Dayton woman shares love of food and French culture through baking | Business & Economy

Orlane Houzet, who is French, met her Italian husband in Geneva, Switzerland. 

From there, they moved to Florida and then Virginia. But after she came to the United States, she could not easily find much of the food she was used to eating. So she started making her own. 

“When we moved, my daughter was not even two, so I started to bake more and more for her,” she said. “Also, I could not find what I wanted. There was a big culture shock for me coming here because the food was different, and I could not find a baguette that I liked without a huge ingredient list. So that’s how I started.” 

Houzet, 44, of Dayton, who is originally from Normandy, said she started her in-home bakery two years ago. In France, she didn’t need to make baguettes because they were so easy to find. But, in the United States, they were not. 

“So I was baking more, baking differently, baking for my neighbors, my friends,” she said. “At some point, everybody was like, ‘Honestly, if you just start something, I will actually buy it.’” 

She said that her business grew organically from exchanging food with others, including her neighbors from Syria. 

Houzet said that what’s important is not just the food but the transmission of European food culture to her three children, ages 12, 9, and 6.

“I want them to know how to bake,” she said. “That’s really important.”

Houzet’s business, Orlane’s French Bakery, is a bake-to-order business that she runs out of her home. 

“On Monday, I advertise,” she said. “It’s like a per-order sale, and people pick up on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the week. So every week, I just put a menu up.” 

Normally, she advertises that menu on her Facebook and Instagram pages, which can be found under her business’s name, Orlane’s French Bakery. 

The things she bakes include croissants, different varieties of Madeleines, and canelés. Madeleines are buttery, cake-like cookies, and canelés are French pastries known for their thick, caramelized crusts and creamy centers.

“Sometimes, I do a box called Paris in a box with like four different croissants,” she said. “Everything is made by hand here. If I can find local ingredients, I use local ingredients. It’s very important for me to choose good ingredients. Depending on the butter you choose, it affects the end products.”

She also said she does a lot of cookie boxes, and she tries to use seasonal products. 

When she bakes, she said, she likes to try to be creative. Houzet said she has several customers who want her baked goods and also enjoy learning about her culture. 

“They always like my stories about France,” she said. “I always like that kind of connection.” 

Houzet said one of the reasons she enjoys baking is that she feels like she’s sharing a bit of herself.

“It’s like sharing a bit of France here, and I like that,” she said. “I like to share food. I like to share stories.” 

One of her customers, Amanda Presgraves, of Harrisonburg, said she appreciates the care that Houzet puts into her breads and pastries. 

“I’ve tried just about everything she’s made, and her croissants are still my favorite,” she said. “They immediately transport me to travel across Europe. Orlane pours her heart and uses exceptional, high-quality ingredients, and you can taste the difference.” 

Rosalind O’Brien, owner of Friendly City Clay and Art Center, is also a long-time customer. 

“I think they are some of the most authentic French baked goods I’ve had,” she said. “I’ve spent a fair amount of time in France as an adult and traveling as a student, and I’ve eaten a lot of croissants in my time, and hers are really just phenomenal.”  

She said her favorite product is the canelé.

“They’re just like eating baked caramel,” she said. “They’re so good. Orlane is one of the kindest people I know, and I really think that you will feel that when you talk to her and buy from her. It’s amazing to get something that tastes like it comes from a French boulangerie in the Shenandoah Valley. I also think it’s really important to support home businesses and small businesses right now, and I think it’s really special what Orlane is doing, so I really feel good about buying from her.” 

For more information about Orlane’s French Bakery, visit her website, frenchbakery.company.site, call (321) 345-2917, or email [email protected]. You can also follow her on Instagram at inmykitchen_orlane or on Facebook under Orlane’s French Bakery.