International School of Baking
FAQs
Following are the nine most Frequently Asked Questions about the the School of Baking.
- How do I get to Bend?
- Which airport do I use to get to Bend?
- Where would I stay during the course of study?
- Do I need to rent a car while in Bend?
- What would a typical class day be like?
- What makes International School of Baking different from other schools?
- Bend’s weather?
- Do I need to bring anything special to the class?
- How long do students stay for course study?
Just a note
We cover in one month what most schools cover in three to five months.
For this reason we strongly recommend good note taking, product step by step photographs or any means possible to take home very comprehensive notes that can be utilized later.
1. How do I get to Bend?
The most direct way to get to Bend is to fly into Redmond/Bend airport (Roberts Field) (Airport Code RDM) which is a short 19 miles from the school. Taxis are available at the airport but we strongly recommend that you rent a car from one of the six rental rental agencies located in the Redmond Airport terminal. You will find the use of a personal vehicle to be very beneficial during your stay.
Redmond’s airport (Roberts field) is central Oregon’s busiest airport and handled nearly 1/2 million passengers in 2009. It is served by Allegiant Air, Delta, Horizon/Alaska, and United Airlines with more than 50 flights a day. Direct flights are available from Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Phoenix, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and Seattle.
As an alternative, you can fly into Portland. There is an airport transport company operating between Portland Airport and Bend, twice daily in a 19 passenger mini bus or a 12 passenger van.
If you fly into Portland and then rent a car to drive to Bend you will experience a 3½ hour drive of scenic beauty with a 4,000 feet elevation pass at the base of Mt. Hood that can demand “chains required” during winter months.
2. Which airport do I use to get to Bend?
Via air with a direct flight to Roberts Field (RDM) Redmond/Bend. It takes just 40 minutes flying time from Portland to Redmond Airport; 1 hour from Seattle, and 2 hours from San Francisco. Bend is 20 minutes by car/taxi. The cost is around $40 from the airport. However, we strongly recommend that you consider renting a car. Avis, Enterprize and Budget are located at the Redmond Airport.
3. Where can I stay during the course of study?
There are several choices for lodging in and around Bend. The school recommends the Bend Riverside, Marriott, Double Tree or Econo Lodge. Click on the accommodations link to learn more about these properties.
4. Do I need to rent a car while in Bend?
While a car is not absolutely required, the school highly recommends that you consider having reliable transportation. The public transportation available is limited and there are lots of opportunities to enjoy what the region has to offer for recreation that are not easily accessible without transportation.
5. What would a typical class day be like?
10 to 20 minutes is spent on questions and class lessons about the previous day and possibly questions pertaining to the reading of the night before.
8 Hours of hands-on baking of 3 to 4 formulas; working with 10 to 15 lbs. of dough to get the feel of what lies ahead for the baker and to get the feel of the proper molding or techniques necessary for each formula; or a day of discussion of equipment needed or how to run a successful business.
Lunch time comes sometime during the middle of the day when the dough or batter permits. At the end of each day, after the clean-up, books from a very extensive library are loaned out for evening reading. Usually the books or material pertain to the topics to be covered in the next few days classes. A rare opportunity to browse through a lot of very expensive and sometimes hard to find books which will also help you to determine if you want to purchase them for your own library.
6. What makes International School of Baking different from other schools?
It is truly an “a la carte” system that is designed with your specific needs in mind. You can learn in a setting of one student to one teacher ratio, anything baking and pastry related. At other schools you have to sign up to take a specific course at the time they determine with many other students.
If the flour is an issue where you come from we recommend that you bring 2 kilos (4.4 lbs.) of your local flour with you so that it can be analyzed and a similar flour used in the course that would closely replicate what you will be using back home. Other schools are not prepared to do this because of the other 10 to 30 students in the class.
7. Bend’s weather?
Summers are sunny, hot and dry 80 to 90 degree F. by day and 40’s by night and at 4,000 ft. elevation over the Cascade mountains in the center of the state.
Winters are usually sunny and dry, mild 0 to 30’s degree F by day and night. We do have snow so you should bring warm clothing.
8. Do I need to bring anything special to the class?
Comfortable shoes, back pack or some means for carrying several heavy books to and from class, camera, tape recorder if desired.
9. How long do students stay for course study?
Each student’s interests are so different, so together we talk and determine the length of the course needed based on material to be covered and the students level of experience. It can be as short as a 2 day course on Biscotti, Dog bones, or one specific product and 20 days for the “Complete Bakery Start Up”. Many courses are 1 to 2 weeks in length such as plated desserts, cookies or Chocolates.
