Baguette is a French haven for foodies

• Founder Nathalie Pujolle on what goes into establishing an authentic French bakery

By Venessa Anthony

French pastries and bread have a long and rich history that is closely tied to the country’s culinary traditions and culture. Pastries have been an integral part of French cuisine for centuries, and many of the pastries that we know and love today have their roots in France. Perhaps you’re in the mood for a flaky, buttery croissant, or a rich cream-filled eclair. You no longer have to leave your cravings unanswered – local French bakery Baguette is here for all your French food cravings.

Baguette is Sri Lanka’s first authentic French bakery that has been in the industry for almost seven years now. Speaking to Baguette Founder Nathalie Pujolle, The Morning Brunch learnt all about the inception of the bakery.

“I was born in Provence, France. After a long corporate career in finance in Tokyo, I decided to pursue my passion and train in pastry at the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu and come to this beautiful island to open an authentic French bakery,” she said.

She added that once she visited Sri Lanka, she saw potential in the food industry for the tourism sector as many ex-pats were looking for authentic food, and upon this realisation, she started up Baguette back in 2016, which is now thriving with three branches in various locations.

One of the most iconic French pastries is the croissant, which is believed to have been invented in the 19th Century in Vienna, Austria. The croissant became popular in France in the early 20th Century and has since become a staple of French patisseries and cafés. Baguette has established itself as the best place in Sri Lanka to get authentic French croissants made with pure butter from France. They also have a range of artisanal breads and indulgent desserts and are renowned for the authenticity of their French croissant.

When you bite into a croissant, you will notice layers of flaky, buttery dough that have been created through the lamination process. The layers should be thin and delicate, and the croissant should be tender and slightly chewy. The buttery flavour of the dough is also a key characteristic of a good croissant and should be rich and creamy without being overly greasy. That is exactly what you can expect from the croissants at Baguette. Describing how they perfect their croissants, and the secret behind why customers keep coming back for more, Pujolle said: “The dough we use for our croissants has been folded over and over again to create dozens of thin layers of butter and dough. We also make sure our croissants have a nice flaky outer crust that falls off easily. So the messier it gets the better the croissant!”

Baguette also specialises in French bread and prides itself on offering the best bread in the city. According to Pujolle, the bakery offers over 10 varieties of sourdough bread, all of which are made from scratch using only the finest ingredients, including imported flour from Germany. In order to give their customers the most authentic experience, Baguette does not use any preservatives, sugar, or sourdough powder in their bread. In fact, when the bakery first opened, they even made their own stock of bacteria to use in place of commercial yeast, which is not always the healthiest option. Customers of Baguette can be confident that they are getting high-quality, artisanal bread when they visit the bakery.

So next time you’re in the mood for an authentic French delight, you know exactly where to head too. These mouth-watering pastries are not going to let you down.