The recipe is simple: stone-ground whole wheat flour, levain (sourdough starter) and sea salt. The result is the complex, dense, crusty and most famous of breads, “Pain Poilane”.

Restaurants that serve it, advertise the fact on their menus. It’s a badge of distinction. Shops all over Paris sell it.

It finds its way into the hands and mouths of bread afficianados around the globe. The round aromatic loaf weighs in at over four pounds and adheres to the tradition of bread-baking as an artisanal, historic and honored profession.

Is the Poilane loaf to everyone’s liking? Definitely not. Some bread lovers complain that it is too sour or overpowering. They prefer the classic , crusty, white-flour baguette and can be seen toting it all over town.

Nevertheless, all bread-eaters applaud the Poilane family for their passionate commitment to quality.

If you visit the shop on the Rue du Cherche-Midi at a fairly quiet moment, ask to be taken down to the cellar to see the workings of the ancient wood-fired oven. You’ll be surprised at how eager the staff is to oblige.

If you’re not in the mood for bread, buy a bag of the delicate butter cookies called sables and try not to eat all of them on the way to the Metro.

LIONEL POILANE
8 Rue du Cherche-Midi
6th Arrondisement
Metro: Sevres-Babylone or Saint-Sulpice