Boulangerie Behind the Scenes!

People always ask me what my favorite part about living in Paris/France in, and while it's a difficult choice, I think I would have to say the ready access to yummy bread and treats!  Boulangeries (bakeries) abound on every street, and many of our lunches consist of a freshly baked baguette with some cheese and meat in the park.

So, when I had the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in a boulangerie with a tour through AWG, I jumped at the chance!

Interestingly, not every boulangerie makes their dough by hand anymore (look for the word artisanal in the name/sign), but this bakery made everything they had for sale--from baguettes to pastries and chocolates to sandwiches and salads.

We got to see all the machines they use to mix, divide, refrigerate, etc.  It's a pretty impressive process, and I learned so many new things on this tour.  Difference between a baguette and a tradition?  The baguette is usually mixed by a mixer, while a tradition must be hand mixed and kneaded, and usually has a bit more yeast for a more earthy flavor.  What about old croissants, do they throw them away?  NO! (Although they do with baguettes if charities don't claim them all!)  The old croissants get cut in half, dipped in syrup and filled with almonds, almond paste, and powdered sugar to make un croissant aux amandes!

Baguettes rising before heading for the oven!

We got to watch the baker rolling out traditions and putting them in the oven.  Interestingly, they use a regular old razor blade to make the slices in the top before putting them into the oven!  The baker told us he himself bakes roughly 1000 baguettes/traditions every day, and he's one of just 3 bakers everyday!  And he went to 6 years of schooling to learn how to become specialized in making bread (2 is the minimum)!

Next, we got to visit the downstairs where the pastries are made.  One of the workers was making the dough for croissants.  I think if I had a machine like they have, I might be more inclined to make croissants on my own!  Takes the most difficult step out--rolling the doll.  The machine does that part, and she just did the folding before putting it back into the machine.

Of course, we finished off the tour with a little degustation of many breads and treats made in house.  Le pain aux fruits is now maybe my new favorite bread, but of course we were given a baguette and croissant to take home!  Can't complain there!

A fabulous glimpse into what goes into making these staples of French life.  Although, I will say, during the whole tour, I kept think this would never fly in America....10 people traipsing through the baking area with no hairnets, no gloves, anything...also another reason I love France.  No one freaks out over everything!