As Lionel Poilâne liked to say, “Bread is a primary foodstuff but it is not basic. It is a simple, noble food. It is essential and nearly universal, the result and raison d’être of civilizations.”

Day in and day out, the master bakers and compagnon-bakers at Poilâne® perpetuate and reinvigorate the traditional craft of breadmaking as they draw upon their unique mastery of the required gestures—using our stone-milled flours and our unique sourdough starter and baking all of our breads, cookies and pastries in our wood-fired ovens—to ensure they offer a delicious sensorial experience. With Ceci n’est pas un livre pour faire du pain, you will discover or rediscover the large palette of baked goods available at Poilâne® as you delve into the book’s original, tantalizing recipes!

The third generation of Poilâne bakers, Apollonia Poilâne has since 2002 been at the helm of the family-run bakery created by her grandfather in 1932 at the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. She has written or contributed to more than a dozen books, the most recent of which is Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery, published in 2019.

Nathaly Nicolas-Ianniello has managed the Esprit Cuisine culinary school since 2004, where she holds classes for a wide variety of chefs. A former journalist and food critic, she is also a culinary designer with a passion for ingredients who continues to work as a journalist and author.