2018 retail bakery trends

If you’re studying the baking and pastry arts, you know how important it is to come up with creative approaches to the fresh, delicious items that people love. Anyone who’s planning on a career in retail baking will benefit from keeping an eye on the latest trends. As new ideas for flavorful desserts, distinctive breads and eye-catching presentation emerge at establishments across the country, you’ll find ways to lure in crowds with your own creations.

1. This year’s hottest wedding cake designs

Creating festive, beautiful wedding cakes is always an important part of the retail baking industry, but the styles most in demand from happy couples change every year. According to Brit + Co, bakeries should focus on bringing together surprising combinations of colors. Vibrant, bold hues will capture the attention of customers and deliver excitement to their receptions.

Many people are interested in putting a distinctive spin on dessert by choosing a cake with a unique texture. Adding fun touches like drops of icing and toasted meringue ensures that a tasty creation stands out visually. Decorating with geometric shapes or hand-drawn imagery are also great ways to make a cake that guests will remember.

2. Inventive doughnuts continue to fill shops

In recent years, doughnuts have gone in many intriguing and irresistible directions, from savory treats topped with bacon to frosting covered with pieces of breakfast cereals. These innovative concepts have opened up remarkable possibilities for both retail and restaurant bakers. According to the latest culinary forecast from the National Restaurant Association, the evolution of doughnuts is continuing, and unusual fillings will be a popular choice in the months ahead.

Of the 700 chefs surveyed for the report, 64 percent cited nontraditional fillings in doughnuts as a hot trend for 2018. Examples of these experiments in indulgence include treats packed with liqueur and Earl Grey cream. The potential for crafting exciting new doughnuts is as vast as the imaginations of the bakers assembling them.

3. The long rise of sourdough

Fermented foods have become firmly established as an important part of many Americans’ diets, whether they are interested in health benefits from probiotics or just love salty, savory tastes. Food Business News reported that sourdough breads are benefiting from this renewed interest. Bakeries can make the most of the fermentation frenzy by offering their customers a range of breads made using natural bacteria and yeast.

Sourdough comes with special challenges, such as the investment of more time in the rising process than required for other types of bread and the need to keep the starter bacteria alive. However, there are also plenty of options when it comes to providing customers with the mildly sour taste they want. A selection of freshly baked rounds, loaves, baguettes, deli rolls and batards will ensure that every fermentation enthusiast leaves your establishment satisfied.

4. Natural sugar alternatives

With carefully chosen substitutions, retail bakeries can satisfy the growing number of customers who are wary of both too much sugar in their diet and artificial sweeteners. Bon Appetit provided guidance for selecting the right ingredient to suit each application:

• Maple syrup is great for candy, caramel or ice cream, with its thick consistency and powerful sweetness, but it cannot be incorporated into softened butter like granulated sugar.
• Molasses is rich, intense and acidic, making it best suited to cookies or gingerbread.
• Honey, like syrup, can’t be creamed, but it’s packed with flavor, available in many varieties and ideal for making a moist cake or quickbread.

Retail bakeries must always be ready to adapt to the changing preferences of their customers. By paying attention to today’s biggest trends, bakers will offer the fresh, tasty goods that the public wants.