Makin' It May's Way
How We Bake & Why It's Great
Our secret?
It’s actually pretty simple.
You can’t have great flavor without great ingredients, so we are committed to using the best, locally-grown ingredients we can find. That means seasonal. That means fresh. That means real.
The Process
72 Hours. 72 Layers.
Vienioisserie baking is a craft, as is true of any other art form, the best things take time. So, our devoted and tireless bakers begin their shifts bright and early, at 3:30 a.m.— every day.
Each morning, we calculate proofing times, baking times, weight-to-yield ratios, temperatures, moisture content and more, always aiming to make today’s baked goods even better than the day before. From mixer to mouth, three days of hard, tedious work go into each pastry, lending to the one-of-a-kind flaky texture and vibrant flavor that makes May’s Parlor truly authentic.
Day 1
Day 1
On Day One, our croissant dough is mixed and cooled overnight to slow down fermentation for a more complex flavor.
Day 2
Day 2
On Day Two, we carefully roll out and fold our dough to create the 72 flaky layers of our signature pastries, and hand cut and shape each one. The pastries are then proofed overnight in a warm humid environment.
Day 3
Day 3
On the final day, the proofed croissants go right into the oven, then straight to the counter, and into the mouths of our hungry customers!
In addition to our handcrafted pastries and cakes, May's Parlor features an equally fresh, flavorful, seasonal menu of sandwiches, soups, and salads. Our menu is a delicious blend of European craft and tradition, modern American baking techniques, and exciting flavors from around the globe.
When available, produce, meats, dairy and cheeses are sourced directly from sustainable farms in the area. We use European-style butter, cage-free eggs, and Valhrona chocolates. We take pride in our quality viennoiserie, making fresh all butter croissants, pain au chocolate, and seasonal pastry specials.