If asked if you knew what type of bread the French were eating centuries ago, your answer would most likely be the French baguette, but in fact, the baguette, as we know it, did not appear in the French food scene until the 19th century. Before the arrival of this import, the sourdough bread was the quintessential French bread and this traditional bread lives on till today through Poilne, France's most famous artisan bakery.

Started in 1932, Pierre Poilne, a young baker from Normandy, opened his first shop in Paris. By then, the French public was clamoring for white bread, which was made scarce during World War II, but Pierre Poilne persisted. Poilne continued the production of the French sourdough and the result is his signature 4 pound round off-white sourdough loaf, with the recognizable "P" initial, still present today.

By the 1970s, Pierre's son, Lionel took over the family business and took Poilne to new heights. Lionel Poilne began his apprenticeship at the age of 14, and since then, had been obsessed with all forms of bread. He believed in creating bread through a combination of the best of the old techniques with the best of the new, naming his philosophy "Retro-Innovation". The result is the array of delicious breads, the Rye Flour bread, the Walnut bread, Viennese pastries, and "punitions" (small butter cookies), all on offer these days in the same Rue du Cherche Midi store opened by his father.

Poilne's sourdough bread preparation still continues in the same way, with natural fermentation, manual techniques, and of which all of the loaves are baked in 100-ton wood-fired brick ovens fed with waste wood. This signature loaf is made from 4 essential ingredients, water, flour, salt and raising agent, and if this sounds simple enough for you to recreate on your own, then you are entirely mistaken.

The Poilne sourdough uses salt from Guerande, the best wheat available and exclusively stone-ground flour. However, the defining element of Poilne's sourdough lies not in the first class ingredients, but in the raising agent. A piece of dough is taken from each batch of bread and used as a starter for the next batch, and this tradition has continued from Pierre's time till now. So each time you take a bite of Poilne's sourdough, you are taking a bite of history. Pierre Poilne's original sourdough lives on in each loaf.

The Poilne sourdough has a tangy taste, a result of the natural fermentation with leaven, and this natural acidity adds a new dimension to its taste. In addition to being pleasing to the palate, Poilne bread boasts numerous health benefits. Unlike industrial processed food, Poilne bread is rich in Magnesium, Selenium and Iodine. Selenium, a major component of anti-oxidants, combats aging, while Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Cultures in the natural leaven stimulate the immune system and may help prevent intestinal infections, while its high fibre content is a strong contender in the fight against cancer of the digestive tract.

All this may explain the worldwide success of Poilne. Under the leadership of Lionel Poilne, Poilne bread takes on new identities, such as bread art sculpture, created in the 1970s in collaboration with the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, or as the essential ingredient in a French tartine (open-faced sandwich). In 2002, Appollonia Poilne steps into her father, Lionel Poilne's, shoes and takes over the family business after the tragic death of her parents and she seems poised to inject a youthful perspective into this famous French bakery.

As Poilne steps into the 21st century, its presence is felt all over the world. In addition to the London shop, opened in 2000, Poilne bread is sold at numerous global gourmet retailers and has also embraced the technological world by offering their famous breads online. For those of us lusting after a bite of this distinctive slice of bread on this side of the continent, far away from the Parisian world of Poilne, then drop by the Great Food Hall bakery to purchase a slice of history, a slice of good health, and a tangy slice of toast at its best.

(HK Edition 07/09/2008 page4)