By Hannah Wente | Photography by Hillary Schave
As the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris captivate audiences worldwide this month, why not elevate your watch party with a taste of France? In the heart of the Midwest, French transplants, descendants and enthusiasts are passionately preserving traditional French baking techniques.
FAR BRETON BAKERY
Marie Arzel Young remembers yearly summers as a kid spent in Brittany — an area of France with its own Celtic- like language, near Wales, England and Ireland. The area has its own specialties like kouign-amann (a cross between a croissant and a sticky bun) — which she shares with Madison at her northside bakery and at the Dane County Farmers’ Market. The culture and language of Brittany is called Breton — hence the name Far Breton Bakery.
“In my 20s, I was watching Jacques Pepin and Julia Childs, then recreating their dishes,” reminisces Arzel Young. “I thought, ‘I’m the best cook and baker I know — maybe I should turn it into a career.’”
As a kid, Arzel Young’s grandmother would drive to the supermarché to pick up frozen croissants. Young Marie would wrap one in foil and put it in the hot oven. This warm and fuzzy memory was recreated for her while working years back for Odessa Piper, founder of L’Etoile, baking croissants. Arzel Young merged these experiences with Julia Child’s French cooking and what she learned during Madison College’s culinary arts program and made a few changes to launch the croissant that’s on her bakery’s menu today.
An expansion of her current space is already underway, and Arzel Young says it should be completed in late 2024 or early 2025.
1924 Fordem Ave., farbretonbakery.com
MACARONS BY SIM
Simona Fabian sells handmade, gluten-free and dairy-free French macarons for special occasions and at the Madison Night Market, Sun Prairie Farmers’ Market and Monroe Street Farmers’ Market.
She found baking to be the perfect business and fit for her life as a stay-at-home mom.
“I had friends ask me to sell baked goods that I was bringing to parties,” says Fabian.
One day, a friend asked her to make macarons. Word got out and macaron orders started pouring in. She officially opened Macarons by Sim five and a half years ago.
“It’s a very light, delicious and fancy dessert,” she says.
Her 20-plus brightly-colored macarons come in flavors like organic raspberry, red velvet with a cream cheese filling and cookies and cream with crushed, gluten-free Oreos in the center. Seasonal summer flavors include piña colada and margarita. She also hosts macaron decorating classes at Wine & Design.
Although her name is French, Fabian is Romanian. She comes from a long line of bakers — her mother-in-law has been a baker for 40 years.
“It was just meant to be,” she says.
As for a storefront, stay tuned. @macaronsbysim
LA BAGUETTE
Carine and Olivier Vigy moved from east of Paris to Madison in 2001. They opened their bakery and restaurant on Mineral Point Road in 2008 to share French culture and cuisine with Madisonians.
“My husband is a French baker. He trained and went to school in France,” says Carine.
As a traditional boulangerie, they offer lunch sandwiches made with fresh bread. One is the Parisien, with ham, Swiss cheese, butter and cornichons (tiny sweet pickles also known as gherkins) on a baguette. The bakery case is stacked full of a variety of tarts, eclairs, quiches and macarons. The most popular breakfast pastry items are the pain chocolat and almond croissant. Fresh crepes are available to order — just as they would be served on the streets of Montmartre.
7424 Mineral Point Rd., labaguette.cafe
