The baguette is as French as it gets.
There are some wonderful legends, stories and anecdotes as to how the baguette came to exist in its current form and become not only the de facto breakfast of many French people but also, a nation’s symbol and reference point.
The word baguette comes from the Latin word for stick, according to the shape of the bread. Before 1920, the baguette was being eaten across France, but itofficially became written into law in 1920to define this particular type of bread as being a baguette with its intrinsic characteristics, which we still recognise today.
Napoleon is never far from any French cultural legend and there is a legend that Napoleon ordered a change in the shape of bread to aid his troops; he wanted a loaf that could fit intotheslender pockets of his army’s uniformand asked the bakers to change it.
The baguette: A construction story
Another strand of thought tells the story about the construction of the Paris Metro and how it was involved in the invention of the baguette. It was a huge construction project, which involved thousands of workers from different neighbourhoods who were very territorial and used to fight in the dark, long tunnels while they were building the tracks. Knives had to be banned to avoid the violence but how were the men to cut their bread? Bakers invented a lighter bread, which could be torn instead of cut.
In 1920,a new law came into beingthat said workersshouldn’t have to get up before 4 am to go to work, which meant that bakers had to bake bread in a much shorter time frame. The logical conclusion of this legislation is that someone created a loaf that was longer and thinner so that it cooked in less time.
The Austrian baguette?
There isanother school of thought that claims the baguette is really Austrian. The argument goes that traditional French bread was wholemeal, rounder and flatter in nature until an Austrian brought a steam oven to Paris. In the late 1830s, Austrian August Zang set up a bakery in Paris that introduced the French to the Viennesekifpel, a crescent-shaped pastry that the French called a croissant. The combination of thesenew Austrian steam processes for baking and the abundance of new, cheaper white flour led to the baguette being created.
The baguette is the most popular type of French bread in France. It became popular after World War II when government working restrictions made it difficult to produce other kinds of bread
What is a baguette?
A baguette is a long, thin type ofbreadthat is commonly made from basic leandough(the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length, crispcruston the outside and soft inner core. A baguette has a diameter of about 5to 6 cm and a usual length of about 65cm, although a baguette can be up to 1m long.
In France, you’ll find high-quality organic and artisanal baguettes sold in “boulangeries”. You can also find less expensive, mass-produced baguettes at larger chain stores.
The baguette“classique”is white inside with a crisp crust and is leavened with yeast. This is often the cheapest one and they are sometimes made with additives, gluten, ascorbic acid, and other preservatives. In France, most good bakeries put their energy toward the most artisanal baguette: the baguette“tradition”. By a law enacted in 1993, a baguette“tradition” can only contain four ingredients: flour, leavening, water, and salt. There are usually hand-formed and baked on the premises, and havesourdough starter in them.
In November 2018, documentation surrounding the “craftsmanship and culture” of making this bread was added to theFrench Ministry of Culture‘s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 2022, the artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread was inscribed to theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
