Chez Pauline French Bakery - The Taste of Home
La boule
The link between different regions and food is unmistakable. Wherever you grew up, there is probably a food that is associated with it as the best to be found. Pork Tenderloin is an Indiana staple. Similarly, Cincinnati is known for its take on chili, Chicago and Detroit have their own versions of pizza, St. Louis has claimed ownership of a certain type of BBQ, and Louisville is known for bourbon (I’m pretty sure). Now imagine you left home to move to a different country and had to leave your food staple behind. As an Indiana native, I must say that I would miss many things more than pork tenderloin, but having one put in front of me would certainly transport me back home, regardless of where I was in the world.
Now imagine you grew up in a place that was world-renowned for certain food. When I think of France, the consumable things that come to my mind are wine and French Bread. Chez Pauline French Bakery was opened during the Covid pandemic due largely to the owner, Pauline, missing France a little and missing the bread a lot. While living in Fisher, IN has many advantages, a friendly environment for opening new business among them, having fresh French bread was not one of them so Pauline set out to fix the problem for herself and has since decided to help the rest of us out.
Madeleines
When I think of French bread, baguettes immediately come to mind. These are the skinnier loaves of bread that are perfect for making sandwiches, dipping in soup, or eating by themselves. Being a true French Bakery, Chez Pauline of course offers baguettes but don’t look past her other offerings. There are other breads as well as more dessert-type offerings available on her website. Being less reliant on sugar than many baked goods we see in the United States, flavors are perceived as being more complex and pair better with coffee or tea rather than milk.
All items can be ordered online and picked up in Fishers, IN. Or, you can catch Pauline at one of the many markets she participates in each year and grab something there. Baguettes start at $4 each ($5 with sesame seeds) with other items being priced between $3 and $8.
Baguette
