Boulangerie les pains de Laurence

We have a new bakery in Preuilly sur Claise. It's owned and run by Laurence. She is already well known locally for her organic naturally leavened bread baked in a wood-fired oven. She used to work from her farmhouse in Boussay, but the business has outgrown the space.

Inside the shop.

She doesn't do pâtisseries, only breads and viennoiseries. Pâtisseries are fancy concoctions of cake, cream, fruit, pastry and mousses. Viennoiseries are yeast based baked goods such as croissants, pains au chocolat, brioches and chaussons aux pommes (apple turnovers, made with apples from Les Jardins Vergers, the organic market garden and orchard on the edge of town). For the moment she is not making pizzas. She says she needs to grow the core of the business first and then it is certainly in her mind to do pizzas again, but she doesn't know when.

The oven, right behind the counter.
The water in the bottle is tipped into the black receptacle on the wall, enters the oven and creates steam. The oven door opens inwards as Laurence pushes it with the pelle.

I really like Laurence and her bread. I don't know her well, rarely encountering her other than when she has been selling her wares at the market, but she comes across as hard working, modest and charming. I'm very happy to support this new enterprise by purchasing a few things every week. I like the ethos behind the business and good multigrain sourdough bread.

Baguettes aux grains, priced at €1.30 each, and what I usually purchase.

The bakery isn't well situated in terms of passing trade. The street it is located in isn't on the way to anywhere. But the locals have long been in the habit of going to wherever Laurence is selling her bread. Her products have quite a reputation in the area and people will make an effort to obtain them. 

Laurence doesn't like having her photo taken and tried to dodge the camera.

The bakery is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7.30 am to 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm, then on Sundays from 7.30 am to 8.00 pm. She is closed on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. The address is 21 rue de la croix, Preuilly sur Claise (opposite the College Gaston Defferre). You can simply visit the shop during opening hours or if you want something in particular you can place an order by phoning 02 47 92 99 98 or emailing lespainsdelaurence @ hotmail.fr (take out the spaces when emailing). Everything is certified organic.

To see an earlier post about Laurence and her bread click here: The Beautiful Baker.