Full Time Baker/Pastry Chef
Little Light Solutions, a Madison-area consulting firm helping small businesses thrive through streamlined systems and people-centered practices, is recruiting on behalf of a confidential café client.
Pay: $20–$24 per hour, based on experience, eligible for performance bonuses
Hours: 40 hours per week
Schedule: Early mornings beginning as early as 5:00 a.m., including weekends and some holidays
Tips: BOH tip-out eligible, and 100% of tips on custom bakery orders assigned and completed
About Our Client
Our client is a well-established, award-winning, family-owned neighborhood café in the Madison area with a loyal customer base and strong community presence.
The bakery has an established customer following and produces a variety of baked goods for daily display, seasonal demand, celebrations, catering, and custom orders. They are committed to preserving the bakery’s quality and traditions while strengthening training, production systems, sustainability, and opportunities for growth.
Our client believes in treating people with compassion and respect, maintaining an inclusive workplace, supporting employee development, and building systems that allow employees to do their best work without unnecessary chaos or burnout.
Little Light Solutions is conducting this search on behalf of a client who will remain confidential during the initial screening process to protect the privacy of the business and its current team.
Position Summary
The Full-Time Baker will be responsible for dependable early-morning bakery production, including items for the daily display as well as custom and catering orders. This person will help maintain consistent quality, organize production, follow established recipes, and support the continued growth of the bakery program.
This role includes four weeks of hands-on training alongside an experienced baker who has developed and refined the bakery’s recipes and techniques over nearly 10 years. You’ll learn established recipes, production methods, and baking techniques while building your skills and helping carry forward the quality and traditions customers already love.
This position is ideal for an experienced baker who enjoys working independently during early production hours while also collaborating with cooks, prep staff, and restaurant leadership.
Primary Responsibilities
- Complete daily scratch bakery production according to established recipes, production lists, and quality standards.
- Prepare pastries, breads, cakes, desserts, fillings, frostings, doughs, batters, and other bakery products.
- Produce appropriate quantities for the daily bakery display while helping reduce unnecessary waste.
- Prepare cakes, desserts, pastries, and other items for catering and custom bakery orders.
- Review upcoming orders and organize production timelines so orders are completed accurately and on time.
- Scale, mix, portion, bake, cool, decorate, package, label, and store products correctly.
- Maintain consistent product appearance, taste, portion size, and quality.
- Track bakery inventory and communicate ingredient and supply needs to the Kitchen Manager.
- Rotate ingredients and finished products using appropriate dating and FIFO procedures.
- Maintain organized recipes, production notes, yield information, and preparation instructions.
- Follow sanitation, temperature-control, allergen, labeling, and food-safety procedures.
- Clean and maintain bakery workstations, mixers, ovens, tools, racks, pans, and storage areas.
- Support seasonal and holiday production planning.
- Help train a relief baker and cross-train appropriate kitchen employees in essential bakery tasks.
- Support kitchen preparation or production when bakery work is complete and operational needs require it.
- Communicate equipment, ingredient, scheduling, or production concerns promptly.
Qualifications
- 3-5 years of professional baking, pastry, restaurant bakery, or commercial kitchen experience preferred.
- Current Food Manager Certification, or willing to get certified
- Experience following and scaling recipes accurately.
- Cake decorating or custom-order production experience is strongly preferred.
- Ability to manage several products with different preparation and baking timelines.
- Strong attention to detail, consistency, cleanliness, and presentation.
- Ability to work independently during early morning hours.
- Ability to stand for extended periods and safely lift and move ingredients, trays, and equipment.
- Food-safety certification preferred or willingness to complete required training.
- English proficiency is required. Spanish and English bilingual ability is preferred.
Application & Interview Process
- If available, please include a portfolio or examples of previous baking or pastry work, such as a social media page, photos, or other proof of completed work.
- Candidates selected to advance will be required to complete a paid working interview to demonstrate their baking, production, and decorating skills before an employment offer is made.
- Little Light Solutions will conduct initial candidate screening and first-round interviews. Candidates invited to advance may be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) to protect our client’s confidentiality throughout the remainder of the hiring process.
Equal Opportunity Statement
People of all backgrounds and identities are welcome and encouraged to apply. Our client especially encourages experienced bilingual Spanish and English speakers to apply, although bilingual ability is not required. They are committed to an equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace where people can grow and contribute their skills.
Pay: $20.00 - $24.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Food provided
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
Application Question(s):
- Do you have experience with the following: wedding cakes, flan, tres leches, donuts, danishes, croissants, and other specialty items?
Experience:
- Bakery: 2 years (Required)
Language:
- English (Required)
- Spanish (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- WI Food Manager Certification? (Required)
Work Location: In person
