Co-founder of BakePilot
Kamila Kowalska
Kamila Kowalska is a co-founder of BakePilot.
Since May 2018 she has been running PyziPyzi, a craft pastry shop in Kalisz, Poland, together with Patryk Kowalski. The ideas behind the app came from the everyday work of that pastry shop.
She writes about hands-on pastry work: costing baked goods, celebration cakes, production planning, HACCP and Polish sanitary inspection requirements.
Articles (14)
HACCP fridge temperature log: a free PDF template and how to keep it
A free printable temperature log template: four units, two readings a day, a whole month on one page and a corrective action log. Plus the rules for keeping the log that Sanepid, the Polish sanitary inspection, checks. The template itself is in Polish.
HACCP in a bakery in Poland: Sanepid requirements step by step
What a bakery in Poland must have before it bakes its first loaf for sale: registration with Sanepid (the Polish sanitary inspection), premises, staff medical certificates, a HACCP plan tailored to bread, acrylamide and deliveries to shops. With the legal basis.
Cake labels in Poland: what must be on them and how to mark allergens
A packaged cake and a cake sold from the display case have different labeling obligations. What must be on the label of a pastry product under Regulation 1169/2011 and Polish rules, how to emphasize the 14 allergens, and when you need a date and a nutrition table, with the legal basis.
How many servings in a cake: a chart by diameter, tiers and weight
A 21 cm cake gives 20-24 servings, and three tiers of 16/22/28 cm give 110-120. A full servings chart for cakes from one to six tiers, converting weight into the number of guests, and how not to promise a customer more slices than the cutting will give.
Sheet cake costing: the cost of a tray, a slice and the price, step by step
What does it really cost to bake a tray of apple pie, and how much should you charge per slice? A worked example: ingredients, fixed costs, electricity, packaging, the cost of one slice and the price from the margin. Plus a trap few people remember: a baked tray weighs less than its ingredients.
HACCP in a small pastry shop without the paperwork: what you really need in Poland
HACCP makes people think of a thick binder and a fee for a “certificate”. The law requires less than you think. What exactly a small pastry shop or bakery in Poland must have, with the legal basis and practice from our own pastry shop.
The summer production schedule: weddings, heat and staff holidays all at once
Summer in a pastry shop is not the quiet season. It is weddings, christenings, First Communions and heat all at once, plus a team that also wants a holiday. How to build a schedule so nobody gets jammed.
Wedding and tiered cakes: how not to fail in peak season and in the heat
With a wedding cake, the hardest part is not the baking, it is the structure, the heat and delivering on time. How to handle tiered cakes at the peak of the season so they arrive in one piece.
How to calculate the real food cost of a cake, step by step
Food cost, margin and markup are three different things, and mixing them up is the most common mistake pastry shops make. How to calculate the real cost of a cake, what quietly eats your margin and why a recipe costed once is already out of date.
First Communion season in a Polish pastry shop: handling the rush of orders without chaos
In Poland, First Communions pile up on a few Sundays in May, and a big part of a pastry shop's yearly profit is made then. How to collect orders, calculate your capacity and not lose a single cake.
Your first Sanepid inspection in a Polish pastry shop: checklist and what to prepare
What exactly a Sanepid (Polish sanitary inspection) inspector checks, which documents you must have on your desk, the most common remarks and how to prepare. In line with the guidelines of GIS, Poland's Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
How to register craft ice cream production with Sanepid in Poland, step by step
If you add ice cream to your pastry shop's offer in Poland, you must extend your Sanepid registration. Documents, the HZ-4 application, requirements for the machine and the premises, in line with EU and Polish rules.
Registering a food delivery vehicle with Sanepid in Poland: 2026 requirements
Do you deliver cakes and boxes in your own car in Poland? You must register it with Sanepid, the Polish sanitary inspection. Requirements, how to register and which car fridge to choose, in line with Regulation 852/2004.
10 proven ways to cut ingredient waste in a pastry shop
Ingredient waste is 6-15% of production costs in a typical pastry shop. Here are 10 proven ways to cut it in half, from the experience of PyziPyzi and other pastry shops.
How we write, where our data comes from and how we correct mistakes: editorial policy.