Episode 44: Croissant School

Original air date: Saturday, March 28th, 2026.

On the last Saturday in March, you wake up before dawn to attend Croissant School at the French bakery in town. There are wisps of fog across the lawns of your neighbors as you walk through the darkness toward College Avenue. The Moon has set only minutes before, leaving the night sky open to the stars. You hear the owls wrapping up the last of their evening above you on the ridge, and you see a few lights glowing from bathrooms and kitchens, as the earliest risers on your block begin their days. Your first cup of morning coffee is still warming your chest as you take a sleepy breath.

Despite the fact that you woke up to your alarm on the first try, and you have arrived five minutes ahead of schedule, Grace and Fatima are already at the bakery, tying their aprons behind their backs as you walk into the back kitchen. Fatima says, “Sorry we missed you - we decided to walk along the river, for some extra steps.”

You tell her, “No worries. I wasn’t awake enough to chat on the way over anyways.”

“Hello, You!” An older man in an all-white restaurant kitchen uniform says with a big smile. With a trace of a Parisian accent, he asks, “Are you ready to learn the secrets of a great croissant?”

You say, “Yes, chef, I’m excited for this. But I’m still a little fuzzy. I’m not usually up this early.”

He waves a hand at you and blows air from his cheeks, saying, “You will be fine. When in doubt, just add more butter. Je m’appelle Chef Maurice. Enchante.”

You reply, “Ravi de faire votre connaissance,” and the chef’s eyes sparkle as he tells you, “Oh, we don’t need to be so formal this early in the morning!”

You say, “Heard, chef.”

Maurice motions the group of eight students to form a circle around a large metal work table in the center of the kitchen. He begins, “Bonjour, mes etudiants. Today we are together in croissant school. This is hard work! But,” he says with a twinkle in his eye, “it also involves a lot of breaks, because we will need to chill the dough at several points in the process. So if you have not had enough cafe yet this morning, rest assured, there will be time.”

Pointing at the large commercial fridges behind you, he continues, “I have prepared in advance some extra materials for us, so we can make enough croissants for everyone to take home. But first! We will go through each step together, so you can make these for yourself in your own kitchen. You are also welcome to keep coming back here, and maybe to apprentice with me, if you are truly ready to devote yourself to the art of French baking.”

Soon the table in front of you is a hive of activity, with everyone preparing dough and butter blocks under the chef’s careful guidance. You pause for a moment, feeling the grit of the flour covering your fingers, and you savor the scent of the baguettes already baking further back in the kitchen. As the whirlwind of the class washes over you, you take a contented breath.

You, Grace, Fatima, and the other students spent the balance of the morning laminating and resting your dough, before finally, after lunch, it’s time to bake your croissants in the huge convection oven on the back wall of the kitchen. Chef Maurice hands you a pair of silicone oven mitts as the timer ticks down to zero, and he says, “Will you do the honors?”

You say, “Oui, bien sur,” and as you pull the wheeled baking rack out of the oven, a fragrant wave of hot air spills out of the oven and into the room, causing everyone to sigh in anticipation.

The croissants rest for 20 minutes, as the students hover around the rack. Chef Maurice ducks into the back alley for some fresh air and an espresso before he reappears, washing his hands in the designated sink, and he says, “Maintenant, now we try.”

You lift a warm, flaky croissant from the baking rack, and when you break it open, a small plume of doughy steam escapes toward your waiting nose. You lift one half to your mouth and take a small bite. The crunchy outer layers contain a soft and buttery interior, and you gasp as the flavor briefly overwhelms all of your other senses. You and Fatima trade a wide-eyed look as you both take your next, much larger bites. 

Grace groans and says, “I don’t know if I have the patience to make these at home. Especially when I can come over here and get one anytime.”

Chef Maurice winks at you as he says, “Now you understand why we have to start so early.”

You and the other students remove all of the croissants from the baking racks, preparing a paper bag for each student to take home. Maurice then says, “Let’s give a surprise to the patrons out front,” and he produces a large wicker basket to fill with the remaining croissants. You and Fatima do the honors, heading for the front of the shop in your flour-dusted aprons. On the threshold between the kitchen and the front of the house, you pause for a moment, feeling the slightest soreness in your feet from hours of work, as you take a grateful breath.

Out front, a group of older guys in Dad hats is sitting at a table in one corner, drinking coffee and hanging out next to a pothos plant that has sent its many tendrils up the walls and across the ceiling. As you approach the group, you notice Edwin sitting with them.

“Hello, You, and hello, Fatima!” he says, with a big smile on his face.

You say, “Edwin! I’m so glad to see you here.”

He gestures around the table and tells you, “The boys kept inviting me, and I realized that maybe it’s a good idea to get out of the house every now and then.”

You reply, with some feeling, “That does sound like a good idea.”

Edwin asks you, “We’re going to help out with Tune Up Day at the bike clinic down at the Main Library next weekend. I don’t know how handy I am with a wrench anymore, but I can certainly tap my feet along to the music. Will I see you there?”

You say, “Yes, absolutely. I can’t wait to start riding my bike again.”

Edwin slaps his hands on the tops of his legs and says, “Well, it’s settled, then. Thank you again, both of you, for your visits. Now, Fatima, what have you got in the basket there?”

She sighs good-naturedly and says, “You’re almost as hungry as Moose these days.”

Edwin shrugs at you both and says, “My doctor told me butter is good for you again. Who’s to say? Better safe than sorry. Just hand me two of those, thank you.”