The Louvre Museum in Paris has opened Boulangerie du Louvre, marking the first fully operational commercial bakery housed within a major art museum. Located beneath I.M. Pei's glass pyramid, the bakery began operations this month with a distinctive sourdough starter at its core.

Historic Sourdough Takes Centre Stage

The bakery's signature bread relies on Vitus, a sourdough starter maintained at Puratos's Sourdough Library in Saint-Vith, Belgium. Originally deposited for revival in 2017 by German journalist Martina Goernemann, the culture was restored by Sourdough Librarian Karl De Smedt and officially transferred to Parisian bakers Pascal Rigo and Arnaud Chevalier on 11 June.

Vitus has developed recognition beyond the bakery sector. It featured in Goernemann's book "Sourdough: Four Days to Happiness" and inspired artist John Whalley's painting "Bread of Life," believed to be the first artwork dedicated to a sourdough starter.

Production and Operations

Operated by Musiam Paris, which specialises in cultural venue dining, the bakery produces Pain du Louvre and specialty breads daily. These products are sold at the bakery location and served at the adjacent Café Pyramide. The Vitus starter contributes grape and honey notes with controlled acidity levels suitable for artisan bread production.

Sourdough Preservation Context

The Puratos Sourdough Library, established in 2013, maintains over 150 sourdough starters from more than 25 countries. The facility focuses on preservation, research and education rather than commercial distribution. Vitus represents an exception as a Puratos-owned culture available for selected collaborations.

The library operates under the Puratos Sourdough Institute, which conducts fermentation research and artisan education programmes. De Smedt serves as the facility's curator and holds the distinction of being the world's first designated Sourdough Librarian.

Market Development

This installation reflects growing demand for premium fermentation experiences within cultural venues. The collaboration demonstrates how heritage sourdough cultures can be integrated into high-profile commercial settings while maintaining their artisanal character.

The bakery represents a convergence of food production and cultural tourism, potentially influencing how museums approach commercial food services and how artisan baking integrates with cultural institutions.

Boulangerie du Louvre is located beneath the Louvre's glass pyramid and operates daily, serving visitors to one of the world's most visited museums.