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Neighbourhood · 14 Aug
· 4 min read
The night shift, hour by hour
From lighting the oven to the first loaf on the shelf: what happens in the bakehouse while Madrid sleeps.
4:00, still dark
Samir arrives at half past two and lights the oven with holm oak. It takes ninety minutes to reach 250 degrees, and he spends them taking the dough out of the fridge and dividing it.
At four the rest of the team arrives. Shaping starts at 4:30, the first loaves go in at five, and at six the first rack comes out to cool in the window.
By seven the oven has been loaded nine times. By eight, Samir is on his way home.
— The Fournil bakehouse