Puratos’ historic Vitus sourdough starter was selected as the signature sourdough for the newly-opened Boulangerie du Louvre in Paris, France. The world’s first fully operational artisanal bakery, with an on-site production area and inside a major art museum will use Vitus to produce artisan breads for sale daily to visitors beneath the museum’s iconic glass pyramid.

Owned by Puratos, Vitus is not part of the company’s commercial sourdough range, but one of its most treasured heritage starters preserved at the Sourdough Library, part of the Puratos Sourdough Institute.

It was selected for this collaboration because its story, symbolism, and artisanal spirit reflect the values of the bakery it now inspires, Puratos explains. The Library’s curator and Sourdough Librarian, Karl De Smedt, officially presented the Vitus starter to Parisian bakers Pascal Rigo and Arnaud Chevalier during a ceremonial handover on June 11. 

Vitus: heritage culture

The Vitus culture was deposited at Puratos’s Sourdough Library in 2017 by German journalist and sourdough advocate Martina Goernemann for revival. Under De Smedt’s expert care, the starter was brought back to life and named Vitus—symbolizing its rebirth and enduring spirit. 

“Vitus is a story of revival and resilience—from dormant culture to thriving success,” said De Smedt. “It traveled from our fermentation archive to the pages of a book, was immortalized in art, and now begins a new chapter at the Louvre.”   

The starter first gained international recognition after featuring in Goernemann’s book Sourdough: Four Days to Happiness, which chronicled her travels with Vitus across Europe and the United States. The culture also inspired artist John Whalley to create “Bread of Life”—rendered in traditional Flemish egg tempera and believed to be the first painting dedicated to a sourdough starter.  

Vitus has long served as a “friendship sourdough” within Puratos – shared in select educational and cultural contexts to foster connection through fermentation. At the Boulangerie du Louvre, it will embody this role by uniting craftsmanship and heritage in a setting where everyday nourishment meets timeless art.  

Baked daily beneath the pyramid 

Operated by Musiam Paris, a specialist in concession-based dining within cultural venues, and developed in collaboration with renowned artisan bakers Pascal Rigo and Arnaud Chevalier, La Boulangerie du Louvre is located beneath I.M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid.

Vitus will lie at the heart of the Pain du Louvre and the bakery’s specialty breads, which will be featured both at La Boulangerie and served at Café Pyramide, just next door. With its signature aromatic profile including grape and honey notes, plus gentle acidity levels, it is ideal for artisan bread production requiring complex flavor development.  

“This installation demonstrates the growing demand for premium fermentation experiences within cultural venues, representing a new application for heritage sourdough cultures in high-profile settings,” Puratos says in an announcement. 

The Sourdough Library and Sourdough Institute 

Founded in 2013 and located in St. Vith, Belgium, the Puratos Sourdough Library is dedicated to the preservation of natural sourdough cultures. It houses over 150 starters from more than 25 countries, all carefully safeguarded for research, documentation, and education, not for commercial use. Vitus is an exception: as a Puratos-owned culture, it may be shared in rare collaborations that reflect the Library’s mission – such as the Boulangerie du Louvre, where craft and culture meet.  

Managed by Karl De Smedt, the Library operates under the Puratos Sourdough Institute, which leads global initiatives in fermentation research, artisan education, and heritage preservation.

Photo: Boulangerie du Louvre – Arnaud Chevalier and Karl De Smedt

Credit: Philippe Vaurès Santamaria