The bread under discussion is itself part of a revolution. Since the invention of the steam oven a century before, French bread was the insipid, if iconic, industrial baguette. TOday's loaves are the result of a 1980s a reactionary movement in bread baking led by Lionel Poilâne. Poilâne revived artisanal bread, much more delicious and satisfying, which now we take for granted.

(Amusingly people liked his bread so much that there were always queues outside the bakery in the morning. In the Soviet Union they printed photos of this in the newspaper to show that even in the West there were bread queues, so all the claims of a better life there must be propaganda.)

The article also mentions Guy Savoy: his restaurant has three stars which is presumably why he is name-dropped. What they should have mentioned is that when you eat there, not only does the sommelier pair wine with your course, but a bread "sommelier" comes by with a special cart and recommends specific breads for each course as well.

Poilâne's shop in the 7th retains a lot of anachronisms: walk in and everybody greets each other, and the ladies behind the counter liked to hand little treats to my son when he was small.