Touring Poilane with Patricia Wells

It was one of my luckiest days - being able to go into the basement bakery of world-famous bakery, Poilane on rue du Cherche-Midi in Paris with culinary inspiration, Patricia Wells. It has been a while since we crept down the steep half-circle staircase and found the bakers hard at work, but it seems like just yesterday.  I was in Patricia Wells cooking class for the week and part of our itinerary was a tour of Poilane. Can you imagine? 

Did you notice the intricate work being expressed in dough above? This type of culinary art is known as pain décoré - a custom loaf of bread with words, leaves or decoration to denote a special occasion.  

Here you can see the Poilane Country Loaves rising in a tower of linen-lined baskets. Functional and beautiful.  Their famous wood-burning oven is glowing in the distance.

It was a thrill to see the baker pull some Punitions (delicate butter cookies) from the wood-burning oven in the basement - you can see them as they are baking (above). Pierre Poilane (founder of Poilane in 1932) used to tell the story of his grandmother and how she would call her grandchildren to her side for a reprimand (punishment in French, punitions) and then instead surprise them with one of these sweet treats. 

The cookies are just delicious and the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea. We had a little snack upstairs in the famous room where Poilane displays the paintings of bread they accepted as payment by starving artists of the day.

Why am I spotlighting all of this now?  I keep seeing notices that Patricia is on a book tour in America for her latest book, The French Kitchen Cookbook (Santa, are you listening?) and her birthday was yesterday, so I was able to send her my best wishes on Facebook.  All of these happy events have my mind whirling as I reminisce about my time with her in Paris.  Magnifique!

Gifts from Poilâne

It’s true - this little loaf was made for me!  This type of culinary art is known as pain décoré - a custom loaf of bread with words, leaves or decoration to denote a special occasion.  With advance notice, Poilâne bakery in Paris can make one for you too!

When I was in Paris, I was given a tour of the Poilâne and while I was there, one of the bakers was crafting a phrase out of dough for a special loaf. 
It said: “Alba...Je T’aime” (translation: Alba...I love you”)

*Sigh*  Who wouldn’t love to receive that?  Alba is one lucky girl.

A Visit to Poilane

When I first enrolled in Patricia Wells' cooking class in Paris, I poured over her web page and memorized the sample itinerary. I was so excited that I tried to bide my time by studying "all things French" until class began 18 months later (With only 7 students per class, registration is sometimes a year and a half out).

As the trip approached, my friends and family would ask questions about what I thought we would do in class and where I thought we would go. Every time I got to the part where I said I thought we would be touring Poilane Bakery, I got choked up. My eyes would water and I would smile and stall while I tried to compose myself. "A bakery?" they would ask. "Are you talking about a bakery?" Because they could not fathom why I would be tearing up. I am a "happy cryer," you see, and my emotions hit "tilt" every time I thought of the history of Poilane and the fact that I would get a behind the scenes look.

Poilane Bakery on rue du Cherche-Midi has been carving the now famous "P" on each Poilane Loaf (see above) for Parisians since 1932. I had heard about this bakery, the "P", the ovens, even eaten the bread, for years, yet in my prior trips to Paris, I had never actually made it inside the store front.

Well, it was simply the best field trip I have ever been on. I loved visiting the store, touring the original (and still operating) basement bakery, meeting the bakers and having tea & cookies under a chandelier made of bread. I have been writing all about my experience in my upcoming book (Paris: Delight in the City of Light) and I just had to share a bit of it with you today.

The Poilane website is interesting because it bridges old baking traditions with modern ideas. Click the "Bread & Games" tab and download a pdf to build your own paper Poilane (a mini-replica of the store)! Now that fills my criteria for something that is both beautiful and interesting.

Paris: Poilane

While I was in Paris, I was honored to be able to tour the world-famous bakery, Poilane on rue du Cherche-Midi. What a thrill to see the baker pull these Punitions (delicate butter cookies) from the wood-burning oven in the basement. Pierre Poilane (founder of Poilane in 1932) used to tell the story of his grandmother and how she would call her grandchildren to her side for a reprimand (punishment in French, punitions) and then instead surprise them with one of these sweet treats. They are just delicious and the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea.

Paris: Patricia Wells

Here I am...the happiest girl in Paris.
In 1995, Patricia Wells sent out a press release announcing that she would begin hosting classes called "At Home with Patricia Wells." A week long food-lover's experience in France filled with trips to the farmers' market, wine tasting and hands-on cooking with journalist, cookbook author and woman extraordinaire, Patricia Wells. I read the article and announced on the spot that I would someday attend her class.

Now fast-forward 14 years...I made it! How can I tell you how happy I am? How can I tell you how much fun we had? Six students and I spent a glorious week sampling cheeses, roasting nuts, constructing salads and talking, talking, talking with Patricia about all the things we love. Food, Paris, Wine, Food, Paris, Honey, Food, Paris, Mustard. It was wonderful. Everything I had hoped it would be and more.

What was a key component to my happiness? Anticipation. Classes are booked 2-years in advance. That means for the last 24 months I have re-read Patricia's books (Food Lover's Guide to Paris is my all-time favorite), mapped out the shops & spots I wanted to see, read up on Poilane bakery and generally savored every moment. I have made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you Patricia!