La Fabrique Pains et Bricoles
Gateau Basque
Winter Fruit Clafoutis
Financier
Butter Croissant
Canele
Madeline
Apple Tart
Located not far from a culinary arts center as well as several stores selling artisan goods both edible and not, those unaware of Bordeaux’s bakeries may pass right by the bright red building housing La Fabrique Pains et Bricoles, but for those fortunate enough to enter inside the aroma of burning wood and yeast is but the first of many rewards, the quality of each item tasted setting a standard unrivaled by anywhere else in the city.
Focused on old-world technique, the selection of breads varying by day along with a collection of pastries and viennoiserie, it was largely a matter of planning and favorable traffic that saw me arrive just after doors opened at 8am on Monday when bakers were still present, and with most options still warm the question of how much to order was largely that of preferences alongside those of capacity.
Undoubtedly a place where anything but a “one of each” order will see desirable items left behind, the prices shockingly low with a total bill of just €10.45 for seven selections akin to robbing the place, it was in a chilly Place Camille Jullian that I sat to partake, first bites of the airy croissant awash with butter as golden flakes fluttered away in the stiff breeze.
Taking a unique approach to presentation, the apple ‘tart’ a delicate finger of stewed fruit between layers of buttery cake with a toothsome texture while the financier was a smooth orb dusted with powdered sugar atop rich nutty notes, those fancying clafoutis should make an early morning visit to La Fabrique Pains et Bricoles a top priority, the version offered in late November a creamy masterpiece with raw sections of citrus and stonefruit on top and cooked bits at the still steaming center.
Turning to classics at the end, a Madeline with light lemon as good as any straight from the pan, it should seem obvious that when in Bordeaux the canele is nothing short of mandatory, this version as good as any found outside the restaurant setting while the flawless Gateau Basque was a hearty way to finish, the double layered shell rich with almond flour around a pastry cream center.
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