Like most bakers, Jon Olek starts his day long before sunrise.
He fires up his oven at 3:30 a.m. and bakes for three hours before setting out to deliver fresh scones, Danishes, and brioche buns to city cafes and shops.
“I get back right in time to go upstairs and help my daughter get ready for school,” he says, adding that he starts prepping for the next day’s baking when she leaves.
Olek has that flexibility in his schedule because he doesn’t work at a commercial bakery, but rather out of a commercial-grade kitchen he built in his basement, where he does business as Black Cat Baking Co.