When a person is looking to buy a Basque cake in the Basque Country, connoisseurs often advise them to go to Moulin de Bassilour in Bidart. Over the years, this now essential address for lovers of Basque cakes has become a real institution.
But, if the delicious aromas of the cakes tempt us to pass through the door of the Moulin, customers also (re)discover many other flavors: loaves, métures, shortbread, cornbreads... The Moulin team knows how to work with the products while retaining recipes that recall the flavors of yesteryear.
Gérard, owner of the place, likes to say that nothing has changed here and we can only agree with him. The building tells its story: its cut stones, the rough edges of its facade, its machines, everything is harmonious and rustic, with materials from yesteryear.
But nothing has changed inside either...
Everything is in its place, brought together to recall or create memories: the darkness of the engine room, the sound of the water lapping under the mill, the dust of the grains crashing on the millstone. , the smell of delicacies browning in the brick oven, the texture of cherry jam melting in the mouth...The list goes on.
So we wanted to know more and discover the story behind the postcard and the delicious flavors, and uncover the secret of the Inchaurraga family.
A story of grandmother's recipe
The grandmother, Joséphine, a miller in St Pée sur Nivelle, made Basque cakes for her family. She decided to come and settle with her family in Bidart and Le Moulin, more precisely to sell them. Since then, the notoriety of its recipe has not weakened, secretly transmitted to a few members of subsequent generations, the recipe has remained unchanged for all these years.
His secret? It remains in the right measure and cooking, but for the rest... Only Gérard and the family know the secret. Gérard comes first every morning to prepare the base, then his craftsmen follow the recipe to the letter to measure the quantities, before moving on to the making and then cooking in the brick oven. The mill's other specialties are also carefully prepared by the team and browned in the same oven.
And as we wanted to know more, we went to meet them.
Meeting with Gérard Lhuillier
Where did your passion and your desire to make it your career come from?
First of all, I like the mill, this building, what it gives off, this place makes me feel good. I always wanted this place to remain unique and family-friendly. And then, I'm going to tell you something...I'm a big foodie and I'm passionate about Basque cake. So combining all these things to make a life project seemed rather coherent to me.
Do you have a special memory to share?
The mill was where the Inchaurraga family lived, the room located next to the current bakery was actually the kitchen where everyone gathered and ate on site. We were never alone, there were visits, people passing by... customers were constantly passing by to pick up a Basque cake. This punctuated the days, the Moulin has always had this vocation: to welcome people.
You only use traditional recipes, where does this desire to preserve the flavors of yesteryear come from?
Joséphine's recipe is an immutable recipe... This is what customers are looking for, they come to buy THIS Basque cake, HER Basque cake made with products from the farm of yesteryear. Our desire is to remain on an artisanal production, we do not want other points of sale, after all it is a homemade production, and it stays at home!
And then as I often say to customers... “When it's gone, you have to come back tomorrow!
And maybe that’s also the recipe for success?
That's above all how we operate, customers understand and then it's our trademark, it's produced here, on sale here, we meet our customers, we know them, recognize them, we also like this proximity there.
And then, there is the pride in the creation of our products which are ultimately unique: this is the very essence of craftsmanship.
What if we asked you to rank the best-selling pastries?
Basque cream cake, shortbread and loaf. Especially the anise loaf…
You should know that the loaf was made at the time during the Christmas period and that it was a very expensive pastry due to the cost of the anise, it was a “festive” product that was only eaten for occasions. . But then, this tradition was lost... Leaving a less pleasant memory for families, corn flour reminding them of times of war and famine. The product had really lost its value. Today, we are the only ones who continue to make the recipe, and some customers only come for that.
And we know more than one!!
One thing is certain, even if the secret is still not revealed, we already know a little more about what makes this place full of stories even more unique. We will continue to pass through the red door, to watch the grain of the large red Basque corn crush on the millstone to make soft flour, we will stop after the few short steps to watch the water of the canal vibrate under the wheel and salivate in front of the stall of cakes, shortbreads and old-fashioned breads.
And you ? Will you let yourself be tempted by the experience?
