A visit to the pâtisseries of Paris, France, can be a dazzling experience. Your eyes are drawn to the jewel box-like display cases, where pastel macarons give way to the golden curves of croissants. Your nose picks up the telltale scents of buttery pain au chocolat and caramelized kouign amann. In this state of delectable distraction, you may be forgiven for missing one of the more understated treasures, the pain Suisse, oblong in shape and folded in two like a decadent book cover. Tucked within its buttery folds is a custard and chocolate chip filling, doubling down on decadence. Humble in appearance but fantastic in flavor, this hidden gem of pastry has a history that charts the great rise of viennoiserie and the modern world of pâtisserie as we know it.
To begin with, pain Suisse’s name is misleading. Pain Suisse, or “Swiss bread,” has no historical ties to Switzerland. In fact, pain Suisse falls into the category of viennoiserie, a style of pastry popularized by Austrian August Zang in France. Zang opened
