Baker- GCU Bake Shop

Grand Canyon University! One of Arizona’s leading institutions of higher learning. Located in the Valley of Sun in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, GCU is an institutionally accredited, private, nondenominational Christian University. Do you pride yourself on the ability to provide dining guests with a high-quality dining experience? Grand Canyon University is seeking a Baker for our state of the art restaurants. **Schedule:** Must be able to work **evenings** and **weekends**. **Position Summary**The Baker I is responsible for the daily production of artisan breads, laminated pastries, breakfast pastries, cookies, desserts, and specialty baked goods produced by the Grand Canyon University Bake Shop. This position supports the instructional mission of the Culinary Arts Program by producing high-quality baked products while mentoring culinary students in a commercial production environment.The Baker serves as both a production professional and educator, demonstrating industry best practices in bread production, food safety, organization, equipment operation, and commercial bakery workflow.Production supports multiple campus outlets including GCBC coffee locations, Canyon Catering & Events, Herd Stop, campus retail operations, university events, and future wholesale partnerships.**Essential Responsibilities****Daily Bread Production** - Produce artisan breads according to standardized GCU Bakery Production Manual formulas. - Execute three-day bread production schedules including preferments, mixing, fermentation, shaping, overnight retarding, and morning baking. - Produce French Bread, Deli Rye, Multigrain, Ciabatta, Focaccia, Brioche, Rolls, Baguettes, and seasonal specialty breads. - Maintain strict adherence to dough temperatures, fermentation timelines, proofing standards, scoring techniques, and baking specifications. - Monitor fermentation and make production adjustments based upon ambient conditions. **Pastry & Breakfast Production**Produce a variety of baked goods including: - Croissants - Chocolate Croissants - Danish - Cinnamon Rolls - Muffins - Scones - Cookies - Brownies - Quick Breads - Coffee Cakes - Seasonal Specialty Pastries Maintain consistent lamination standards and proper handling of enriched doughs.**Production Planning** - Prepare daily production schedules. - Forecast production quantities based upon historical sales. - Maintain inventory of frozen doughs and par-baked products. - Coordinate production with catering orders and retail demand. - Assist in recipe scaling and production planning. - Minimize waste while maintaining adequate inventory. **Student Instruction**Work alongside Culinary Arts students by demonstrating professional baking techniques including: - Scaling ingredients - Dough mixing - Dough development - Fermentation management - Hand shaping - Scoring - Oven loading - Steam application - Cooling procedures - Packaging - Product evaluation Provide coaching while maintaining commercial production standards.**Quality Assurance**Ensure every product meets established GCU quality standards regarding: - Appearance - Volume - Crust color - Crumb structure - Flavor - Texture - Finished weight - Packaging presentation Evaluate products daily and document quality concerns.**Food Safety**Maintain compliance with: - Maricopa County Health Department regulations - HACCP principles - NSF sanitation standards - Arizona Food Code - University food safety policies Maintain a clean, organized, inspection-ready bakery at all times.**Equipment Operation**Safely operate and maintain commercial bakery equipment including: - Spiral mixers - Planetary mixers - Dough sheeter - Bread divider and rounder - Avantco proof box - Rational Combi Oven - Commercial deck ovens - Reach-in refrigerators - Walk-in cooler - Walk-in freezer - Dough racks - Bakery scales - Bread slicers - Packaging equipment Report maintenance concerns promptly.**Packaging & Distribution**Prepare products for daily delivery to: - GCBC Coffee Sh…