Poilane loaf vs. Zingerman's Pain de Campagne
I've been wanting to try Poilane's bread since reading about it in Reinhart's BBA and have found that you can order it directly from Poilane (http://www.poilane.fr/index.php?index_module=listings&index_theme=english&index_template=en_produit_bdd.php&product_id=1).
I've been considering ordering a loaf for my family in Iowa for the upcoming holiday, but am a man of relatively modest means and balk at the $36 price for a 1.9 kG loaf. I've discovered that Zingerman's bakehouse in NYC offers a similar loaf, their 2kg pain de montagne (http://www.zingermans.com/Product.pasp?Category=&ProductID=B%2DMON) which they say "is the closest thing We've ever tasted to the much-loved loaves of Paris' premier baker, Lionel Poilane," for $20 (although I'm not sure how much shipping is, so there's that).
I'm leaning toward the latter option because it will cost me just over half as much.
Above all, I'm curious about whether anyone who has tried both breads can tell me how they compare.
Cheers and Crusty Regards,
John
I had the opportunity to sample pain Poilane about two weeks before Poilane met his untimely death, but we didn't bite (we were walking past his shop while in Paris one evening, and it was still open; we discussed it, but had just had dinner, and so hunger didn't lead us on). Egad, I do regret it.
I wonder how the present loaves are different from those baked while he was alive, if at all, given the system he had for producing them?
Eric at Breadtopia had a writeup on the poilane loaves. He ordered one for his birthday and wrote the whole think up for the Breadtopia website.