Poilane: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery

by Apollonia Poilâne, Joanne Smart, Philippe Santamaria (Photographer)

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"In many ways, the good bread we have now in the United States exists thanks to Poil�ne. Poil�ne bakery and the Poil�ne family have revolutionized the way we think about bread, and it is deeply important that we preserve and learn from their legacy."
--Alice Waters, from the foreword

To food lovers the world over, a trip to Paris is not complete without a visit to Poil�ne. Ina Garten raves about the bread's "extraordinary quality." Martha Stewart says the P in Poil�ne stands for "perfect." For the first time, Poil�ne provides detailed instructions so bakers can reproduce its unique "hug-sized" sourdough loaves at home, as well as the bakery's other much-loved breads and pastries. It tells the story of how Apollonia Poil�ne, the third-generation baker and owner, took over the global business at age eighteen and steered it into the future as a Harvard University freshman after her parents were killed in a helicopter crash.
Beyond bread, Apollonia includes recipes for pastries such as the bakery's exquisite but unfussy tarts and butter cookies. In recipes that use bread as an ingredient, she shows how to make the most from a loaf, from crust to crumb. In still other dishes, she explores the world of rice, corn, barley, oats, and millet. From sunup to sundown, Poil�ne traces the hours in a baker's day, blending narrative, recipes, and Apollonia's philosophy of bread.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Culinary, Food and Drink

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Sarah Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but for a full review of my experience using the recipes, please see my blog post: https://everydayvagabond.com/all-post...

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I expected from this book was that it would be an exhaustive primer on how to make and bake Poilâne-style sourdough in the comfort of your own kitchen and, while the book provides advice and guidance, as well as recipes, for baking their famous sourdough, this cookbook is so much more! The recipes are divided into three main sections: Morning (Breads & Breakfast), Afternoon (The Main Meal, The Art of Keeping Bread, & Sweets), and Nighttime (Dreams & Explorations). I really love that this book contains so many recipes which utilize sourdough bread in such unique and inventive ways. My family and I make weekly trips to our favourite, local, sourdough baker so that we can enjoy fresh bread and, with Poilâne (the book), I've been presented with so many different recipes on how to enjoy my loaves (besides enjoying it as our ubiquitous weekend sandwiches).

The first recipe I bookmarked to try was the recipe for Bread Granola -- where 3-day-old sourdough takes the place of the oats. My friends who live in Ontario always ask me to send granola, so when I baked up several batches to send them over the Christmas holidays, I made sure to include a bag of the Bread Granola. The response I received back was, "Man that's good eats." While I used our go-to Country Sourdough from Birdies for that batch, I've tried using different loaves for subsequent batches. I think the Chocolate-Cherry Sourdough has been one of my favourites yet! I have never heard of Bread Granola before -- new and unique recipes are what really excite me when I receive a new cookbook to try.

Even with something as overdone as avocado toast, Apollonia Poilâne manages to impress with her recipe for Avocado Tartine w/ Banana and Lime. I think that banana and avocado make the perfect pair -- with their soft and creamy textures, and their pleasant flavours. The lime tastes wonderful with both but, it was a surprise to me how much I loved the heat of the crushed red pepper flakes with the mild sweetness of the banana. Even the little drizzle of honey balances the earthier flavour of the avocado.

Before opening this book, my first assumptions were that I would use this book to bake sourdough. This hasn't been the case because I find myself quite devoted to my local sourdough bakery, however, the Poilâne recipes I've found most useful are the ones that demonstrate what to do with your sourdough once you have a loaf. As I've mentioned, the Bread Granola is an inspired suggestion, and, the recipe for Bread Chips (think: Melba toast) has been great when I've got a bit of a loaf leftover. Too little to make sandwiches for all of us, I've taken to thinly slicing the bread and slowly toasting it in the oven as per the recipe instructions. The Bread Chips are great with a smear of dip or slice of cheese but also equally as delicious with a warm bowl of soup.

While the Bread Chips are a great savory snack, I really appreciate how Apollonia Poilâne takes this snack and turns it into a sweet one. Inspired by chocolate-covered pretzels, the recipe for Chocolate-Covered Bread Chips offers such a quick way to whip up a treat. After melting chocolate in the microwave, some ground spice is added (I used cinnamon) and then pieces of broken-up bread chips are swirled in chocolate, then left on a plate to set. This was just the afternoon treat my daughter was happy to help me make and, of course, eat.

Aside from the unique and inspired recipes, what Apollonia Poilâne offers is a beautiful memoir of this bakery -- how generations of her family shaped this place along with the dedicated people who have worked or work there. Even the way the recipes are organized show the daily rhythm of bakery life. Along with the beautiful photography, the Poilâne cookbook is such a treasure.

