Apollonia is the third generation of her family to oversee production of the signature Poilâne sourdough loaf from the family’s HQ in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. She took over running the family business in 2002, while getting her economics degree in the US, after her parents died in a helicopter accident. Her craft remains the same as that of her grandfather and father before her— transforming, via fermentation and cooking, flour, salt and water into a rich, complex and nourishing product.