Croissant kings: American bakers take on French pastries in new competition series
Kicking off with a mouth-watering, 90-minute premiere episode, the new series “Next Baking Master: Paris” premieres Monday, May 6, on Food Network.
Hosted by talented and acclaimed pastry chef Stephanie Boswell, alongside French chef-slash-restaurateur Ludo Lefebvre (“Ludo Bites America”), this brand-new series — shot on location in Paris, France — offers 10 ambitious, highly skilled bakers from across America the opportunity to travel to one of the pastry capitals in the world, where they can visit iconic pastry shops and gain mentorship from renowned French baking experts.
As they travel, train and try their hand at some complicated recipes, the bakers will be asked to “prove their mettle in the pillars of great baking and pastry: technique, artistry, flavor, innovation and inspiration” (per Food Network) with each and every skill, from sifting flour to laminating dough, tested throughout this competitive gauntlet. Any who can’t perform will be eliminated from the game, leaving one winner standing.
Whoever proves their talent best (and proves their croissants the fluffiest) will not only earn bragging rights but a full suite of France’s top-of-the-line professional kitchen appliances and baking equipment, valued at $25,000.
Excited for his next chapter, Ludo Lefebvre shared: “Though my culinary career and restaurants brought me to the United States more than 20 years ago, I was born, raised and grew up as a chef in France. It’s so cool to now welcome these competitors to Paris to live and breathe the amazing baking and pastry culture the city offers — it’s the best in the world.”
His co-host, Stephanie Boswell, chipped in, adding: “This Paris experience is a once-in-a-lifetime dream for the chefs . ... I know the inspiration they received by visiting the city’s most renowned patisseries and meeting the supremely talented experts was life-changing for these up-and-comers.”
In the series description, Food Network also shared a bit of what’s to come in the season’s premiere episode, promising that: “Stephanie and Ludo welcome the bakers to Paris for their first challenge: make a dessert that represents their culinary point of view while demonstrating their knowledge of French techniques. The bakers are then whisked away on a field trip to the luxurious Royal Monceau Hotel to meet pastry chef Quentin Lechat, sample his delicacies and learn about a fundamental French ingredient: cream.”
From basic ingredients to brilliant finishing touches, the bakers will put their best bites to the test in “Next Baking Master: Paris,” premiering Monday, May 6, on Food Network.