There’s a reason French pastries are renowned worldwide. They require meticulous attention to detail to concoct aromas, flavors and textures that are often unforgettable. It’s an expertise countless aspiring chefs attempt to learn at prestigious schools. But for one Richmonder, these skills have been self-taught alongside the wisdom of a beloved mentor.

Tra My Anderson is the founder of microbakery Le Petit Morceau. For the past two years, she has sought to bring the extraordinary world of French pastries to the area delighting locals with everything from sablé bretons to demi baguettes. It’s a way to share her lifelong passion for baking with the community while honoring the culinary hints her grandmother Catherine taught her over the years.

Anderson, who grew up in Farmville, has long been intrigued by gastronomy. While some inspirations include well-known personalities like Alton Brown, Anthony Bourdain and Claire Saffitz, her grandmother has been one of her greatest teachers.

“I grew up in the kitchen baking with my grandmother. She’s a self-taught cook and baker,” Anderson says. “Basically all of her baking [follows] Julia Child methodology so she is well-versed in French baking and cooking.”

Anderson and her grandmother, who was born in Luxembourg, would spend hours in the kitchen making an array of goods, especially galettes. Catherine would often impart secrets to her granddaughter, including to always sample items during the creation process.

“I definitely have inherited her tastes,” Anderson says. “She would always tell me taste as you go and add new things that sort of speak to you.”

Another tip Anderson closely follows, and what makes her pastries so distinctive, is that sugar is sparingly used. This encourages natural and hidden notes, especially in fruits, to bloom on one’s taste buds.

While Anderson always dreamed of potentially being a chef or baker growing up, it wasn’t until college that she took the idea more seriously, something that was perhaps kindled while abroad in Paris.

A French and film studies major at the University of Richmond, Anderson spent her junior year in France’s capital. While here, she resided above a local bakery one semester. “That like subconsciously planted a seed,” she says.

As Anderson approached her senior year, things started to manifest. “My mom talked about a summer job before senior year,” she says. “I researched doing home baking and selling and that’s sort of how it started.”

Today, Le Petit Morceau can be found each Saturday morning at the RVA Big Market, the first Sunday of each month at South of the James Market and occasional pop-ups with local businesses, like Smashed RVA.

Her bestsellers tend to be laminated pastries, especially the almond croissants which have a rather unusual filling. “It’s definitely less traditional from the normal frangipane filling,” she says. “I think it definitely helps set it apart.”

Many of these laminated pastries are from recipes Anderson developed. While a hand-crank sheeter is sometimes relied on to flatten dough (especially for large batches or if her wrists need a break) and gives a bit more consistency, she often just uses a French rolling pin and her own strength to patiently roll and fold butter into the dough to create what will eventually become the iconic flaky layers.

It’s this diligence that sets Anderson’s pastries apart, but as a customer, it’s easy to get lost in the delicious experience forgetting the grueling work that goes into making such complex treats.

This baker typically spends anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day bustling in the kitchen – and that’s just for prepping and baking. She also focuses on various other weekly tasks, like planning menus, shopping for ingredients, marketing and all the other intricacies that come with running a small business.

It can be overwhelming but the challenges have never deterred her. “The pros outweigh the cons so much,” she says. “Things that make it feel like a job sort of disappear when I’m just having fun in the kitchen every day.”

This is all just the beginning of Anderson’s culinary journey. One day, Richmond might just be graced with a brick-and-mortar Le Petit Morceau — a destination this baker hopes won’t only provide delectable sustenance, but celebrate how food uniquely brings people together and sparks joie de vivre.

“I always bake with love, it’s something I learned from my grandmother,” she says. “I’m baking to nourish people and share my love of cooking with them.”