BM Boulanger study plan

Build a one-page map of the 12 core dough families (baguette, pain de mie, brioche, croissant, pâte feuilletée, levain, etc.) with their hydration, kneading method and bulk-fermentation window

Explain aloud, without notes, the role of each ingredient in a lean dough (flour, water, salt, yeast, levain) and how each affects gluten, flavour and crust

Practise 3 autolyse and 3 direct-mix baguette doughs and record dough temperature, hydration and bulk time for each

Define the 6 quality-control checkpoints from flour intake to baked crust (dough temperature, windowpane, proof index, scoring, oven spring, crumb) and write the tolerance for each

Run a controlled fermentation experiment comparing 3 bulk times (e.g. 2h, 3h, 4h at constant room temperature) and record volume gain and crumb structure

Calculate and apply the baker's percentage for 4 formulas, including a pre-ferment and a levain build

Demonstrate lamination for croissant and pâte feuilletée, documenting butter block temperature, number of turns and resting times

Diagnose 5 common faults (dense crumb, flat loaf, uneven crumb, pale crust, gummy interior) with a cause-and-fix note for each

Bake a viennoiserie and a sourdough batch while applying a written HACCP flow diagram to each process step

Identify the biological, chemical and physical hazards at each production step and state the control measure and critical limit

Record cooling, storage and holding temperatures for 3 products and compare them to the applicable cold-chain requirements

Write a cleaning and disinfection schedule for the bakery's main equipment, with frequency and product type

Cost a full recipe using ingredient purchase prices, yield and waste, and calculate the cost per unit for 3 products

Build a selling price from food cost, labour, overhead and target margin, then compare it to a plausible market price

Calculate the break-even point for a bakery with fixed costs and an average gross margin per unit

Reconcile a simple daily cash sheet and identify the 3 largest cost lines in a bakery's operating account

Read a simplified profit-and-loss statement and an income statement and explain gross margin, net margin and cash flow in plain French

Draft a 12-month sales forecast for a bakery using seasonality (holidays, weekends, school terms) and justify the assumptions

Design a product mix and price ladder (entry, core, premium) and justify each positioning choice

Write a short customer-recovery script for a complaint about a stale product and a late order

Build a customer persona and a 30-day local marketing plan using 3 channels (in-store, social media, local partnerships)

Write 5 measurable sales objectives and the indicator used to track each

Draft a job description and a 3-day onboarding plan for a bakery assistant

Prepare 6 interview questions that test hygiene awareness, teamwork and customer service, with what a good answer looks like

Summarise the legal obligations of a bakery business (registration, labelling, allergen declaration, traceability, hygiene training) in a one-page checklist

Explain the nutrition and functional role of flour, butter, sugar, eggs and salt, and adapt one recipe to reduce sugar or salt without losing structure

Write a risk assessment for 3 bakery tasks (oven work, dough mixer, manual handling) with control measures

State the professional ethics rules on honest labelling, product claims and customer information

Complete 2 timed mock exams under exam conditions and score each by domain

Re-study the 3 weakest domain areas identified by the mock results

Rehearse a 5-minute oral presentation of a bakery project (product, cost, market, team, hygiene) in clear professional French

Write a final one-page summary sheet of formulas, key figures and legal obligations for last-minute review