Filling Paris's Donut Hole
Feeling homesick? Sick of pain au chocolat, croissant and brioche? Missing some 'Murican treats? Well, then maybe you should head to Boneshaker Donuts, a family-owned donut shop located in the second arrondissement.
I had the pleasure of meeting with the owner of the shop, Amanda Bankert, who told me more about her story. An Irish-American now living in France, she has a particularly interesting culinary background. She first came to Paris to be a pastry chief. After completing her studies, she was trying to decide what type of pastry she wanted to sell in her shop. One thing Bankert knew, is that she did not want to launch just another typical French patisserie. Thus, the idea of a donut shop was conceived. At that time, there were no other homemade donuts in Paris– only industrials ones. Because of this, Bankert was able to fill the (donut) hole that had been missing in Paris.
She first launched the shop in November of 2015. Now, almost four years later, the shop hasn't changed. Despite their growing number of customers, only one remodeling has been done. The place is the same as it was when they first opened.
For the love of good donuts! Image Credit: Instagram/ @boneshakersparis
As the shop's customer base is divided almost equally between Americans expats, French locals, and visiting tourists, they like to make sure that their treats are perfect for everyone. This is why they pay a lot of attention to the ingredients that they use. The shop buys their fruits mostly during their summer season from Terroirs d'avenir, a shop located on Rue du Nil which is only a few meters away from Boneshakers. The rest of their products come from a local farm. The eggs are organic, the flour is French and the milk and butter are local. They try to use local products as much as they can. The only imported product they use is pumpkin puree which is specifically for their special pumpkin spice donuts during the Halloween/Thanksgiving season.
At the shop, their menu also changes every month following the time of month and seasons. During the summer, their donuts contain mostly fruits such as Peach. Then, in winter, the flavors are adapted to coldness. This includes treats that have chocolate, caramel and a lot of nuts. Meanwhile, in December, the specials of the month include chestnut cream, hot chocolate and mince pie (dry fruit soaked in brandy with pastry cream).
If now you're craving for a donut, you can go to the shop at 77 Rue d'Aboukir, 75002 Paris and check it out for yourself. Their shop is open from Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 AM–6 PM and Saturday from 10 AM–6 PM.
Bon Appétit!
