Henri de Pazzis, an organic farmer for 38 years, has been cultivating various ancient wheat varieties, or local wheats, on 43 hectares of land in Maillane since 2015. His goals are to rediscover the history of bread, a story tied to a place and a terroir rich in aromas and nutrients, and to create a bread that is both flavorful and digestible, as it once was.
Thus, from soil to plate, each step toward this “renaissance” of authentic bread has been thoughtfully planned by Henri, with the utmost respect for the land and the expertise of the few bakers who dare to work with these ancient wheat flours in a natural way, using spontaneous sourdough.
This approach begins, of course, with the selection of local wheat varieties such as Meunier wheat from Apt, Touselle from Nîmes, and Seissette from Provence. These wheats, selected before the advent of modern varieties that meet only technical and economic criteria, can be several centuries old.
It continues with the rotation of wheat crops with alfalfa, chickpeas, and forage sorghum to restore soil fertility and closely align with their natural state.
To preserve the diversity of insects and birds around his crops, Henri also plans to plant trees in the fields and establish composite hedges, following the principles of agroforestry. These will include trees with high nectar potential, fruit trees, and timber trees.
The grinding of the wheat takes place in a stone mill built by Philippe Lauzes, a devoted disciple of the Astrié brothers, André and Pierre. Originally from Carcassonne, they dedicated their lives to finding the perfect grindstone size to avoid damaging the grain, preventing it from overheating, and producing very fine flour while preserving the active principles contained in the germ and the internal wall of the first husk.
The flour produced from this milling process is very different from conventional flours; it is aimed at those who appreciate authenticity and flavor, as well as passionate bakers who bake with sourdough rather than cultivated yeasts.
Sourdough baking takes time (36 hours instead of about 3 hours with conventional modern baking additives), but lactic fermentation, by weakening the gluten network, makes the bread much more digestible than modern bread, which is made from high-yield wheats, baked in a few hours with lab yeasts, and enriched with around sixty additives such as gluten, ascorbic acid, or vitamins. This makes it very abrasive and difficult to digest because the protein chains that compose it are very hard to break down during digestion. The very idea of “modern” becomes outdated…
Creating healthy bread, therefore, requires time and commitment. Pierre Ragot, baker at Maison St Honoré in Marseille, was the first to be captivated by Henri’s flours. Thierry Delabre (Panadero Clandestino) and Maxime Bussy (Le Bricheton) in Paris, Glenn Viel, the starred chef of Baumanière, as well as other local bakers and chefs are becoming interested, and of course, Frédéric Genin (Le Fournil des Grès), the historical baker of Alpilles Bio, has recently started using flour from the Moulin du Mas de l’Aube for his pure Meunier d’Apt bread sold in the store. Finally, Olivier Sauvageau, our pastry chef, is testing Henri’s flours for his pastries, both savory and sweet.
If you want to try creating your own pastries with flour from Mas de l’Aube, you will soon find it in the bulk section of the store, alongside Henri’s bran and chickpeas! Enjoy the discovery!