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I'm just back from 10 days in Paris, my first time.
As a WFO and bread baking enthusiast I was super excited to finally get to try some of the biggies in the bread and pastry world. It was a whirlwind, crazy trip but I did manage to get to the Polaine shop in the 6th, Eric Kayser times 2 or 3, and and the best most memorable ever, Boulangerie Veronique Mauclerc.
Holy cow. How does one choose at places like this when there's only so much stomach space and time in a day to eat bread and pastries?
Polaine: I was expecting to have my socks knocked off by the miche because it's so talked about and so much the classic, IT Parisian bread. I was severely underwhelmed. Good and tasty bread, yes, but honestly, not better than what I make at home in any dimension and did not age any better than what I am used to with mine. This was quite possibly the only way I could ever say it was a let-down to learn that I do, in fact, make pretty darn good bread. We also had the flan naturale (basically a baked custard tart) and pomme tart and sampled a piece of the raisin meteil (I think). The tarts were as perfect and delicious as you'd expect in Paris, but I am a pastry whore, so anything made with nice ingredients and by someone who knows what they're doing is a win in my book.
Eric Kayser: OK, now we're talking. Being as selective as I possibly could, I tried the baguette cereals (multi grain baguette), the pain campagna, the chocolate chip cookie and the croissant amande. The baguette cereals was AMAZING. SO good, so perfect. It looked and tasted like a mostly white flour dough with about six different whole seeds worked into it and then also covering the outside. I LOVED this one. The pane campagna was equally amazing. The chocolate chip cookie (almost unheard of in France) was outstanding...the best I have ever had that wasn't baked by me. Any of the EK outposts will be my first, last and middle stops next time I go. There was just so much stuff that looked amazing that I need to try.
Boulangerie Veronique Mauclerc: I don't know how pastries could be any better, ever, anywhere. I was squeaking and kicking my feet, enjoying croissants and some kind of sweet, flavored brioche rolls for breakfast on a bench in the park. Probably one of the most memorable food experiences of my whole trip. I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't get any bread!
I've read that this is one of only a couple wood-fired ovens still operating in France which was reason enough to trek out to the 19th for a visit, but the croissants and brioche, utterly and completely mind blowing. That a female-owned boulangerie is almost unheard of is just an extra bonus, AFIAC. I'd even consider staying way out here so this shop could be my daily bread and pastry stop.
I have a couple of photos I'll post in a bit..
As a WFO and bread baking enthusiast I was super excited to finally get to try some of the biggies in the bread and pastry world. It was a whirlwind, crazy trip but I did manage to get to the Polaine shop in the 6th, Eric Kayser times 2 or 3, and and the best most memorable ever, Boulangerie Veronique Mauclerc.
Holy cow. How does one choose at places like this when there's only so much stomach space and time in a day to eat bread and pastries?
Polaine: I was expecting to have my socks knocked off by the miche because it's so talked about and so much the classic, IT Parisian bread. I was severely underwhelmed. Good and tasty bread, yes, but honestly, not better than what I make at home in any dimension and did not age any better than what I am used to with mine. This was quite possibly the only way I could ever say it was a let-down to learn that I do, in fact, make pretty darn good bread. We also had the flan naturale (basically a baked custard tart) and pomme tart and sampled a piece of the raisin meteil (I think). The tarts were as perfect and delicious as you'd expect in Paris, but I am a pastry whore, so anything made with nice ingredients and by someone who knows what they're doing is a win in my book.
Eric Kayser: OK, now we're talking. Being as selective as I possibly could, I tried the baguette cereals (multi grain baguette), the pain campagna, the chocolate chip cookie and the croissant amande. The baguette cereals was AMAZING. SO good, so perfect. It looked and tasted like a mostly white flour dough with about six different whole seeds worked into it and then also covering the outside. I LOVED this one. The pane campagna was equally amazing. The chocolate chip cookie (almost unheard of in France) was outstanding...the best I have ever had that wasn't baked by me. Any of the EK outposts will be my first, last and middle stops next time I go. There was just so much stuff that looked amazing that I need to try.
Boulangerie Veronique Mauclerc: I don't know how pastries could be any better, ever, anywhere. I was squeaking and kicking my feet, enjoying croissants and some kind of sweet, flavored brioche rolls for breakfast on a bench in the park. Probably one of the most memorable food experiences of my whole trip. I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't get any bread!
I've read that this is one of only a couple wood-fired ovens still operating in France which was reason enough to trek out to the 19th for a visit, but the croissants and brioche, utterly and completely mind blowing. That a female-owned boulangerie is almost unheard of is just an extra bonus, AFIAC. I'd even consider staying way out here so this shop could be my daily bread and pastry stop.
I have a couple of photos I'll post in a bit..
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