In the bustling city of Yaoundé, the growth of the capital is reflected in the multitude of new bakeries. One of them stands out for its dedicated team working around the clock. The first shift starts as early as midnight and lasts until 6 in the morning, followed by a second shift from 1 pm to around 7 pm. This ensures that the display is always filled with fresh baked goods to meet the needs of the steadily growing population.
At around 1 p.m., the bakers slowly arrive, prepare themselves and make final phone calls to get ready for their upcoming shift.
The baker, who work around the clock, seven days a week, rely on his smartphones to keep in touch with friends and family.
Colleagues like to exchange messages or photos on their smartphones and share them. It's an opportunity to socialize and bring everyday working life to a more personal level by informing each other about current events or providing insights into personal moments.
Once a baking routine is established, the shift sequences usually remain the same, whereby the team supports each other, especially with heavy manual work. This well-established routine allows the bakers to work efficiently and in a coordinated manner, as everyone knows exactly what is expected of him. In addition, the mutual support fosters a sense of togetherness and team spirit in the bakery, resulting in a harmonious working environment.
Through many years of experience, the bakers have completely internalized the recipes for their bakery products, which makes it possible to maintain consistent quality.
Every move is carried out with care to ensure that the baguette has the ideal texture, crust and aroma that make it so unique and delicious.
The baguette rolling machine forms the heart of the bakery, as baguettes are an integral part of everyday life in Cameroon.
Even during working hours, there are opportunities for the bakers to engage in informal conversations and casual exchanges.
Some work routines require perseverance and reliability to ensure that each individual baking tin is properly filled and prepared for entry into the hot oven. It is a task that requires not only physical strength, but also concentration and precision.
The oven was brought to the optimum operating temperature through precise timing. The well-coordinated team can rely on the baked goods being baked perfectly under these conditions. Thanks to their many years of experience, they have mastered the intricacies of the baking process and ensure that every step, from filling the dough to removing the perfectly baked products, is carried out exactly right. This reliability and expertise are crucial to ensuring that customers always receive high-quality, delicious baked goods.
As soon as the baking trays come out of the hot oven, they are carefully removed by the baker and placed by hand on the kitchen floor of the bakery to cool. This final step requires care and skill to ensure that the hot baked goods are placed safely and no one gets hurt.