While most of the city is still fast asleep, Last Call Baking Co., a lively bakery that opened in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022, just blocks away from Bake from Scratch headquarters, is slowly waking up for the day. Chanah (pronounced “honna”) Willis, the 27-year-old owner, leads a crew of passionate and energetic bakers. Together, they turn out delightful, unpredictable, and consistently delicious pastries. Each artfully captures the maker’s identity. They’re delicious proof that baking can reach incredible creative heights and deep spiritual feelings when translated through flaky, layered pastries.
To ensure locals have their fill of pastries, the staff at Last Call works in the middle of the night, prepping and baking trays of hand-glazed cinnamon rolls, coffee scrolls, morning buns, and the holy trinity of croissants—butter, almond, and chocolate—all of which have brought overwhelming praise and success to the new bakery. Last Call’s baking schedule is seemingly never-ending, blending seamlessly between night and day, and we get a glimpse behind the scenes to see how these artists create pastry magic.
It’s 3:16 a.m. on a clear and brisk spring morning, and the contrasting warmth from the bakery’s ovens and the inescapable scent
