Possibly the best known bakery in France, Poilâne was born out of three generations of the Poilâne family; Pierre, Lionel, and Apollonia who have followed in each other’s footsteps, each driven by the same purpose: to offer breads made from diverse grains and slow fermentation, prioritizing quality over quantity. Apollonia grew up in the bakery and took control at the age of 18 whilst studying at Harvard University when her parents tragically died in accident in 2002.
When she was 16 her mother suggested that she start her apprenticeship, Apollonia spent many weekends helping at the bakery and knew intimately how everything worked. Her grandfather Pierre Poilâne first opened the bakery in 1932, her father continued in his footsteps and built the bakery into an internationally recognised name. Lionel was a celebrated baker and was known for his strong relationships with artists such as Salvadore Dali.
“Possibly the best known bakery in France, Poilâne was born out of three generations of the Poilâne family; Pierre, Lionel, and Apollonia who have followed in each other’s footsteps...”
The Poilâne bakery and the Poilâne family have revolutionized the way we think about bread. To food lovers the world over, a trip to Paris is not complete without a visit to Poilâne. Ina Garten raves about the bread’s “extraordinary quality.” Martha Stewart says the P in Poilâne stands for “perfect.” For over 88 years, her grandfather, her father and Apollonia herself have nurtured half a dozen shops between Paris and London baking between 3-5,000 loaves a day and delivers to over 15 different countries. The bakery is known for its simplicity and offers only 6 types of bread the most famous being the miche, a 2kg loaf of grain bread or as Apollonia calls it, “a big hug of bread”. It’s a recipe that came from Apollonia’s grandfather and has been passed down from baker to baker using high quality ingredients. Their bakers go through nine months of training, however it takes years to achieve that special Poilâne “savoir faire”.
“The Poilâne bakery and the Poilâne family have revolutionized the way we think about bread.”
On a cold April morning Apollonia kindly met me for a coffee and a tour around Poilâne on Belgravia’s Elizabeth Street, where her father first chose to open their only British store over twenty years ago. I knew before meeting Apollonia what an impressive leader and businesswoman she is, I was however overwhelmed by what a humble and thoughtful person she was. Hearing her speak about how bread is baked in a specially constructed oven or about how her products have slight irregularities because they are artisanal, you can sense how much she loves her craft and her passion for Poilâne’s heritage.
Apollonia says that there is nothing that makes her happier that biting into a piece of bread and who could disagree with her? Especially the exquisite bread that she bakes herself. Upholding the traditions of France’s premier baking dynasty, she recently authored a book; Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery and now teaches bread baking via online classes at MasterClass.com. A master of the art of baking, you can not only learn how to make breads from the bakery but how to “attune your five senses.” The lessons go through breads of yeast, pain de mie, cornbread and brioche. Baking is an essential and beautiful craft and Apollonia teaches it with respect, it is deeply important that we preserve and learn from her legacy .
Please could you share how you managed the business as an 18-year old whilst studying at Harvard?
The secret was time zones! I worked in France and studied in the US. From my dorm room, I would tend to my responsibility as a CEO in the mornings before heading to class and then navigating between classes and schoolwork.
I’m really interested in your baking classes, how did you think about the way the classes are structured, do they get progressively harder or can you pick and choose the lessons?
In my MasterClass, I teach baking approaching it like I view my craft: the metamorphosis of grains through the magic of fermentation. But I start first with sourdough, or the technique by which Poilâne has been baking risen breads since 1932. Then, I lay the ground for the uses of wheat, rye and corn flours.
You mention how baking bread is a sensory experience, what are some of the most important skills you have developed as a master baker and is there anything you are still working on?
Baking a lifelong journey. I don’t think I’ll ever feel like a master. Batch after batch, shift after shift, I accumulate a library of experiences that build my intuition as a baker. It is the knowledge and understanding of how the dough reacts with its environment and how our hands can craft the best loaves.
Poilâne has a limited offering of products which are very traditional and much loved, are you ever tempted to add new items or follow a new trend?
Funnily enough, what you see in the store is the tip of the iceberg of what we try and test. At Poilâne, we believe in quality over quantity, in offering a thoughtful range of breads that serve different uses so our clients can have a sommelier’s approach in pairing them with their foods.
What are your favourite breads from Poilâne and how to you eat them?
I am sensitive to the season, weather, and mood in my choice of breads. Each has flavours that I try to pair with different ingredients. But the quintessential slice of wheat sourdough bread, toasted on one side with salted butter is a classic.
Could you discuss a little the inspiration you have found from your travels?
I am French-American and my parents put an emphasis on opening up to and learning from different cultures and traditions. A constant I have found though is that throughout times and places, grains have fed our civilisations. When I travelled to Japan for the first time, I was struck by how many parallels I could do between the uses and culture around rice in Japan versus wheat-rye for France. It was inspiring for me to see how the Japanese started developing their very own wheat culture and bread lines, like I have been developing with corn for my bakery.
“Baking is an essential and beautiful craft and Apollonia teaches it with respect, it is deeply important that we preserve and learn from her legacy.”
In Myanmar, I encountered a man, who had lived in Burma and abroad, and developed a range of products locally grown using different savoir-faires he had learned from travels and passion. His curiosity, pioneer spirit and determination to feed a virtuous food circle has developed into one of the most praised food companies of Myanmar. As a French cheese-lover, I feel confident saying I ate one of the best cheeses I have ever eaten at Sharky’s!
Your family are known for championing artisanal craftmanship throughout France, how do you see the future given the technological age we live in?
At the heart of hearts, I believe technology and craftsmanship as two parts of one unit, like yin and yang. Nurturing the balance between is the challenge. I believe that Poilâne masters a traditional savoir-faire in baking while having a contemporary approach to its business. It is our baseline, but it is also the balance we nurture daily.
You can find out more about Poilâne by visiting their Belgravia bakery or for delivery internationally via www.poilane.com . For information regarding the Poilâne masterclass, visit www.masterclass.com/poilane
Photography courtesy of Poilâne. Copyright Philippe Vaurès Santamaria