Flour dust hangs in the air. Butter melts into warm layers. The scent alone is enough to slow your pace.
The most exciting baking in the country right now is unfolding throughout California, stretching from fog-kissed coastal towns to sunlit inland valleys.
Independent bakeries are turning out artisan loaves with blistered crusts, croissants that shatter into delicate flakes, inventive doughnuts layered with bold flavors, and pastries so precise they almost feel architectural…