PAris BAkeries
Paris is a city where food is part of the culture and identity. While walking around, and trying different pastries, I began to notice how they reflect a system of techniques refined over time. The bakeries use several methods that have been adapted in different places of the world, and all through Paris as well. Though cookies are not a traditional parisian dessert, baking cookies uses a similar technique that bakeries also implement in Paris.
Croissants for example, show layers of crisp and evenly brown colored layers. This process is called lamination, where butter is folded into the dough to create thin layers inside the dough. When baking, the water inside the butter evaporates which produces flakiness.
What stands out the most is consistency, every croissant looks the same; this means that there is a high level of control for the technique. In a business, having such consistency is significant, it maintains structure and standardization.
If changes to a certain pastry were going to be made they should be somewhat discreet such as adding flavor into the butter folds, instead of changing the whole recipe or the whole representation.
Furthermore, éclairs are also a pastry found commonly in Paris, they show how precision transforms a dough into a flavor rich dessert. Écleairs are made using choux pastry, it relies on steam and eggs rather than yeast which is an extremely different method than usual.
This dessert, just like other french pastries, is also known for its uniformity and consistency. Inconsistent shapes and sizes are crucial, still, consistency in ingredients and method can affect texture and flavor which encourages precision. Efficiency is also necessary for polaris bakeries, since tourists walk around year round and they are also part of Parisians daily routines. Bakeries need to have efficient pastries, and non complex recipes that enhance and speed up production without decreasing the quality of the pastries.
Although I found out that cookies are not a traditional parisian dessert, the methods used in bakeries and other pastries can be generalized and used in my cookie business. For instance, consistency: having my cookies look the same everyday adds french tradition to my business. Additionally, increasing efficiency works by not having many changes or variations to recipes or products, which can also be implemented into my business.
Moreover, fruit tarts are also a popular dessert served in Paris, bakeries make sure to not have flakier doughs, instead the crust is crumbly, like a cookie-like structure, which contrasts with the filling.
Parisian bakeries emphasize choosing the right dough to elevate the pastry flavor. Though there are several types of doughs, each one has a different strength such as sweetness or texture. The technique should serve the final experience, every ingredient all together should enrich the flavours. I noticed that bakeries offered adjustable and customizable bases, this allows customers to choose between different crust textures depending on their preference. Both techniques, as mentioned before, offer different strengths which at the end, depend on customer preference. Though there are various options, both components and recipes use classic french methods.
A known technique for fruit tarts is called Nappage, which enhances shine and preserves the freshness of the ingredients inside. This step might be a minor one to make the pastries, but it defines parisian pastry making — perfecting even the smaller details and steps. For this step, the glaze is thin, almost invisible, and enhances the whole dessert. Similarly to minor details, even and consistent coatings is also a traditional parisian technique. Just like the crust of the tart, there are more recent and modern adaptations to them such as a sweeter coating, or even honey as a replacement.
During my visit to different bakeries, I found that bakeries all have the same recipe, same presentation, although some might have changed the recipe somehow, most times it is done the same way, with the same ingredients which emphasizes Paris traditional desserts and consistency.
