question about production planning

Galit · #1 06-30-2009, 10:09 AM

Hello chefs!

Iv'e just launched my small business and I'm spending my weekends, selling my stuff at the farmers markets. I wanted to ask u about planning my baking.

I'm baking from Midnight (before the day of the market) until 5 AM - which doesn't live me any room to sleep. I have stuff I can make a day before, but most of the things -like muffins- should be make and bake right away- because of the baking/soda powders.

Would you bake stuff the night before? how much difference between baking muffins
and cookies at 7:00 PM to 4:00 Am?

I'm a perfectionist and want everything fresh but I also want to be fresh for my market.

Please advise....

Thank you!!!!

Galit

bughut · #2 06-30-2009, 04:30 PM

Hi Galit,
I empathise. Back in the day i was going through the same thing myself. Same but different. You wonder where you found the energy eh?

Anyway, muffins freeze very well.

I dont know what else you are slaving over during the wee small hours, so let us know and i'm sure someone here will be able to help you get a bit more sleep.

Good luck with the business. Hows it going by the way?

Galit · #3 06-30-2009, 06:14 PM

Hey Chef,

Thanks so much!

Yes- I'm enslaved to the freshness of my products.....and I'm trying to get the business running besides farmers market. I just started so meantime the market is gong well.

I need to work on my marketing etc but that in progress.

I guess you had some sleepless night too. I went to Pastry school- but it doesn't prepare you for your production plans.

BTW- you mean muffins batter freezes very well?

Thanks for your support!

bughut · #4 07-01-2009, 02:53 AM

I dont know about freezing the batter, but the cooked muffins freeze really well. Try it n see

Galit · #5 07-01-2009, 12:56 PM

Thank u, I might try that

HappyFood · #6 07-01-2009, 03:16 PM

We do something very similar at farmer's markets. We offer fresh southern style biscuits along with what we cook at the market from the available produce. We get up at 4 AM on Sat and Sun to bake our biscuits. We have what we call "the dries" all portioned out and we add "the wets" mix, roll, cut and bake them before we leave for the market at 7 AM.
There are others that sell baked goods at our markets and their stuff is baked the day before. Unfortunately, their offerings do not have that fresh look, smell or taste, but the stuff sells anyway.
It's just one of those judgement calls that only you can make.

I catch up on my sleep on Monday.

chefelle · #7 07-01-2009, 04:00 PM

I own and operate my own patisserie and like you I am a slave to quality and freshness. Here's what I do. I make my doughs (brioche, croissant) the night before and let them do a slow proof in the cooler overnight. I roll and shape them in the morning, then proof and bake.

I do my morning bake at 4 am. I have a very large product line which is all made from scratch and I also supply quite a few restaurants and catering companies with desserts and breads. This system works well for me. I ONLY work the night shift during Christmas (and then I basically don't go home at all other than to shower until Christmas Day) or if it gets so excruciatingly hot in the place that it is impossible to bake in the day time.

As far as muffins go....a good friend of mine told me if you portion out the raw muffin batter and then freeze them in "pellets" that they freeze and bake well. I have never tried it but I know this much the French pastry chef I studied with used to do up pails of muffin batter and then scoop and bake as needed. Sometimes that batter would last us two days or more and we never had a problem with it.

I don't make a whole lot of muffins for the shop but when I do I usually just do up only as much as I am going to need and then scoop and bake right away. I do make up big batches of cookie dough and then keep it in the cooler and scoop and bake as needed. Do this with oatcakes and pie dough as well.

I must admit...I don't get much sleep....I tend to work until 7 pm and then go home and crash so I can get up at 2:30 for a return to work. Monday is the one day when I don't have to do any baking...but I do have errands and paperwork for the shop. Ugggh....the fun of being an owner.

Galit · #8 07-01-2009, 07:39 PM

I will try this weekend to prep it all and come to the kitchen at 2:00 AM-
hopefully I will have 4 hours of sleep before the sale:-)
It's good to know everyone are in the same boat or understand the situation.

I learned a lot from your answers so thanks so much!

I will report!