In France, a bakery cannot legally be called a bakery if the baker is freezing or storing raw or par-cooked dough before baking it. We don’ have that regulation here, but Chaumont is sticking with their homeland’s tradition and only baking freshly proofed dough each morning at 3 am. Denis Bocq, who was with Le Pain Quotidien, makes the bread.
The bakery opens at 6:30 each morning and pastry chef Nicolas Rancon brings out his croissants (plain, chocolate, almond and chocolate-almond), chouquettes (small puffs of sugared pastry), eclairs, tarts and cakes. They also have sandwiches and salads like a lemony kale salad with dates and goat cheese and the Nicoise with kalamata olives. Sandwiches include a Banh Mi with smoked Scottish salmon and a grilled vegetable version with balsamic glaze. There are also American-style egg dishes for breakfast or if you have sweet tooth early in the morning, grab a bowl of strawberries and cream. Open daily until 6:30 pm.
