Pain Poilâne

If someone told me I could only eat bread for the rest of my lift, I probably wouldn't be the least bit upset. I love it.

On my latest trip to Paris this past summer,  one of my aims was to find the famous bread store: Pain Poilâne:

Most people wouldn't choose to spend their limited time in Paris walking the streets looking for bread  (especially since there is a boulangerie on almost every corner)- but my overwhelming love for it compelled me to find the original Pain Poilâne establishment on the rue du Cherche-Midi.


Lionel Poilâne was a French boulanger, and he became famous for his quality bread.
His method was to use stone-ground flour, natural fermentation, and a wood-fired oven.

 
Naturally, I had to get the one with nuts "Pain aux noix"-I got two mini loaves, and they were both full of chopped walnuts.

Since my family is French, I grew up with bread and cheese being its own course in between the main dish and dessert.
When I was young, it took me a long time to understand why-when I had friends over for dinner, they looked confused at the big plate of assorted cheeses brought out before dessert and almost never wanted any.

No wonder I often find myself unsatisfied after eating out- skipping to dessert just won't cut it for me.