Please note that this review is an excerpt of a longer version posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Raincoast Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Kirk Dobihal · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a world class bread bakery this book was anticipated with much expectation only to be somewhat let down. Very elementary. The recipe for the classic Poilane loaf utilized a starter employing yoghurt, this ingenious method reduces the time to two days; however, the sour dough recipe surprisingly used active dry yeast. What, say I, is the purpose of the starter, other than a flavor enhancer? I will try to use the starter as the reduction in time seems worth exploring.

[Amanda Leeber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something for everyone

I'm a bit of a cookbook addict and was pleased to find this one at a discounted price. The recipes are amazing, unique, and delicious, even for a vegan (with modifications, of course).

Beautifully written and a true treasure. Highly recommend!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowadays cookbooks are more than a few pictures and a description of recipes. Poilane is part of the new wave -- more text than recipes on some pages, each recipe accompanied by backstories. I found the back story more interesting than the recipes, but that may well be that in a Covid world I am unlikely to order beets and Roquefort to make a salad. Other bread focused cook-bakes are much more interesting and have a higher ratio of immediately possible recipes than this one. In addition, the bread movement in the US has come so far that some of the more fussy steps required for French baking seem rooted in the past unnecessarily.

[Faith Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more bread recipes and the science behind bread. I borrowed 10-12 bread books from the library hoping someone would explain the science behind the bread so I could improve my loaves. Most of them were pretty sub-par. (I only liked one which I will write about later). I’m actually rating the is one because it was interesting for the backstory and the signature loaf was pretty tasty, but it had yeast in it, which is not what I was looking for in a sour dough bread. The pictures are gorgeous and fun to look through. But I won’t be buying a copy.

[Elisabetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book with interesting bread recipes and recipes that utilize bread as an ingredient. It outlines the story of a very enterprising family who can produce artisan bread in a large scale commercial bakery without loosing its authenticity. Like other readers, I was surprised that the recipe for their signature sourdough bread includes the addition of commercial yeast. Maybe they are trying to keep their original recipe a secret. With a starter there is no need to add yeast.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wonderful Book

This book was full of wonderful stories and recipes. The stories were very entertaining and quite enjoyable. The recipes all sounded delicious and made me head for the kitchen to bake.

[RustyShack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd mix of company/family history/autobiography, a few loaf recipes, and many recipes for things that have bread as an ingredient (almost nothing for vegans). Author is genuinely enthusiastic but the book tips over into infomercial at times.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book: full of background story, how to’s and recipes. I visited the bakery in 2022 and became hooked on the idea of making sour dough after returning home.
Wonderful book to add to my cookbook shelf .

[Nick Affolter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Interesting blend between autobiography and recipe book

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and fun read. But I don’t need another recipe book. I’ve been using sourdough for years. Think Tassajara bread book era. My current starter is 25 years old.

[Diana Lismane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hoped for a book that would tell me how to bake bread in detail. Well... "Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery", unfortunately, doesn't have much on that – a few naturally leavened bread recipes, a peculiar way to start a leavain. For an experienced baker, this may be an interesting flip through but definitely not the book to start your bread baking journey.
It was a lot of recipes that utilize bread and a bunch of recipes for pastries. Some of the uses of bread seem to be added just to have more pages.
For now, it seems that the cultured butter recipe is the most useful one out of the whole book.

Edit: Baked the croissants. Came out tasty but deflated with the given proofing times – will have to make several adjustments. Also, the weight measurements are a bit impractical seems to be more geared towards using volume ones.

[cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!!

[Tif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information, beautiful photographs.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how the history of Poilane is combined with Apollonia's story, which are both interwoven with recipes. I just wish there were pictures to go with every recipe. Now, I want bread!

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some lovely recipes for items I’ll never make. Enjoyed the story of the famous boulangerie and family history of the business.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food history as well as cookbook. Fascinating and beautiful read. I can’t wait to try the gazpacho with zucchini, almonds, and bread.

[Gail Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging look at a legendary bakery (and baker). I enjoyed it very much, but I have to say I didn't find it as illuminating as, say, Paul Hollywood's "Bread."

[Theodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even if the book doesn’t promise sourdough only, I think few expect to find dry yeast recipes. It may be the traditional brand that makes you expect only water and flour.

[Jenina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dream is to break bread with it girl Apollonia Poilâne

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book & incredible recipes!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover photo is very similar to that of Peter Reinharts very good bread book. That and the famous name was promising but Poilane's book is super lightweight. Lots of nice photographs but very little information about actually baking bread. Many of the recipes seem to be there to bulk out the book - all the sandwiches and the one on how to make toast...

[emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

[Mary bushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful resource book.