Chris Astraikis has a cool job, according to the professionals he comes across.

Who else gets to create pretzels while listening to Coldplay -- in German?

Most of Durham is asleep when Astraikis, 34, heads to work. He's the head baker at Guglhupf Bakery and Cafe on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. At midnight, he and about three others begin creating what others wait for every morning.

But Astraikis isn't making dough for the extra money. It just so happens a baker's life is mostly after dark.

"If I had a second job I'd collapse from exhaustion," Astraikis said.

The first five hours are the hardest. About 15 different doughs are mixed by machine and then shaped into loaves or other shapes. Some are placed in a temperature-controlled room while others head to the oven. As head baker, Astraikis' concerns include product quality and getting things done in time for customers and delivery trucks.

Tuesday wasn't a particularly heavy day. About 766 loaves and 500 rolls were made. Sometimes more than 1,000 of each are made in an evening, more during the holidays. What keeps Astraikis going each morning, other than the occasional coffee, is professional pride.

"I do it because I like baking and if you don't enjoy this line of work, you can't do it," he said.

By 5 a.m., most of the work was done. Baked loaves were cooling on metal racks. More dough was in the oven. The rack oven alarm goes off. More bread is done.

"It's like a big jigsaw puzzle," he said of the operation. "At the end of the day, somehow we get all the pieces together."

Meanwhile, his wife, 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son are asleep. His children either have just left for school or are about to leave when he gets home. After a few hours under the sheets, he's awake when the kids come home.

"Of course, I'm tired all the time with a perpetual coffee in my hands," the baker said.

At 6 a.m., more dough is placed in the oven. Astraikis then checks the dough in the mixer.

"Your social life is in the garbage," Astraikis continued. "You see your friends once a year."

The trade off is he likes his job. He's also staying fit, being on his feet, lifting and moving things all night.

Things begin to wrap up at about 6:40. The pastry and retail staff are preparing for the morning rush. The sounds of Gwen Stefani flow though the speakers. They're listening to a German radio station.

Astraikis is placing olives, roasted peppers and tomatoes on dough as opening time approaches. While preparing butter to be folded into croissant dough, Ken Alexander approaches the door at 7:30. It's still locked. So he takes a seat outside and waits. A pediatrician at Duke University Hospital, Alexander stops by the shop about twice a week on his way to work.

"The bread and pastries are wonderful," Alexander, 45, said before going inside. "The people are always friendly and its convenient. Just grab and go."