The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Popping out to say hi and a favor to ask

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

Popping out to say hi and a favor to ask

Hi my dear TFLers, I haven't been post much because I am still working on editting the baking book (to be published in China soon). Hopefully I will be done with that and have time to post again soon. On a different note, I will be visiting Paris next week, just wondering whether any of you have recommendation for bakeries and restaurants. I have done some research myself, but would love to hear from experts here ! Many thank Txfarmer

andythebaker's picture
andythebaker

went a few years ago and had the most amazing time.  here are some bread specific recommendations:

la Patisserie des Reves has a laminated brioche that i'm vaguely obsessed with.  the first of my few posts on TFL has a gorgeous crumb shot of it.  here is their website.

http://lapatisseriedesreves.com/en/collections/sweet-treats/flaky-brioche/

Eric Kayser has a chain of bread shops.  it's all very good but his Pain aux Cereales is particularly wonderful.

last but not least was my favorite bread from the trip.  my husband makes fun of me because my dream trip to Paris ended with me having to admit that 134 RDT (rue de Turenne)'s schwarzbrot was my favorite.  they incidentally had pretty damn good croissants and baguettes too.

http://parisbymouth.com/134-rdt/

one last one, especially if you visit 134 RDT and are in the marais.  if you like falafel sandwiches, this place was recommended by Lenny Kravitz  (not to me personally - there's a big sign out front proclaiming it) and it was pretty mindblowing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27As_du_Fallafel

on a personal note, thanks for all your posts.  i have made many of your recipes.  i have adapted your croissants so that they rise overnight at room temp so all i have to do is wake up, brush with egg wash and bake.  they're awesome.

Floydm's picture
Floydm

Good to hear from you! I hope you have a wonderful time in Paris!  Do let us know when your book comes out, and 新年好!

Floyd

Les Nightingill's picture
Les Nightingill

Well I haven't been there, but surely Poilane is a "must visit" boulangerie.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

especially for bread cheese and wine - at least it was.  Haven't been there since 1996 so don't know what is happening there on the bread scene now but..... it has to be great!  Wine cheese and bread sitting in an outdoor cafe is like a dream come true.

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

Hi Tx,

A rare treat to see your byline here.

Sam Fromartz mentions a few Paris boulangeries in his recent and entertaining book, In Search of the Perfect Loaf.  I don't have it in front of me so cannot supply the exact names.  One is the shop in which he apprenticed at the start of the book, the other that comes to mind (besides Poilane and Keyser of course) is one he mentions later, at which the neighborhood baker does a 24-hour salted pseudo-autolyse of his baguette dough before the final mix.  I would love to taste the result of that unusual manipulation.

If I remember, I'll crack the book and provide the bakery names when I get home tonight.

And of course here's a guy who knows food in Paris.

Safe travels and enjoy Paris!

Tom

Our Crumb's picture
Our Crumb

OK, now with Perfect Loaf beside me...

Fromartz apprenticed at Boulangerie Arnaud Delmontel.  The owner-baker there won a Paris "best baguette" compeititon at some point.

The other Paris boulangerie Fromartz highlights is La Maison Pichard, where the baker, Frederic Pichard, lets his baguette dough undergo "endogenous" fermentation (flour+water+salt) for 24+ hours before yeasted bulk begins.  He likens it to the champagne process.

Two others that get brief but enthusiastic mention are Du Pain et Des Idees and Veronique Mauclerc (baker's name, but shop's name not provided -- in the 19th somewhere).

Bon apetiti!

Tom