Neighborhood Boulangerie Le Fournil D’eugene Finds Success with Focus and Simplicity in Bread-making
Some boulangeries in France are open non-stop, due in no small part to trying to feed those unfortunate souls that find themselves hungry between the hours of 2 and 7 pm. I get it. There’s a need for it. People be hungry. Le Fournil D’eugene succeeds with its focus and simplicity.
They open at 7 am and close at 1 pm.
There is one baker. His ovens are in the cellar of an old village house in Valbonne. He literally carries the bread out of the cellar on a wicker tray to the storefront right around the corner. Heck… when we first moved to Valbonne a few years ago, the boulangerie’s “storefront” was a pop up tent in front of the cellar door.
The counter is often run by one woman. She may be the baker’s wife, but I don’t yet have the French capabilities to ask her that in a non-awkward fashion. (The pandemic has made everything a little more difficult as well.) She is absolutely darling. She knows Makenna and Chris’ daughter’s name but doesn’t know Chris’ - which must mean she has impeccable taste.
No website. No social media presence. They don’t serve coffee. They don’t make pizza.
...because they don’t need to. They will never have to. This boulangerie is a small operation that focuses on one thing: making amazing bread. Every day they are open, there is a queue outside just before 11 am, marking the joyous daily arrival of what one day will be the world famous “Valbonnais,” their signature loaf of amazing crusty bread. The batch comes out at 11 am and not a moment before.
Their baguettes are great, definitely experience those as well. But the Valbonnais is in a league of its own. If you’re lucky enough to visit, order a Valbonnais or two. If they have it, also get a “Michette d’huile” which is a soft rustic bread made with olive oil.
