Every morning at five, before the street outside has woken, the oven at Maison Doi is already warm. The croissants begin the day before: a dough folded and rested through the night, butter laminated into dozens of thin, patient layers.
Chiang Mai's mornings are cool and gentle for a few weeks of the year, which turns out to be kind to butter. We have learned to read the weather the way a farmer does, adjusting the rest times and the folds so each croissant comes out shattering at the edges and soft in the middle.
Come early and you will catch them still warm. Order one with a café au lait, find a seat by the window, and take your time. Bonjour, and welcome to the ritual.
