MasterClass

Apollonia Poilâne Teaches Bread Baking

Poilâne CEO Apollonia Poilâne teaches the renowned Parisian bakery’s philosophy and time-tested techniques for baking rustic French breads.

Where to Watch Apollonia Poilâne Teaches Bread Baking

17 Episodes

  • Meet Your Instructor
    E1
    Meet Your InstructorRecounting the story of the bakery started by her grandfather in 1932 and expanded by her father before taking the reins, Apollonia introduces herself and her revered Parisian bakery and explains what you’ll learn in the class.
  • Baking à la Poilâne
    E2
    Baking à la PoilâneLearn some of Apollonia’s core baking philosophies—including using all of one’s senses—as well as practical guidelines for ingredients and equipment.
  • Sourdough Starter
    E3
    Sourdough StarterApollonia demonstrates her French at-home starter, demystifying how to build and maintain a leaven and explaining the richness it lends to loaves.
  • Poilâne-Style Wheat Loaf: Mixing & Shaping
    E4
    Poilâne-Style Wheat Loaf: Mixing & ShapingUsing the sourdough starter made in the previous lesson, Apollonia shares the secrets to mastering Poilâne’s crown jewel—its world-famous country-style wheat loaf—from mixing to proofing and shaping.
  • Poilâne-Style Wheat Loaf: Scoring & Baking
    E5
    Poilâne-Style Wheat Loaf: Scoring & BakingApollonia puts the finishing touches on her wheat loaf—including baking and a scoring tutorial—and walks you through a side-by-side loaf analysis of common baking issues.
  • Rye
    E6
    RyeApollonia introduces you to the Poilâne approach to rye: a rich, floral loaf leavened by the same starter used for the wheat loaf.
  • Pain de Mie
    E7
    Pain de MiePain de mie literally translates to “bread of crumb.” With this first yeast-based recipe, Apollonia demonstrates how using a delicate hand results in a loaf with an irresistible, cloud-like texture.
  • Brioche
    E8
    BriocheApollonia demonstrates the way to achieve the quintessential airy texture and perfectly domed tops of this French favorite while reflecting on time spent honing her brioche technique as a young apprentice in the bakehouse at Poilâne.
  • Savory Corn Flour Bread
    E9
    Savory Corn Flour BreadAn Apollonia original, this corn flour bread is a recipe she spent a decade refining. She shares her process for making the gluten-free and vegan loaf, originally inspired by college dinners at Harvard.
  • Fresh Bread: Sourdough Wheat Tartines
    E10
    Fresh Bread: Sourdough Wheat TartinesDemonstrating an all-time favorite from Poilâne’s sister café, Apollonia shares the recipe for her open-faced ham-and-cheese sandwich and her hack for perfectly toasted slices of bread.
  • Dry Bread: Savory Pain de Mie Pain Perdu
    E11
    Dry Bread: Savory Pain de Mie Pain PerduApollonia shares her savory approach to using dry bread in this tomato-and-curry-studded French toast, a departure from the typically sweet version.
  • Dry Bread: Sourdough Wheat & Rye Granola
    E12
    Dry Bread: Sourdough Wheat & Rye GranolaSwapping oats for dried bread, Apollonia introduces an innovative riff on granola, a great use for loaves that are no longer fresh.
  • Stale Bread: Crouton Variations
    E13
    Stale Bread: Crouton VariationsApollonia demonstrates two techniques for turning stale bread into delicious croutons: one oven-baked, the other pan-fried.
  • Stale Bread: Caesar Salad With Flavored Brioche Croutons
    E14
    Stale Bread: Caesar Salad With Flavored Brioche CroutonsApollonia shares her reimagined version of a Caesar salad featuring richly marinated brioche croutons that become the star of the show.
  • Stale Bread: Breadcrumbs & Sourdough Wheat Pesto
    E15
    Stale Bread: Breadcrumbs & Sourdough Wheat PestoApollonia replaces cheese and pine nuts with breadcrumbs and walnuts in this at once creative and surprisingly true-to-form take on pesto.
  • Bread as Art: Decorating Your Loaves
    E16
    Bread as Art: Decorating Your LoavesPoilâne has a rich history of collaboration with artists, including Apollonia’s father’s friendship with Dalí. Apollonia reflects on the relationship between bread and art, and shows you how to embellish loaves with leaves, roses, and letters.
  • Rye Sablés
    E17
    Rye SablésIn this concluding lesson, Apollonia shows you how to make Poilâne’s popular grain-based cookies, affectionately named punitions, or punishments, because you can’t eat just one.

 

  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices