how to use your creativity to develop and sell upscale baked goods. You will also learn how to run the business side of a professional bakery while gaining hands-on experience in the College’s pastry shop.

As a Pastry and Baking student, your courses will begin with pastry shop production and fundamental baking concepts like sanitation, ingredient identification, measurements, and so on.

Throughout your training, you will rotate every two weeks through baking stations, such as Pies and Tarts, Lean Yeast Breads, Viennoiserie, and Whole Cakes. During each semester, you will get the chance to modify the original, chef-assigned recipes to reflect the changes in the season.

Our practical certification gives you marketable skills beyond the pastry shelf, including how to:

  • Manage inventory and order quantities
  • Craft a menu
  • Market and display products
  • Hire and manage staff
  • Safely prepare and store food
  • Serve customers and drive sales
  • Analyze cost and determine profit

Pastry/Baking Course Series

Starting Fall 2021, we're offering four Pastry/Baking Special Topics courses (HMGT 292) that will help you refine your skills in the following areas:

  • Artisan Breads & Viennoiserie
  • Occasion & Wedding Cakes
  • Entremets & Plated Desserts
  • Petit Pastry & Special Dietary Needs Baking

Why JCCC’s Pastry and Baking Program?

Our Pastry and Baking program is one of a kind. After completing the 34 hours of coursework, you will earn your Pastry and Baking certificate. This program has a maximum of 15 students per year, which means that classes are small and students receive individualized instruction.

The selective admission program starts every fall semester. You must successfully complete HMGT 120 Food Service Sanitation and HMGT 223 Fundamentals of Baking before being considered for the program. Completion of HMGT 240 Advanced Baking, HMGT 123 Production Kitchen I, and/or HMGT 248 Confectionary Arts could increase your chances of being accepted into the Pastry and Baking program, as well.

Experienced Instructors and State-of-the-Art Facility

JCCC’s Pastry and Baking courses are taught by highly qualified instructors who have thorough knowledge about the craft and industry-best practices. All Pastry and Baking courses are taught in the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy.

You will learn how to use and develop new techniques on the same state-of-the-art equipment—such as double-speed ovens that inject steam, blast chillers and silicone cake molds—used in top bakeries.

Get Involved

You can join the Hospitality Management Club, which offers opportunities to network with other culinary students and gain exposure to local industry leaders.

Our Hospitality Management Advisory Board provides expert advice on a variety of issues to ensure that students earning degrees or certificates from JCCC are prepared to enter the workforce and have successful careers in the hospitality industry. Plus, our program gives you the flexibility to work while you earn your certification.

Kansas City Moms Blog 2019 named JCCC’s Pastry/Bakery program one of the Top 10 Bakeries of KC

“Everything is freshly made by students in the JCCC Pastry/Baking program … and is very affordable. But what’s cool is that proceeds from pastry sales support students in the program at JCCC.”

Explore the Wylie Hospitality & Culinary Academy

Launch Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy (WHCA)
Admission to this program requires department approval. See admission process

Your Pastry and Baking education will prepare you to work as a pastry chef or baker. You can open your own bakery or pastry shop, or you may choose to become a pastry chef or manager for a hotel, restaurant or grocery store. No matter what path you take, jobs in pastry and baking are in high demand. In fact, demand for pastry chefs also is growing in hospitals and other noncommercial settings as scratch baking increases.

The U.S. Department of Labor compiles statistics on the careers involving hospitality management. You'll find information specifically related to careers in Kansas and Missouri, including salary information and the job prospects there.

Find employment projections and salary information at the Power BI Post Graduate Report.


Need help with career decisions? Visit the Career Development Center.

The cost of going to college can drastically impact your ability to succeed. At Johnson County Community College, we want our students to be able to afford a program that they love. That’s why we’re constantly working to make tuition more affordable for you.

Here’s what JCCC has to offer:

Textbook and other supply costs vary depending on your courses.

There are several things to consider when budgeting for college. Visit our Cost of Attendance page for detailed information.

Resources and Tools at JCCC

Being a student at JCCC means you have access to a range of services and resources to help you succeed. We offer professional tutoring and small, personalized class sizes. When you attend Johnson County Community College, your education truly matters.

The cost of going to school can be daunting. Fortunately, our Financial Aid office is here to help you through the process. Our counselors can help you find ways to fund your schooling, including scholarships and student loans, both of which can help to reduce the cost of your tuition every semester.

If you need help discovering what your passion will be post-graduation, our Career Development Center and Academic Counseling services are great support tools.

You can also further your education by transferring to a four-year school. JCCC is here to help make the transition to another college program easy and stress-free.