bake - November 2018 - 10

Michel

SUAS

Michel Suas, a native of France, started

challenge to future growth for artisan

baking when he was 14. At the age of 21,

bread depends on the ability of bakers

he was named the head pastry chef at

to produce whole grain and "healthy"

Restaurant Barrier, in Paris. Barrier was

breads that look as "sexy" as they taste,

one of 12 French restaurants given the

Suas said. "When you look at it, it looks

coveted three-star Michelin award. Suas

great. When you taste it, it tastes great,"

later moved to the San Francisco Bay

he said. "If it doesn't taste good, then

Area and established the San Francisco

don't do it."

Baking Institute, a renowned leader in
artisan bread and pastry education,

Suas is excited by the fact that retail

followed by TMB Baking Company

bakeries, at least in San Francisco, are

and Thorough Bread Bakery shortly

enjoying a steady upswing in business,

thereafter.

driven by a renaissance for fresh bakery
products made with high quality ingredi-

Suas is internationally recognized as an

ents. "The quality of bread and pastry is

industry expert and thought leader and

coming up," says Suas, who is also proud

is a strong advocate of using education

to say that four San Francisco bakeries

to advance the appreciation and craft of

are now run by former teachers at the

artisan baking. The Bread Bakers Guild

San Francisco Baking Institute, which he

of America awarded Suas its Golden

founded in 1996.

Baguette in recognition of his enormous
contribution to the Guild and the artisan

Partnering with Leong, a pastry chef,

baking industry. The Bread Project named

they opened b. patisserie in 2012. For

him an honorary life member in recogni-

Leong and Suas, winners of the coveted

tion of his guidance and support.

James Beard Award for Outstanding
Baker in 2018, the baker's life is getting

SFBI provides the baking industry with the

complicated. Upon meeting with them

highest level of education and consulting.

this summer at b. patisserie, Suas shared

These services have helped many of the

that they had just returned from Korea

world's best-known bakeries develop

where they opened their ﬁrst inter-

operational efficiency and quality produc-

national b. patisserie in a four-story

tion. In 2009 Suas wrote and published

building in Seoul.

his critically acclaimed book, "Advanced
Bread and Pastry: A Professional

The menu? "They want the same prod-

Approach," which has since guided many

ucts as here," Suas says quite simply.

professionals in the industry.

The menu includes the classically French

10 < NOV 2018 | bakemag.com

pastries that earn b. patisserie the

uses to describe the future of artisan

reputation as one of the leading pastry

bread in the United States. The founder

shops in the United States. Suas says

of the SFBI and co-founder of the

these are exciting times, with plans for

award-winning San Francisco retailer

new concepts ahead and young staff

b. patisserie (with co-owner Belinda

members who help challenge them to

Leong), Suas told a 2018 Europain

reach new heights. At b. patisserie, they

Forum audience that healthy bread with

will not rest on their laurels. "We think

whole grains "is moving up" and that

of the award as a gift to the staff," he

"retail bakery is coming back to the big

says. "They know why they are working

city and the small city" in America. The

so hard."

JOHN UNREIN

kouign amann and seasonal Bostock
"Healthy but sexy" are the words Suas
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