When I recently caught up with 3rd generation baker & 4th generation entrepreneur Gontran Cherrier for breakfast in his first bakery it was anything but traditional. Although the rest of the Montmartre neighborhood seemed to be there queuing for the flaky butter croissants (in fact, they were taking them out of the oven just as fast as they were being ordered) we were chatting over coffee about his latest projects while tasting his soon-to-be released savory creation: Za’tar focaccia (dried thyme, oregano, sesame, salt and marjoram.)
To “go against the grain” is to do something that is the opposite of what is usually done – and like many of the “next” generation of chefs, bakers and chocolate makers in Paris charting new territory – Cherrier has broken free of tradition. Even though he has the standard baguettes and croissants characteristic of any French bakery, as a savory gal, I came in search of the diverse international breads and treats he’s baking.
Cherrier trained with his father and grandfather as a young boy in their native Normandy absorbing the classics, “They taught me what you can do with breads traditionally,” when he then went on to work with Alain Passard at L’Arpege and Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton where he learned, “How to recognize a good product,” all before traveling the world “To transition from what has always been … to discovering new possibilities.”
New possibilities is an understatement. He’s not only sourcing the freshest flour, fruits, herbs and seeds he can find, the hard levain gets a dash of orange juice and the liquid levain is tickled with cider to create a rainbow of colored bagels, rolls, focaccia and everything in-between using American, Indian, Middle Eastern and Japanese influences to make breads that take center stage on the table.
I asked Cherrier what the most fulfilling part was in opening his first bakery after all his travels and working behind someone else’s stoves…and his face lit up, “Oh but Wendy, it is definitely the contact with the customers! We talk about everything, what they like, what they prefer, where they have been, new ideas.”
For all the products on offer, his kitchen is manned with only two bakers (plus him) and a patissier to turn out those buttery croissants, viennoisseries, and savory breads that have livened up a quartier known for more “Best Baguette in Paris” winners than anywhere else in the city – where Cherrier’s version won 4th place having only been open five months.
Although Gontran’s skill goes far, far beyond his well-publicized good looks, he is dead serious when talking about a younger, new “sexier” generation of breads (adding that for centuries breads have taken on the shape of female and male sex organs). This uh, er, passion has unintentionally increased the legion of fans logging onto Facebook and tuning in to the TV station his show airs on, to see what he has to say next.
His humility, modest ambition and natural talent reminds me of my friend, an American turned next generation Parisian chef who share similar traits; both are curious, inventive and won’t stop until their last idea does. To them, it isn’t about being the biggest or best, but in creating something special that is personally and professionally thought provoking. It isn’t a career, it is journey – which lies solely in the process of a “pinch of this and a pinch of that” to arrive at a product they are proud to both eat and to share with their clients.
Gontran’s mission of taking the bread basket as an afterthought to bread that can be eaten alone as a course on its own is an interesting concept – instead of snobbery bread pairing; he’s focused on the harmony between bread and food – bridging childhood memories and the present.
Looking at all the gorgeous bread choices lining the shelves, I asked him for some bread pairing suggestions.
Foie gras? He doesn’t hesitate, “The red Miso-Rye.”
Oysters and seafood? He hesitates briefly, “The red Miso-Rye?”
And a cheese platter? He looks at me, throws his head back and laughs out loud, “The red Miso-Rye!”
Although the bread pairing ideas had the red Miso-rye bread as an overall winner for most foods, he says the cumin-caraway seed is fantastic with oysters, fish and seafood while his lemon, fennel and fig bread will liven up even the prettiest of cheese platters.
When I inquired as to how he knows he has a winner bread on his hands, he smiles, “Every chef has their own particular taste – and mine is what I find takes a bread from a side staple in a basket on the table, to a bread that can be eaten alone on its own.”
When I asked him if his local Parisian community has embraced his diverse approach to non-traditional French breads he winks, “They have, and they love the red Miso-Rye!”
The loaf breads are massive, weighing in at 2 kilos (just over 4 lbs to you and me), with a thick well-cooked crust and an aromatic crumb – begging not for butter, just to be tasted.
Aside from the large round loaves, there are savory tartes that sing with flavor topped with arugula, tomato and bacon or red onion & Parmesan, flans, lemon-apple turnovers, butter croissants, smoked salmon bagels, pain au chocolat and the popular color-taste themed savory sandwiches in rouge “red” (paprika, bacon and red onion), “noir” black (squid ink, smoked swordfish and grilled speck ham) and “vert” green (arugula and avacado).
His first bakery is already a huge success, and its proximity on the corner makes it a popular place for people watching from one of the window chairs where you’ll find locals reading a newspaper (or one of his eight cookbooks!) with a coffee or queuing up to take treats home.
I took some of the red Miso-Rye with me since Gontran insisted on it. Coincidentally, I had lunch at Pierre Jancou’s Vivant immediately after my visit with Cherrier and ordered his AMAZING foie gras mi-cuit (asking Pierre if we could try the red Miso-Rye with it, to which he kindly agreed & tasted the bread and said, “it is really good!”) and for lunch the next day, I finished the loaf grilled as a crostini for green tomatoes, fleur de sel and lemon olive oil. Cherrier was right, it is a great crossover bread.
Gontran, let’s start to work on that cornbread with mint, blackberry jam and crème fraîche idea soon, ok?
I’d say walk don’t run to Gontran’s bakery but since it is all uphill, honey, I’d seriously recommend a taxi. It is so worth it.
Website(s):
http://www.gontran-cherrier.com
http://www.gontrancherrierboulanger.com
Follow Gontran on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/gontran.cherrier
Gontran Cherrier
22 rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris
Open 7:30 am-8:30 pm Mon -Sat and Sunday from 7:30am-7:30 pm. Closed Wed.
Summer Hours: Closed August 8th – 18th.
