A Day in the Life of a Pastry Chef

forced smile? awkward looking man hands? check! put this online immediately 

4am: Wake, rested and refreshed, after a replenishing night of sleep. Brush teeth, change into checked pants and clogs, and head to work.

4:30am: Arrive at the restaurant and immediately get to work on dough. The focaccia starter is always done the day before, so I get that into the mixer and get the dough going. Croissant dough has been resting in the fridge overnight, so I let that sit out at room temperature for a bit before starting to roll those out.

5am: Some light cleaning and inventory; time to make the prep list, which always includes, in bold and underlined, some of my favorite phrases like girl power! and you got this! and smile more! serving as constant, midday pep talks. 

5:30am: Roll out croissants. Depending on what stage the dough is in, this could be shaping them, egg washing them, or letting them proof at room temperature for another hour or so. The world of croissants is just so unpredictable! 

6am: Start tackling the prep list, line by line. Pizza dough, baking creme brulees, chocolate cake batter; saving the world, one semifreddo at a time. 

10am: Spill an entire quart of heavy cream all over my station, but fortunately, the dishwasher is there at the exact moment and offers to clean it up because we're best buds. This unexpected snafu has put a little damper on my morning; nevertheless, she persisted. 

Noon: Meticulously craft a healthy, beautiful lunch from the salad station. I always be sure to include leafy greens, berries, chia seeds and wheatgrass because I am a true believer of superfoods and a picture of health. 

12:30pm: Portion and pack up whatever I've made today. This could be cutting blondies, trimming bread pudding, packing cookies; you name it! The kitchen is my oyster. 

1pm: Bid farewell to my fellow chefs and head out into the perfect sunshine, either to a spin or pilates class. I'll probably stop at the farmers market on the way home to pick up some more superfoods for dinner. You know what they say: once you pop, you just can't stop, and I know they're talking about sardines.