As a francophile, I consider it a major character flaw in myself that I have never visited Poilâne, Paris’ famous bakery, or even tasted their bread, at least, that is, until two weeks ago. You may have seen the New Yorker Magazine story about Apollonia Poilâne, the third generation owner. In a nutshell, Apollonia’s grandfather opened the first bakery in 1932. Her father, Lionel, took over the business in 1973. When Lionel and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash in 200