Finding the Best Bread in Paris

It may be surprising to see, upon arriving in Paris, that the cliché of Parisians heading home at night with a baguette under their arm is absolutely true. You may not see many berets or striped shirts, but the daily baguette-buying tradition is one that remains largely widespread. The French take their bread seriously, and the baguette—the most iconic of Parisian breads—is held to high standards of quality. French law states that baguettes can only be made using four ingredients: flour, a leavening agent, water, and salt. While the classic baguette remains a staple at the Parisian’s dinner table (in the countryside you are much more likely to find the people buy a large loaf of bread, or pain de campagne, that is consumed throughout the week), a growing interest in locally sourced alternative flours, wild yeasts, and organic ingredients has brought a wider variety of breads to the city’s bakeries.