Baking instructor of the year didn’t expect to teach
Rachel Oliver is not a fan of cake mixes. She believes good ingredients make all the difference, and learning where they come from is important.
She grew up in Wauwatosa, and worked at both Simma’s Bakery and Ultimate Confections. Those first jobs helped her find her career path.
A graduate of Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, she thought she’d have her own cake business. Yet when she landed an instructor’s position at Waukesha County Technical College, she found exactly the right fit.
In March, Wisconsin Bakers Association named Oliver, 33, baking instructor of the year. That same month, things shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the hands-on labs and bakeshop at WCTC.
Students recently returned to finish labs for the semester, and WCTC has expanded their space into extra rooms to safely allow students to continue working. Question: How did you get started baking?
In high school, we had to start thinking about what we wanted do. I couldn’t imagine doing something with math, which is what I was best at. I did the “foods” classes and made fairly elaborate cakes for friends in high school. I went to the Culinary Institute of America because I wanted to get as much of a real college experience.
Q: What made you want to teach baking and pastry?
I didn’t intend to start teaching. I was going to maybe start my own cake place. I heard about the opening (at WCTC). I didn’t think I would get hired because I was so young. I really love teaching. When I started teaching, six and a half years ago, I was the age of our average student.
Q: What do you want people to know about what you teach?
I think WCTC’s program is really great, because in the first year of the program we have a certificate and an associate (degree). We also do block scheduling, which is what we did at the CIA. It is a great way to learn, because you can concentrate on one technique.
Q: How big is the baking and pastry program at WCTC?
It is a smaller program; we only take 16 students per year.
Q: What was your career path before you decided to teach?
After I graduated, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and worked at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. I was the overnight bread baker. … I had a lot of freedom, but working 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. was not as nice. I was there six months. I stayed in Charleston and worked at a small cake bakery. I liked it, and decorating was fun,
“One of the most rewarding things to teach is laminated dough, like croissant and Danish.”
Rachel Oliver Baking instructor
but they used all mixes and pre-made frosting, which I hated.
I decided to move back to Wisconsin. I worked for about four years at Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa, which I had worked at in high school.
Q: Do you have any memorable mistakes or lessons learned?
It is a lot different to bake in the professional setting than at home. I just did a cake for my boyfriend’s family. They wanted a sheet cake. That is too hard to do at home. I made a tiered cake.
Q: What is something everyone can learn to do?
I think baking, people are intimidated by it because they think they have to follow the recipe so strictly. Once you learn a few basic things, as soon as you know the functions of ingredients, you can do the troubleshooting yourself. Usually, if you follow a recipe, if it is a good recipe, it will turn out. I look to make sure a recipe is written in weight. I recommend everyone get a kitchen scale. It is more accurate and just makes baking more approachable.
Q: What else is worth the investment in the kitchen?
Professional rubber spatulas, because nothing annoys me more than if you have the ones with the detachable heads. I also teach sanitation, and those are really gross on the inside. I also do some bread baking at home, so I really like bowl scrapers and bench scrapers. I have a King Arthur Flour orange one that is my favorite; I got it when I was at school.
Q: What is the toughest thing to teach?
It is funny, the hardest thing for my students to get is shaping rolls. To get them tight and nice and round, there is just this motion. You just have to use the friction of the table to tighten it. With a larger piece of dough, it is easier to show. It is great when they get it, and once they get it, it is so easy. For some reason, that is hard to teach.
One of the most rewarding things to teach is laminated dough, like croissant and Danish. You put a butter block in it, go through a pretty lengthy process of folding it. It is quite a process, and the students are always surprised. … When they try it and see how good it is, it makes it worth it.
Table Chat features interviews with Wisconsinites, or Wisconsin natives, who work in restaurants or support the restaurant industry; or visiting chefs. To suggest individuals to profile, email psullivan@gannett.com.