As surprising as it may seem, many bakeries do not make their own pastries and sell industrial products. Here are 3 clues to spot an artisanal pastry.
The bakers don’t have no obligation to make their own pastries. And while everyone was arguing about whether to say pain au chocolat or chocolatine, we didn’t really pay attention to the fact that some croissants and pain au chocolat sold in bakeries are actually industrial products. And worse still, there are no official figures on the subject since bakers are not not obliged to declare whether they make their pastries or not.
The title of baker only requires them to make bread in their premises. According to the Federation of Bakery Companies, 80% of pastries in bakeries are frozen in 2020. And in 2022, a FranceAgriMer study suggests that 50% of bakers buy industrial pastries. A figure obtained after a survey carried out on 482 professionals.
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A label to certify craftsmanship
And as always, it’s obviously about saving money. “Industrialists manage to imitate what we do very well, so it’s very complicated to make a difference,” explains Michel Cornille, former baker in Côte d’Or joined to RMC Conso. Before specifying: “some people make this choice because it is cheaper. With the increase in the price of electricity and labor, it amounts to at least 60 cents the unit to make its pain au chocolat, where manufacturers sell them around 30 cents.”
But then how can you recognize an artisanal pastry from an industrial pastry? To begin with, there is a label founded in 2016 by Michel Cornille, which today brings together approximately 600 artisans. The label is called The Saint-Honoré charter and is often attached to the windows of bakeries which produce their own products.
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The visible differences between artisanal and industrial pastries
First way to identify an artisanal bakery: the number of products presented in the window. “If there are too many different products, it can be fishy, because it takes time to do everything yourself,” explains Michel Cornille. Another more radical solution: “Ask the baker to open the doors of his workshop for you, if he refuses, run away!” And to get an idea with the naked eye, baker Thierry Rabineau advises you to carefully observe the appearance of a pain au chocolat.
“Just look carefully at the pain au chocolat: a homemade pain au chocolat is strongly streaked on the sides, this is the mark of well-worked lamination”, he explains. Before adding: “You can also do the coffee test. An industrial chocolate bread dipped in coffee, It’s a sponge, it absorbs the coffee.” A method that works after purchasing the pain au chocolat. For the baker Sylvain Belouin, it is quite easy to recognize an industrial pain au chocolat since the latter has “a somewhat dull color”. And conversely, “an artisanal pain au chocolat is rounded, shiny, and above all it has a good taste of butter”. With these tips, you shouldn’t be fooled again!
Passionate about women’s news, Agathe has been deciphering the latest trends for aufeminin since 2022. Her favorite areas? Psychology, nutrition and well-being advice, without forgetting the tips…