The Dish: Making croissants from L'Atelier Bakery

Yum, time now for the dish, and we're taking you to a hidden gem in Manioc that is a true slice of Paris in Philly. Not so hidden anymore, because we're about to tell you all about it. L'Atelier is a boulangerie and a patisserie, and not only can you enjoy their authentic homemade Parisian treats, you can also learn how to make them. We're called L'Atelier because L'Atelier means workshop. Julie Brami owns L'Atelier Bakery, a French boulangerie and patisserie tucked away in Manioc. We have multiple kinds of bread, from baguette, pain de campagne, pain aux olives, and more. We have croissant, we have brioche. Say more. Imported coffee, French sea salt, and olive oil. She's open for pre-order and pick-ups every Friday. It's just right here in the hallway? It's a little gritty. Nope, Philly loves gritty. L'Atelier, the workshop, is where you learn to make some of France's most famous pastries and breads. Croissant, baguette, sourdough, and now we're expanding to also bistro night. We all cook together a three-course meal, and we sit down and enjoy it family style. Brami moved to Philadelphia nine years ago and had a bit of a career renaissance. I went from banker to baker. Yes! Banker to baker. She opened L'Atelier in this little nook on Crams Avenue in November after training with the best. I did the boulangerie program at Cordon Bleu Paris for three months. Which is very prestigious. Yes, big deal. And very French. And now she's teaching us. This is my first croissant right here. Croissant. Full disclosure, the dough is a labor-intensive, high-maintenance kind of gal. Going from this to this takes patience and precision. I mean, this is art. Yes. And science. So, that's actually what I love about boulangerie. Pastry is like full art. And math. A croissant is a croissant if it's between 70 and 75 grams. And if it is about three millimeter in thickness. It takes one to two days to make a croissant. When your dough is ready, you'll see this beautiful baby cheek kind of texture. Okay, that's really cute. Now, chill and when she's ready, we roll. I'm really making you earn that croissant. Oh yeah, I know. I never worked harder for a pastry in my life. The laminating is where we add the magic touch, the butter. And talking about therapeutic, we're gonna beat the butter. And so now I lock in my butter with my dough. And then we fold. So, a croissant is one double fold and one single fold. And we slice. And then I'm gonna keep doing that until I get six croissants. I think I only have five. That's okay. Now, the iconic shape. Wait, did I do it? Yes, you did. Look how cute. To the proofer we go. Then. Jiggle test. A shiny egg wash. They're gonna glisten. And finally, a date with the oven. And then, straight to your belly and your heart. Bon appetit. Cheers. Wow. How lucky we are. A true bite of Paris in Philadelphia. It's perfect. Now, she can make them and you can go pick them up on Fridays. Or you can take one of the classes, which I think might be fun for a little trip. Right? There's nothing like a fresh croissant. Oh, nice and warm, right out of the oven. Coffee, there you go. I will be honest with you, having done the work, I don't think they're charging nearly enough in the world for this pastry. Okay. Yeah, charge more. It's labor intensive. We've got the recipe for you, though, if you want to try it. Go for it.