From master baker to baking professional.
What you learn is what you know.
As a certified and multi-award-winning master baker, the baking professional has been inspiring true, honest baking for over ten years: with inventiveness, 100% foolproof recipes, and 100% organic products.
Flour flows through his veins…
…and the taste of fresh bread pulsates in his heart: ideal conditions for the baking pro and his mission to spread the word about home baking (and bread) around the world.
In 2010, Christian Ofner was the first to embark on this pioneering work – and his idea conquered countless kitchens. Thanks to the 100% foolproof recipes for professional bakers and tips straight from the master bakery, baking is now considered good form. But only when it comes from a real master baker!
The taste of bread in the heart
Recipes with guaranteed success for your home.
THE BAKING PROFESSIONAL KNOWS HOW IT WORKS
The baking professional isn’t just a master baker but a certified master baker with completed apprenticeships and experience in various bakeries.
You can taste it and feel it. Because every loaf, every recipe, turns out well. That’s exactly how it should be. Says the baking professional, an advocate of the true art of master baking. Says everyone who has ever tried an original professional baking recipe. It couldn’t be simpler, better, or more guaranteed to succeed.
From apprentice to baking pro.
How it all began.
APPRENTICESHIP IN EIBISWALD
I learned the baker’s trade in Eibiswald at the Tekautz bakery. It was a small business where everything was still done by hand. The bakery consisted only of the boss, Mr. Max Tekautz, my journeyman, Mr. Fritz Meßner, and me.
From 1995 to 1998, I learned the baking trade from the ground up. My room was directly above the bakery, and every morning at 4:00 a.m., I was woken up as an apprentice to be in the bakery a few minutes later.
I always had a wonderful breakfast of cocoa and warm Schmalzreingerl (dairy bread) around 4:30 a.m., which was a treat.
Three times a week, I was out on my moped with a Kraxn (bread basket) on my back, delivering fresh rolls and bread to the people around Eibiswald.
Gain experience in Graz’s large bakery
After my apprenticeship, I moved to Graz, where I began working at the Sorger bakery after completing my military service. I was privileged to work there from 1999 to 2005.
It was a fascinating time as I moved from a small business to a more or less large-scale bakery.
My supervisor there, Mr. Siegfried Mattheiss, took me under his wing, and I acquired a great deal of specialist knowledge in a short period of time.
Initially, I worked as a bakery worker, learning all the essential skills and how to operate bakery equipment. My career quickly took off at Albin Sorger’s company. After a short time, I was trained as both an oven worker and a mixer.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
I passed my master baker’s examination in 2002. From that point on, I was responsible for product development and oversaw more than 30 branches in Styria as a branch baker.
Even then, interacting and working with people (baking training) was very important to me and a particular strength of mine.
During this time, I was also able to greatly expand my expertise through numerous training courses at private grain institutes in Berlin (Germany), for which I am still very grateful to the Sorger family.
In 2005, I moved to the Hubert Auer bakery on Grabenstrasse in Graz. The company had just been acquired by the Sükar family at the time. This was an extremely exciting time, as I was able to learn a great deal about expansion and marketing.
FROM BAKER TO BAKING PROFESSIONAL
After only a short time at Hubert Auer’s business, I was able to win first place several times in the Kleine Zeitung doughnut test, as well as numerous awards at international bread competitions. Among other things, I invented the “Original Traminer Bread” with winegrowers from Klöch. I was also responsible for the introduction of Steirerwurze, among other things. An incredible, wonderful time that I wouldn’t want to miss for anything.
2009 was my last foray into the bakery. For 10 months, I worked as a bakery manager at one of the largest bakeries, Ferdinand Teschl in Heiligenkreuz / Waasen. However, I soon realized that this wasn’t my calling.
At that time, there was already a huge boom in cooking shows across Austria and Germany. This gave rise to the idea of bringing bread baking to the wider world and sharing my knowledge with others.
THE BEGINNING OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT
In 2010, I took the step into self-employment. A baking pro was born.
Initially very modest, traveling with two crates of flour and a food processor, I began my baking career across Austria.
My first book, “Kleingebäck vom Ofner” (Small Pastries from the Oven), followed in 2012. At the same time, I also opened my first store in Laßnitzhöhe, where we launched our first online shop on approximately 68 square meters and also opened our first retail space.
In 2013, my wife Michaela joined the company, and the business has grown slowly, step by step.
At the end of 2013, my second book, “Schwarzbrot vom Ofner,” followed.
In 2014, the fine pastry book was launched, and demand for my products grew ever greater.
BAKING SHOWS AND FIRST BAKING SCHOOL
As a “baking expert” I was able to share my knowledge as a master baker with a wider audience in various cooking formats (Andi & Alex, Cook with Oliver, etc.).
In 2016, the new company headquarters in Gleisdorf followed. From then on, there was enough space here to meet the numerous orders and the demand for my ingredients.
In 2017, there were already several large baking shows across Styria. More than 2,400 people attended the big shows. An incredible time.
In 2019, the existing building was expanded and the first Styrian baking school was opened.
2020 saw the launch of a new book series: “Ofner’s Baking School” – Baking with Rye Sourdough.
In 2021, the book “Traditional Pastries in Three Different Ways” was published.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BAKING CENTER
In 2021, we built a brand new company building on the neighboring property at Josefa-Posch-Straße 1, where we have had our new baking headquarters since 2022.
“Christmas with the Baking Professional” followed in 2022.
2024: Soon, there will be another new book from me.
I have been honored to accept numerous awards over the years:
- Twice Styrian of the Day (Kleine Zeitung)
- Head of the Year (2018)
A huge thank you to the entire baking community! It’s not a given to have such phenomenal baking fans!
Look forward to many new products and recipes that I hope to surprise you with in the coming years!
Your baking pro, Christian Ofner
Let’s Bake Bread Products
