Go To Bien Cuit For The Best Croissant You’ll Ever Have

…and the best bread, too. Brown bread, to be exact, baked in the French way.

Baker Zachary Golper and his wife Kate Wheatcroft opened the Smith Street bakery in 2011 to bring this French-style baking to the masses. Judging by accolades from the likes of The New York Times and Bon Appétit — and, of course, by the crowd of customers on any given Sunday — they’ve done just that.

TELL US ABOUT BEIN CUIT
The name means “well done” in French, which also kind of explains the methodology behind French baking. People are often afraid of brown bread, but I knew there was a place in the market if I could just get people to taste it. And here we are.

WHY DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN?
There is a quietness, a friendliness, here. And the architecture! It’s got an old New York aesthetic I love.

OH, AND THE SECRET TO THAT PERFECT CROISSANT?
Well… about 96 hours of fermentation.