In this episode, the Fishwives sit down with Apollonia Poilâne, third-generation baker at one of Paris’s most iconic boulangeries, to explore how a single loaf can hold nearly a century of French history. Apollonia shares how her grandfather refused to chase baguette trends in the 1930s, why the miche became the bread that fed generations, and how Poilâne still maintains a symbolic thread of its original 1932 sourdough technique today.

You’ll hear the real story behind Poilâne’s place in French culture — from bread shaping architecture, politics, and community life, to the unforgettable moment when Salvador Dalí commissioned an entire room made of bread. The conversation dives into grain, fermentation, craftsmanship, food regulation, and the philosophy that guides one of France’s most influential bakeries.

Whether you’re a baker, a history lover, or simply curious why this loaf became a French icon, this episode offers a deep, warm, and surprising look at the craft that built a legacy.

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Paris loves itself a trend — and we’re not talking shoes. For centuries, French bread culture has swung between two poles: the soft, white “fantasy breads” like baguettes, and the rustic, sturdy country loaves built to last. But the Poilâne family has never chased fashion. They’ve spent nearly a century standing by the miche, a massive, wood-fired sourdough loaf that once nourished families for days and still remains a staple of their craft.

At the center of this legacy is Apollonia Poilâne, the third generation to lead her family’s namesake Parisian bakery. She inherited the helm in her late teens and has since become one of France’s most respected voices in breadmaking, carrying forward a philosophy rooted in craft, continuity, and the deep relationship between baker, grain, fermentation, and community.

This week on Fishwives of Paris, Apollonia joins Emily and Caroline to dig into the story behind Poilâne’s iconic miche, from her grandfather’s refusal to follow baguette trends (a stance that got him pushed out of bakery syndicates) to her father’s wildly imaginative collaboration with Salvador Dalí. She also explains how Poilâne preserves a symbolic thread of its original 1932 sourdough technique in every loaf they make, creating a living connection between past and present.

🎙️ Tune in to learn:

• Why Apollonia believes hands are a baker’s most sophisticated tool
• How a miche is sliced properly — even without a cutting board
• How and why her father ended up building an entire room out of bread for Dalí
• Why bread reveals so much about history, politics, and daily French life
• What makes Poilâne’s approach to sourdough unique — and resolutely human

🎧 Fishwives of Paris, where French food myths go to die.

Hosted by Lyon-based sommelier Caroline Fazeli and Paris-based food journalist Emily Monaco.

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