IDS - Index

IDS - magazine_summer2008 - Index

© DR
16
meet/connaître
Behind the scenes at the
Boulangerie Poilâne
Bread, croissants and other pastries are displayed every day in the famous shop
window in the Rue du Cherche-Midi. How does a bakehouse function, and what are
the trade secrets of the Boulangerie Poilâne? We made our own enquiry...
The irresistible fragrance of pains au chocolat, crusty croissants
and freshly baked bread strikes you the moment you
open the door. The Poilâne bakery is a real treasure trove! With
its baskets of pastries, the different types of breads and the
authentic decor: a reminder that a young baker from Normandy
opened his first shop here in 1932. His name was Pierre
Poilâne. His son Lionel succeeded him and, since 2002, Lionel’s
daughter Apollonia has
been in charge. Very
much a family business.
Respect for tradition is
their leitmotiv: the flour
- whether wheat or rye -
is carefully selected, and
the bread baked in a
wood-fired oven. The
salt they use comes
from the Guérande salt
marshes, and the yeast
has been handed down
from batch to batch
since Pierre Poilâne’s.
Greater Paris - summer / été 2008
© DR
“Here, each loaf of bread is made for a specific use”, explains
Apollonia Poilâne, aged 23. For instance, rye bread goes particularly
well with seafood; walnut or dried fruit bread is ideal
with cheese. As for their famous 1.9 kg round loaf, kneaded by
hand, it is the perfect accompaniment to meats, foie gras and
pork products. “People come here to buy bread as they would
go to the wine merchant’s to select a good bottle of wine to
complement a particular dish”, comments Apollonia Poilâne.
The bakery in the Rue du Cherche-Midi is a hive of activity.
For a good reason: some 70 loaves are baked in a single
batch! And up to 100 in each of the 24 ovens at the Bièvre
site, south of Paris, from there bread is despatched to the
rest of Europe, the United States, Japan, South Africa and
the Middle East. A total of between 5,000 and 7,000 loaves
are baked each day by the Poilâne firm. “Our loaf typifies
Paris”, claims Apollonia Poilâne. Indeed, it is served in most
of the capital’s bistrots, in the shape of tartines or croquemonsieurs.
A slice of Parisian life: A unique experience! ■
Poilâne: 8 rue du Cherche-Midi (6th).
Tel: 01.45.48.42.59. Monday to Saturday, 7:15 am to 8:15 pm
www.poilane.fr