Atrium Bakery brings a taste of class to all

Students+in+the+Baking+and+Decorative+Arts+program+share+their+wares+with+the+college+from+the+Atrium+Bakery.

Max Goldberg / Clarion

Students in the Baking and Decorative Arts program share their wares with the college from the Atrium Bakery.

Mary Marks, Staff Writer

Students in the Baking and Decorative Arts program spend their mornings baking so that they can supply the school with fresh treats daily. Here at Truax, the Atrium Bakery is a pretty popular place. Students tend to think of it as an industry-level bakery, which means many students don’t realize it is part of a class.

The program, directed by Suzanne Daly, has eight classes in the current curriculum from breads, cookies and cake to bakery retail. During the first five weeks of the semester, students from each class spend their mornings practicing the techniques they’ve learned. During this time, the rest of Madison College’s students have to survive without pastries.

Determined by day, students in each class are making product for the Madison College Bakery store. For example, Thursday is bread day at the atrium bakery. These students have spent the first five weeks of the semester learning basic skills. Throughout the semester, the techniques they’ll be practicing will become more and more complex, which will mean so will the items available at the bakery counter.

The program, for anyone interested in future enrollment, offers different tracts of study, such as baking tract, decorative arts tract, or combination tract. Baking is built upon much science. Students must study Bakers math and chemical reactions, which is are very important components. By the end of the first semester, students can expect to have learned basic methods and techniques and to have begun incorporating different flavor combos. Second semester is for focus on style and design and is where the program really opens up to creativity. Furthermore, students will focus on improving accuracy and time management, which is another valuable skill.

The atrium bakery creates and sells lots of tasty treats such as cakes, cookies and sweet and savory breakfast pastries. Much like a traditional bakery, these students are baking in the morning and sell them out of display cases. They’re located in the Truax Campus Atrium (Room C1416) now until Dec. 7. Treats are available Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.