Baker or builder? Ambassador or philosopher? Even Poilâne's friend Salvador Dali couldn't figure it out. "He thought I was an artist who happened to work on bread," Poilâne says. "In fact, I was just a baker who was interested in artistic projects. But that confusion led to a good relationship. In some ways, every businessman needs to learn how to be an artist. It's crucial when you're leading a project."
One of Poilâne's favorite projects is the cage that he and Dali made together out of bread dough. "The bird could eat its way out of the cage," Poilâne explains. "That was very real to me. As an apprentice, I too felt like a bird in a cage made out of bread. I just fed on my limits."
Ron Lieber (rlieber@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company senior writer. Contact Lionel Poilâne by email (commerce@poilane.fr), or visit his bakery on the Web (www.poilane.fr).
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