[As published in West Palm Beach Magazine.]
A good croissant. That’s the only inspiration Chef Loïc Autret needed from his hometown of Champagne, France to make his mark in the Western cuisine scene.
Chef Loïc Autret gets pretty excited about croissants, as does much of the world. But his devotion to the puffed pastry, which is a true French innovation, is a taste of home. He fully understands the ingredients [yeast-leavened dough and butter] and the chemical reactions that occur when making this fine, deceptively simple pastry.
“In the kitchen, consistency is key,” he says. “To achieve this, your dough has to have the same texture every time you bake.”
Baking is an exact science, he admits, and something he appreciated when he came to America in 2000 and joined the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach as head baker and assistant to the executive chef. He certainly took learning English seriously but he focused all his energy on delivering delicious food, and the perfect croissant. And oh, boy, did he master it. When American singer-songwriter, Bruce Springsteen came to the hotel and tasted Chef Loïc’s croissant, he went over the moon about it!
His Cafe and Bakery, Loic Bakery Cafe Bar is at 480 Hibiscus St, very close to Rosemary Square. As you enter Loïc Bakery’s kitchen, you find everything a professional chef would need to reach his regular culinary goals. He has mise en place—every-thing in its place—which equates to happier, speedier cooking. Read more>>