If you ever thought of working in a restaurant as a professional baker or pastry chef, you will enjoy this third segment of “A Day In The Life of a Pastry Chef” from Chef Jennifer Field. It details just some of the tasks Jenni is involved with in a typical working day at The Ravenous Pig restaurant in Winterpark, FL. And if you are interested in learning more about becoming a professional chef or going to culinary arts school, check out my Cooking School Resource Center.

The photos were taken by Jenni at the restaurant.

12:00pm:“Order in: ugly ends and ugly ends again. That’s two all day.” “2 ugly ends, heard.” Throw 12 in the oven and get out your cinnamon roll dough. It’s been in the fridge all night, and it’s ready to go. Wash your hands. Mix up your cinnamon sugar and butter, divide your dough in half.

“Order in: ugly ends!” Ugly ends, heard.” Send the 2 ends to the window. Drop 1 more order. “Order in: pig tails!” “Pig tails, heard.” Drop 4 pig tails in the fryer and set up your plate. Get your chocolate sauce and a glass with a liner for the tails. Ends are hot? To the window.

Back to the rolls. Wash your hands. Roll the dough and spread the cinnamon sugar. Roll up; cut in 12. Repeat. Check pig tails. Ready? Yes. Good. Toss in cinnamon sugar, put in the lined glass. Hit it with some powdered sugar and send it to the window. Back to the cinnamon rolls. Where was I? Oh, yeah—repeat. One more cylinder of cinnamon dough cut into 12 more pieces. Cover and let proof.

12:30pm:

Pig tails. Okay—pate a choux. Wash your hands. Put your water, butter, sugar and salt on to boil. Have flour and eggs ready. Is your mixer set up? Where’s the beater? The dishwasher has put it somewhere….creative. Search and search. Finally! It’s with the bread?! Well, that makes a lot of sense.

Alright, back to it. Don’t let the water boil over! That induction burner is powerful! “Order in ugly ends and a pig tail!” “Ugly ends and pig tails, heard.” In go the biscuits; in go the pig tails. Set up the chocolate sauce and glass. Ends are hot—to the window.

Back to pig tails. Add the flour, cook then put it all in the mixer. Add eggs one at a time until it looks…just….right. Check the pig tails in the fryer. Done! Plate; hit with powdered sugar.

To the window. Back to the…”Order in: soft pretzel and an orange-mint sorbet!” “Soft pretzel and orange mint, heard.” Hey, Lucia—if you get the sorbet, I’ll get the pretzel. Cinnamon rolls are proofed; get those in the oven. Pretzels in the oven. Quenelle of mustard; ramekin of fondue.

Back to the pig tails. Load the pate a choux in a piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe pig tails (2 curlicues, please) onto parchment-lined sheets. Get the pretzels out of the oven and off to the window. Back to the pig tails. Keep piping. It all goes in the freezer. While I’m here, let me pour layer 2 on the semifreddo. Turn the cinnamon rolls.

1:10pm:

Financier time! Do we have any ground almonds? Let’s do that, now. Again, thank goodness for the Robot Coupe. Get those cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Do we have browned butter? Yes—we did 4 pounds a few days ago. Melt the butter, mix the batter.

“Order in: ugly ends!” “Ugly ends, heard.” In they go. Cut the pineapple and toss in rum caramel. Do we have enough of that? Running low, I’ll make more in a minute. Ends are hot—in a basket and to the window.

Okay, caramel and pineapple in individual baking dishes, top with financier batter. Bake off low fan 325 degrees 16 min. + 16 min. In they go. Label and put away your batter. Glaze cinnamon rolls before they cool off too much.