Moonrise Bakery

(no audio) In the rainy early morning, a soft silence blankets this little neighborhood. Most residents turn in well before midnight and there's still half a night left before school drop off and commutes begin. In this quiet twilight period, a handful of workers filed into the corner bakery, sleepy eyed, and accompanied by travel mugs of steaming tea. They exchange warm greetings with their fellow bakers. Everyone here has known each other for years and begin readying themselves for the day. Aprons are donned, hair is tied back and tucked into snug beanies. Hands are washed with sudsy pink soap. Large metal bowls are plucked from wire racks and spread out for the batches ahead. A warm wood-burning oven crackles in the corner. Each baker knows this opening dance well; comfortable in the quiet that comes from their deep focus. Now as the last of the bakers trickle into the kitchen, let's deepen this soothing sense of relaxation with a short wind-down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it in the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We are going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Now breathing out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four. Two, three, four. Holding for four. Two, three, four. Out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now returning the breath to normal. (no audio) A crowd favorite is the croissants. The neighborhood grandmothers have been known to send their fastest grandchild out to the bakery to retrieve fresh croissants every morning. The bakery knows how to make them just right. They wouldn't dare change the sacred recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. The bakery owners will tell anyone who listens that the elegant crescent shape was first invented as a reference to the flag of the Ottoman Empire and that their recipe dates all the way back to those days. Of course, there's no way to prove this tall tale, but everyone knows food tastes better when it's got a good story to serve alongside it. While grandmothers and grandchildren are still tucked under the covers, the process of making these prized croissants is well underway. A seemingly simple pastry, it takes patience and time to accomplish the layers of air and butter that make a croissant so special. The dough itself is formed over two or three days. It must...