Her enthusiasm comes through in her work, that's for sure. As for the other video...I have to admit, it reminds me a bit of the Everlasting Gobstopper machine from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version of course).
Absolutely facsinating! Thank you for posting this. (A bit unnerving she holds the blade between her lips while loading the dough. Wonder how many times she's had a little accident.....:p)
There's another video of an old-school baker in the South of France. He uses his lame exatcly the same way. He also sports a head lamp so he can see inside the oven. Clever.
ever wondered if real artisan bread was still being made in the world, this video proves that bread is still made totally by hand, without machines and baked in WFO by real artisans whose product is considered the very, very best - even good enough to be featured in videos by documentary film makers. This is the very definition of artisan. What a delight to see a real artisan at play. She even knows the most efficient place to put her razor blade! Very inspiring indeed.
I've seen a lot of Paris bakeries and they are surprising mostly in their tinyness. I've learned so much about working cleanly and paying attention to good organization by thinking about these microscopic spaces.
Our baker is using an ancient variety of wheat that requires gentle handling - so this may speak somewhat to her choice of the hand mix - although she drags into work at the late hour of 4AM :>)
I'm also gratified to see that she really only mixes one main dough and creates her variations by mixing in a few ingredients after taking prtions of the almost mixed dough.
"My teacher" tells many stories about time spent as an apprentice with a French baker. (Some are not fit for these pages...) One especially memorable one is that blade were held exactly as the film illustrates. This is demonstrated often. I was encouraged to do the same, but cited workers comp concerns...
I am sorry to bring up that topic, but I am actually looking for this video. L'écové was my mother's bakery, I am the little girl looking very angry in this video (cameramen were quite rude). A few years ago, I have discovered the existence of this report (we were not even noticed it has been eventually posted on internet) and I would like to save it.
The bakery has stopped activity in june 2012 due to family problems, and it has been heartbreaking for my mother. She's well now (and has never had any accident with the blade in her mouth ;) ), but still sensitive to any feedback about the bread or the bakery... So I would love to have that video and give it to her. Unfortunately, I can't find it on Dailymotion anymore...
Besides, huge thanks for your comments. It is the first time I see them, and it is extraordinary... My mother does not speak english, so I will translate this page for her. Be sure she will be extremely touched. (Even if I don(t know how many of you will see this 6 years after.....)
Sorry for my english, thank you very much, and have an excellent day knowing that you enlighted mine !!
Did you ever find the video? I came across it recently and then found this thread. In case you didn't already locate it, you can find the video here on YouTube:
Thank you so much! A few news of this bakery, if someone on this lovely thread is interested : it closed around 2012, and we left the valley. My mom carried the bricks from the oven with her through several moves, until last sptember (2021), when she decided to rebuild the bakery and start again. It opened in January in Lherm, a charming (and very very small) french village, which explains its new name (La boulange de Lherm, "boulange" being a shortening of "boulangerie", i.e. bakery in french).
It reminds me of how little mechanization we really need to make good bread.
Linda
Yes, very little mechanization and also not much space also.
-Mark
Lots of soul in her bread, Mark. Love how she holds her lame.
At the other end of the spectrum is this (no music, appropriately so):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTIkYw7N0Vs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Her enthusiasm comes through in her work, that's for sure. As for the other video...I have to admit, it reminds me a bit of the Everlasting Gobstopper machine from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version of course).
-Mark
Images of Fritz Lang's Metropolis dancing in my head.
Absolutely facsinating! Thank you for posting this. (A bit unnerving she holds the blade between her lips while loading the dough. Wonder how many times she's had a little accident.....:p)
...she never has to say to herself, "Now where did I put that blade?"
-Mark
I just hope nobody tries to speak to her or suddenly bang her back from behind when she's loading the bread....:p
There's another video of an old-school baker in the South of France. He uses his lame exatcly the same way. He also sports a head lamp so he can see inside the oven. Clever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydvKrQ-z1Ic
I'm amazed at how wide the dough trough is at La boulangerie de l'écové. My back would be killing me!
ever wondered if real artisan bread was still being made in the world, this video proves that bread is still made totally by hand, without machines and baked in WFO by real artisans whose product is considered the very, very best - even good enough to be featured in videos by documentary film makers. This is the very definition of artisan. What a delight to see a real artisan at play. She even knows the most efficient place to put her razor blade! Very inspiring indeed.
Thanks Mark!
I've seen a lot of Paris bakeries and they are surprising mostly in their tinyness. I've learned so much about working cleanly and paying attention to good organization by thinking about these microscopic spaces.
Our baker is using an ancient variety of wheat that requires gentle handling - so this may speak somewhat to her choice of the hand mix - although she drags into work at the late hour of 4AM :>)
I'm also gratified to see that she really only mixes one main dough and creates her variations by mixing in a few ingredients after taking prtions of the almost mixed dough.
"My teacher" tells many stories about time spent as an apprentice with a French baker. (Some are not fit for these pages...) One especially memorable one is that blade were held exactly as the film illustrates. This is demonstrated often. I was encouraged to do the same, but cited workers comp concerns...
Nice film. Thanks.
....is amazing. That bread has soul in it. The second one, "untouched by human hands" has none.
from my home town of KCMO. Paul McCcool has blogged favorably about this bakery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69DliUMJbeU
Hello everyone,
I am sorry to bring up that topic, but I am actually looking for this video. L'écové was my mother's bakery, I am the little girl looking very angry in this video (cameramen were quite rude). A few years ago, I have discovered the existence of this report (we were not even noticed it has been eventually posted on internet) and I would like to save it.
The bakery has stopped activity in june 2012 due to family problems, and it has been heartbreaking for my mother. She's well now (and has never had any accident with the blade in her mouth ;) ), but still sensitive to any feedback about the bread or the bakery... So I would love to have that video and give it to her. Unfortunately, I can't find it on Dailymotion anymore...
Besides, huge thanks for your comments. It is the first time I see them, and it is extraordinary... My mother does not speak english, so I will translate this page for her. Be sure she will be extremely touched. (Even if I don(t know how many of you will see this 6 years after.....)
Sorry for my english, thank you very much, and have an excellent day knowing that you enlighted mine !!
I’m asking around to see if anyone can locate the video and will let you know if someone finds it.
Thanks for telling your story and tell your mom that many people around the world found her video inspirational.
-Mark
- Averil
Hi Averil,
Did you ever find the video? I came across it recently and then found this thread. In case you didn't already locate it, you can find the video here on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl90YrNOFmI
William
Hi William,
Thank you so much!
A few news of this bakery, if someone on this lovely thread is interested : it closed around 2012, and we left the valley. My mom carried the bricks from the oven with her through several moves, until last sptember (2021), when she decided to rebuild the bakery and start again. It opened in January in Lherm, a charming (and very very small) french village, which explains its new name (La boulange de Lherm, "boulange" being a shortening of "boulangerie", i.e. bakery in french).
You can find more information (but no video yet) here : https://laboulangedelherm.wixsite.com/boulangedelherm
Thank you again, and have a nice day :)
Averil
It's fantastic to hear that you mother has been able to reopen her bakery! Thank you for sharing the good news. Wishing her all the best!
William
The new bakery looks lovely, I almost imagined the whole family building a new oven with the bricks.
Are you tempted at all to follow in your mother's footsteps and become a professional baker as well?
-Jon