What Du Pain et des Idées is known for
Christophe Vasseur chose baking 'by conviction' at 30 and opened Du Pain et des Idées in 2002 inside a classified 19th-century shopfront with painted ceilings on rue Yves Toudic. His signature Pain des Amis, a long-fermented rustic loaf with a thick, smoky crust, is hand-shaped daily.
Christophe Vasseur didn't set out to be a baker. He chose the trade "by conviction" at 30, and in 2002 he found a space on rue Yves Toudic, at the corner of rue de Marseille in Paris's 10th arrondissement, that convinced him he'd found the right place: a shopfront with a classified 19th-century facade, its ceilings still carrying their original paintwork.
The bakery's signature is the Pain des Amis, a rustic loaf built on long fermentation and hand-shaping, known for a thick, golden crust and a smoky aroma from the oven. Vasseur has since expanded the original bakery into three adjoining spaces — the bakery itself, a dining table, and a glass-fronted workshop where visitors can watch bread being made — and the shop also produces pizzas and viennoiseries alongside its breads.
Vasseur has written about his approach to the craft in "Le Pain: de la Terre à la Table," sold in the shop, and the bakery runs weekly Wednesday-evening bread-making workshops open to the public.
Best for — Long-fermented Pain des Amis and hand-shaped Paris breads
Handcrafted daily using organic flours and traditional fermentation.
Where next
- La Manufacture d'Anouk — Germany
- Schokodeern — Kiel
- Ki'Xocolatl — Mexico
Hand-curated for ORBIS · no paid placement