First week working at an artisan bakery, no professional baking background

Thought I'd kick off posting here with my first impression experience actually working at an artisan bakery.

Background: college student soon to graduate, with a focus on design/sculpture. Not exactly culinary arts. Thankfully I have a lot of freedom in what I do thanks to graduating with no debt. I have a passion for baking and baked goods, but for baking I've done myself nothing beyond a casual home setting. I honestly don't do a ton of baking at home at the moment simply because my kitchen space and funds are so small they don't lend themselves well to making more than the basics beyond special occasions. Also, baking for myself I love doing, but can't afford to for.. figure reasons (trying to bulk up muscle). Still, I love baked goods/breads/whatnot. First thing I try and do when I visit a new city/town is visit a bakery and visit a 3rd-wave coffee shop (not a starbucks knockoff, the real deal). I love being able to experience good quality, artisan foods/drinks.

Getting this job: There is this small business artisan bakery in town I love, and would try and visit whenever money (and diet!) permitted. I've given plenty of patronage to this guy since I discovered them a year and a half ago, and enjoyed talking with him too. I love his bakery because everything is made from scratch every morning, and he truly makes some of the best french breads and croissant pastries I've ever had. He actually approached me about the job a while back, but I was hesitant due to pay reasons (pizza delivery spoils your part-time job outlook pay wise), distance reasons, and hour reasons, even though the idea of being a baker sounded great. Well a few months ago they moved shop much closer to me and me being almost done with school meant I could afford to work more hours making money less of an issue. The hours/lifestyle were the only remaining issue. Decided to approach him asking if he was still interested in help, and next thing I know I'm preparing myself to get up at 3AM on the weekdays to start work at 4AM. I was excited and nervous.

The hours: I read horror stories about the hours and work conditions of bakeries and honestly it intimidated me. Especially since my old job of 5 years as a pizza guy was literally the exact opposite kind of job - relaxing/mindless, staying up late working past midnight. Maybe this was my calling because the "hardest part" of the job was actually pretty easy for me. Sure I have to go to bed at around 8PM... but when I get up I'm feeling good and when I get off work I have a full day ahead of me, so it doesn't even feel like I had a shift. I always considered myself a morning person (as in, its easier for me to focus in the mornings) but never could get up at 7AM for classes and actually show up on time consistently. Turns out I can get up at 3AM no problem because I don't dread waking up so early to be somewhere I don't want to be at for 12 hours straight (aka: uni during senior year).

For days when I want to stay up later (off days), I just throw in a short nap. My biological clock may have been adjusted to go to bed early, but not gonna let that ruin things for me on my off days!

The work: You stay busy. But it makes time fly, and despite people saying its repetitive, at this bakery it really doesn't feel that way. Maybe because it is an artisan bakery and everything is made from scratch, I end up juggling a couple completely different types of baked goods and trying to learn ways to be more efficient as I become familiar with not only the processes, but the techniques of making various things. Its very much a crash course. My boss is interested in my ability to make things that are quality, but in an efficient manner - I'm learning new techniques and methodologies that apply to both every day. One of the bakers who came in is amazing in his speed and efficiency, but my boss laments his quality. It's clear to me that my boss has aspirations for me to one day move with the fast baker's efficiency speed, and his delicate touch and sense of mindfulness with each baked good. I don't want to imply my boss is slow - no, he's very efficient and quick as well, just not nearly as quick in his technique as the other baker who works there.

Every shift I've noticed my boss makes sure I make at least one thing 100% by myself (using his instruction and guidance) to see how I do, and how I understand how small simple things matter. Such as the batter on the bottom of a bowl for muffins will puff up too much when baked compared to fresh batter, due to the act of scooping the batter causing a small amount of over mixing to happen. Not enough to ruin the product, but enough to make it less than perfect. The more puffy muffins have less outside less texture and color compared to the less puffy muffins.

Opening time is exciting every time, and I want to see people walk in. Because the weather has been so bad, business has been slow however. I want to get to the point where my boss trusts me in interacting upfront, telling people about our breads and pastries, helping out in front and in back.

Misc Thoughts: Damn shaping bread dough properly is hard. I feel bad because I mess up almost everyone one I do. Not enough to be unsellable, but enough to not be that great. I know it'll take practice though, they all say I'll get the hang of it after a few weeks and after a month I'll be able to do them quickly. I'm thinking about just calling in a dough practicing day where I work probono at the cost of flour/ingred usage, if he'd let me.

Sunrises > Sunsets. That said, what is even better is getting to see both.

I've learned how to wash dishes artfully and mindfully in an efficient manner. I thought I had this down already as a job skill until I worked here.

I've decided to write all this out after finishing my morning coffee post-shift, and honestly just want to go back in and work some more. Love being able to make things I'm proud of that requires a degree of craft and being able to get paid to do it. The pay is surprisingly generous considering my background too. Still not as much as pizza at the moment, but it'll get there once I take into account lack of car costs and take on more hours as my skill goes up.

Best job ever?