Le Bon Panneton

Eric Brunet, owner of Le Bon Panneton, combines the best qualities of artisanal baking - respect for quality and tradition - with a keen business sense. During my visit he explained in depth how the life of the baker has changed, and how product offerings have evolved in response to changes in taste and demand. His team works like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly moving around each other in the crowded space below the shop upstairs.

Emmanuel arrives each morning at 4AM to begin baking the day's breads. He uses a machine to make the regular baguettes:



But the "Traditional" baguette is formed entirely by hand and from a different recipe:


Whole grain breads are popular now. Eric puts the finishing touches on several varieties before putting them into the oven.




Beyond bread and pastry products, the Brunets have added sandwiches and salads for the takeaway lunch crowd. Wife Mireille manages sales of the finished products.



If you come to Paris, you can find Le Bon Panneton on the corner of rue Saint Charles and rue de l'Eglise in Paris' 15th arrondissement. Tell them I sent you!

Pastry chefs

Eric Zezette is the master of pâte à choux - that's the pastry dough used to make éclairs. He's also the resident clown downstairs at Le Bon Panneton - laughing his way through a shift that begins at 2AM. In between jokes, he's all concentration as he creates the small hats of the "religieuses."



Manuel takes over the pastry station after Zezette leaves at 10AM. His responsibility? Pies, cakes, and macaroons. Here he's preparing an apple dessert.


He'll have to wait till this afternoon to make macaroons - he'll need the pastry ovens to himself so that he can control the temperature. Macaroons need a very different temperature than the other pastries.

And the end result of all this work?

The religieuses are second from the left - next to the eclairs.

Pain au chocolat

My son Eric's first words in French were "pain au chocolat." He was eight years old when we brought him back to Paris for a visit. His breakfast each morning and snack each afternoon was pain au chocolat. I thought of him as I began my behind-the-scenes visit to my local boulangerie.

Stephane's hands were a blur with the expert tuck and roll of a man who's been creating croissants, chaussons, and pains au chocolat for 22 years. I was entranced watching the speed with which Stephane rolled, sliced, and tucked the dough - preparing ready-to-bake extras for tomorrow, his day off.









As he worked, I learned more about Stephane's background and his family. His wife is Japanese - she's a pastry chef at the Ritz. They are/were planning a trip to Japan in two weeks. Will they still go?


Soon, a tray of pains au chocolat comes out of the oven.


I am handed one - still steaming, its chocolate still slightly molten. As I bite into its heavenly, buttery, chocolately center, I close my eyes, smile, and think of my son Eric. I wish he were here.