Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-famous Bread Bakery

Poilâne, a third-generation bread baker, shares solid, accessible recipes from her landmark Parisian bakery. The recipes include a home version of the bakery’s signature sourdough, and Poilâne’s descriptions of processes—how bakers assess temperature without thermometers, head baker Felix’s ability to fashion a loaf in a lightning-fast three seconds—fascinate. But less bread-centric recipes (many from a cafe opened in 1996) feel off-topic; while she offers her father’s quirky yet enticing bread sandwich (“a piece of thin bread, buttered and toasted, sandwiched between two buttered slices of untoasted bread”), she also suggests a farro and green tomato salad and the Peruvian corn drink, chicha morada. Recipes are organized into three sections—morning (bread, croissants, and granola with bread crumbs in place of oats), afternoon (sandwiches, salads, and sweets like ice cream dotted with toasted bread cubes), and evening (experiments such as a “rice bread” made by pressing cooked rice into a pan). Sidebars include a thoughtful essay on a chandelier in the bakery that is a replica of one her father made for Salvador Dalí, and practical instructions for storing bread (freeze individually wrapped slices). Though occasionally this collection veers offtrack, the author’s gentle voice and thoughtful insights beautifully enhance the many outstanding recipes. (Oct.)