Start your own micro bakery

Go from home baker to professional baker with your very own micro bakery. It is relatively easy to get started and much cheaper than a regular bakery.

What is the difference between a micro bakery and a regular bakery?

The big difference naturally lies in the size of the bakery. A closer definition of a micro-bakery does not seem to exist. But the number of employees, the number of products in the range and the bakery's machinery are probably the biggest differences. A micro-bakery can be run by one person and does not necessarily require baking training.

What is the advantage of a micro bakery

• It's cheap to start.
• It does not require a high volume.
• You can get started without a professional background as a baker.

If we start from the top, the biggest selling point for the budding entrepreneur is that it is relatively cheap to get started , compared to a classic bakery. Customers do not have the same requirements for selection and style. If, on the other hand, you go to an ordinary baker, you expect, for example, certain types of rolls, rye bread, snails and other cakes. When you enter a micro bakery, you never know what awaits you. It could be a micro-baker specializing in sourdough bread, in organic products, in sweet pastries or perhaps gluten-free bread and cakes. Common to all microbakers is that their selection is smaller than in a regular baker.

Since it is cheap to get started and your fixed costs are quite low, you also do not have the same sales requirements . If there is only one or at most two people working in the bakery and you have a modest fleet of machines, then you have to limit your range and focus on the products that match the concept and the target group. In the old days, there was a real bakery in all smaller towns, but many of them have now disappeared because many people buy their bread in the supermarket. However, this does not mean that there cannot be room for a micro-bakery that either makes the most requested baked goods for the locals or special baked goods that can be sold at a higher price.

Some of those who start a micro-bakery in Denmark do not have a professional background as a baker at all . They are experienced amateur bakers who want to take the plunge as self-employed. And this is what the "micro bakery" concept allows for, because you don't need to be able to make a hundred different advanced cakes and breads. As written above, you don't need to have everything that a regular baker sells. You have to focus on what you can and want to do, and what can be done on the machines you have available. You do not need to buy expensive special machines such as rolling tables, part-working machines and weighers.

What equipment should be used in a micro bakery?

The absolute most important thing that you need in a micro-bakery is a good oven, a kneader/mixer, a work table and possibly a cupboard. But let's go a little deeper with the equipment that you can consider for your micro bakery.

For production

Production in a micro-bakery is relatively modest, so you do not need large premises.

Work table:

You need a workstation where you can work with the dough and other ingredients. Traditionally, bakers have used a bakery table with a wooden table top, but you can also choose a steel table or possibly a cooling table (here you can choose a cooling table with space for 40x60 baking trays instead of GN 1/1), so you have some cooling space if you needs it. However, you must ensure that you have a place where you can store baking trays, molds and other equipment that you use. You often have that lying on a lower shelf.

Oven :

The only machine that is 100% essential for making bread and cakes is an oven . Therefore, this is where you should prioritize your budget. All ovens can bake, more or less, good bread. So it is important that you buy a good and reliable oven, and if the worst happens, an oven for which the supplier has spare parts. Many sell professional ovens without having spare parts at home, and then you as a customer have to risk waiting 2, 3 or 4 weeks to have it repaired.

But what is a good oven?

It is difficult to see with the naked eye, and therefore the recommendation is to choose a brand that has a good reputation in the industry and is known for providing durable ovens. At Cosina, we have, roughly speaking, sold two different brands. One is Eurofours - a French manufacturer of bakery ovens, which is not so well known in Denmark, but which is really big in France in particular. These are ovens that last for many years and can cook the most delicate cakes and cookies to perfection. The other brand we sell is Unox , which is a large Italian manufacturer. They are not specialists in bakery ovens, but they are specialists in ovens. They make the most user-friendly ovens and the most intelligent ovens, with a particular focus on energy optimization and automation. We have a demo kitchen exclusively with Unox ovens in Aarhus if you want to test before you buy.

In the video here, you can see the classic sourdough bread being made and baked in a Unox Bakerlux oven , which is a convection oven with steam, but without a washing system and intelligent functions.

A baking oven must have a good steam function and a good fan that can be adjusted precisely so that you can make both large loaves and small cakes.

You can advantageously choose a combi oven instead of a regular oven, as it has digital control, recipes and automatic washing. If you make a lot of fatty cakes, a washing program can be an advantage.

In the video below, you see an example of an intelligent combi oven made for baking trays in bakery dimensions 60x40 cm .

Details:

A dejælter is almost indispensable in a micro-bakery. You can't stand and knead by hand day in and day out if you want just a bit of volume. If you have the budget for it (+DKK 50,000) you can buy a really good new model that will last for potentially several decades. You can also find new models for around DKK 20,000. Here you compromise on quality, and it can be more expensive and difficult to repair them because they are produced very compactly, which makes it complicated to take apart.

Take a look at a good used machine before buying a new one, but make sure it's not so old that you can't get spare parts anymore.

Fastness:

A proofing cabinet gives your dough the ideal conditions for rising, and in addition, with a proofing cabinet, you can better prepare dough for the next day, so you don't have to get up at 4 in the morning. A normal safe can cool, but there are also safes that can freeze. For larger productions, you can get free-standing cupboards and for small productions, you can stack the cupboard and oven in a column. See, for example, the solution here .

To the store

In your store, use a counter with integrated display cases where cakes are displayed. Here, the cakes must be protected behind a glass screen, also called a sneeze screen.

If you have cream cakes or sandwiches that need to be refrigerated, it is recommended that you integrate a cooling display in the counter.

You can display your bread in bread baskets or on shelves on the back wall or on a bread stand.

If you want to sell juice, cheese and other grocery items as a supplement, you must have a display fridge that can be placed outside the store for self-service.

Do you need advice or further inspiration?

If you would like to hear more about starting a micro-bakery, you are welcome to visit Cosina in Aarhus. Please call in advance so we have more time to talk about your ideas.

We are also happy to make a non-binding offer for equipment and fixtures. We have everything from steel fixtures and lighting to ovens and cake displays.