Designing a Proper Bakery Kitchen

I've not used a commercial bakery but I've been in or seen a few small ones.  I can tell you some things right off the bat -

1. You don't want proofers and pan trays right next to the ovens.  You need to be able to control the temperatures in them and the ovens are going to throw off a lot of heat.

2. People can't or shouldn't stand up for all day.  There needs to be somewhere convenient to sit.

3. Need lots of room for fermenting bins and bannetons of dough.  That proofer isn't going to do it and anyway there needs to be other places besides a single proofer.

4. Need convenient storage for lots of bannetons and some peels.

5. Need better cleanup facilities than just a handwashing station.  The equipment needs to get cleaned too.

Look at some of the videos by the Proof Bread guy -

https://www.youtube.com/c/proofbread

Watch what he does and what he needs as he does it.

Also watch this video about an amazing Japanese baker who works alone all day in a Japanese mountain village.  This would probably be the minimum a bakery would need - a bakery for normal people needs more - and it needs more working and dough/banneton storage than you've provided -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOK3nS4t7_Y

FOOD HYGIENE

• You are creating a big hygiene risk by locating the toilet mixed with other functions. (including putting other functions/things in the airlock). There is too great a risk of cross contamination even to things like mops in the mop sink let alone anything else sharing the space or the airlock. You won't get to make the toilet much smaller if you want it suitable for all access.  However, if it is allowed in your locality you can also add a shower in the space.  
• Also how many staff, many building regs require WC facilities rated per number of staff.

STAFF FACILITIES

• You need to include some place for staff to store items and potentially a break room.
• Why wouldn't the storage door come off the utility room?

SCALE OF THE MACHINES

• Your ovens have been drawn just bigger than your toilet. Are you sure this is correct? 
• Just at a glance, a number of your machines look undersized.  

MACHINE USAGE AREA REQUIREMENTS

• It may help if you add a bubble for the required usage footprint for each machine/facility. This will help identify clearance requirements and potential conflicts.
• I suspect your sheeter is very badly placed
• How do you get pan rack #2 out without whacking yourself on your hand washing station?

FUNCTION MAPPING

• You would benefit from function mapping how particular products are made.  This will show the work flow for each type of item and where stations need to be co-located or what movement space is needed.  Think about the entire process of a mixer product, then a sheeted product...etc.  Where is the raw ingredients, how are they moved to the machines, how is the mixed dough stored for fermentation, how many times in and out of refrigeration, where is it shaped, how is it racked, moved to the ovens, removed from the ovens, cooling, packaged.  Each step is time, money and the more time consuming/awkward any step stops the bakers from doing another task. 
• Allow for weights and moving items.  If we are talking 80qt mixer that is well above OH&S lifting. This means you have to allow access for carts trolleys and their turning circles.  Also easy access storage of these items.
• If you have the opportunity to design the openings, which openings would be better to be larger to allow for egress of machines and trolleys?
• Remember there would be multiple products on the go at one time so some areas may already be in use.  You can't just assume if you only have one bench , that it is free to use.

TEMPERATURE

• Think in temp zones, plan like items together where possible,  However, keep sensitive items sufficiently isolated.

WATER

• Plan where you want water for either for baking/cleaning or other use.
• Where does the baker get their water for the dough from? Is it close to the dough mixer? Are you expecting them to go to the wash station, and cart water to the other machines?
• Floorwaste - Don't forget about cleaning floors in commercial food environments. 

DELIVERY

• How are raw ingredients delivered and moved.

WASTE

• How is waste, rubbish stored and handled

ENTRY/EXITS/CIRCULATION SPACES

• Most building regs have standards for clearances at entry/exits and circulation spaces...Including all internal door ways. These are often more restrictive that people expect.  Stairs/landings - always allow for handrails (including any handrail extensions required by your building reg)

YOUR VISION

• Sure function is key to success, but your Interior still has to have a big picture.
• What defines the bakery? What is the vision of your 'client'?  Who are they selling to? 
• What are the opportunities to create impact beyond just function?

BUILDING 

• Is this passing street trade to the public, or do you mean sell wholesale?
• What is the interior interacting with? At present the only openings shown are to the main kitchen and the office. Is this fixed or are you able to change these?
• How do people access the bakery?
• Where does the stair go and who is it for?  If it is for the bakery, what other functions are on the second level?

WHAT ARE BIG SPATIAL GESTURES?

• What is driving your organisation? What opportunities open up with different arrangements...eg
•     
• Of course, dividing wall locations depends on spatial needs of the functions and what is possible with openings and stair location.

OFFICE

• What is the purpose of your office?  If it is just managing business and handling the books and phone then it is very inefficient.  If it's a front interface for clients or public, it lacks any spatial quality to allow people to control the interaction with their clients.  
• Where are records, paperwork and supplies kept? What is their security both form employees and also from anyone passing on the street (or entering the store front if that is what you are designing for)?
• What do you want to show the world...is it the office or the baking? What creates the impact your client would most gain from...or sells their vision of who they are?

Since you aren’t a baker, you might benefit from visiting two or three bakeries to get a sense of the equipment being used, the amount of space, the way the space is used, and how the work flows.  Talk to the bakers.  Find out what they like about their bakery setup.  Ask them what they wish they had done differently and what they would like to change.

Getting a first-hand look at working bakeries will help answer a lot of the questions you have, while providing you with the visuals that you don’t have today. It will also help you make sense of the suggestions you receive here.

Paul