An inseparable part of French daily life since the 18th century.
A long, thin type of bread of French origin, usually made from plain, fat-free dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined as such. French law). It can be recognized by its length and crispy crust.
A baguette has a diameter of about 5–6 cm (2–2 + 1⁄2 in) and a typical length of about 65 cm (26 in), although a baguette can be up to 1 m (39 in) long.
The word baguette simply means “wand”, “baton” or “stick”, as in baguette magic (magic wand), baguettes chinoises (chopstick) or baguette de direction (conductor baton). It was first recorded in 1920 as a type of bread.
There are several theories about the origin of the French baguette: according to one legend, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered that the bread should be prepared in long thin sticks to fit in the pockets of his soldiers.
Another popular legend says that when work began on the Paris Metro in 1898, workers were brought in from all over France to work on the groundbreaking project. Due to violent disputes between different groups of men, bakers were asked to make bread that would tear rather than cut, so that knives would be outlawed.
A final theory suggests that the iconic Gaelic bread was the cause of the French Revolution, as bread was a staple of the French diet and the peasants rioted when they saw the nobles eating bleached sticks while facing shortages and famine.
“There will be no more wheat bread for the rich and bran bread for the poor. All bakers are sentenced to prison to make only one type of bread: bread of equality.
law of the land
Over the following decades, as wheat became cheaper, baguettes were a common sight, and foreign visitors noted the size of the iconic breadsticks.
An American visitor explained: “The servants of the house were hurrying home with various galley breakfasts, and the long sticks of bread, a yard or two long, carried under their arms, made a strange impression on me.
To control this excess, in 1920 a law stipulated that the symbolic bread should have a minimum weight of 80 grams and a maximum length of 40 centimeters. This first official piece of “Baguette Law” confirmed the importance of the baguette as part of the French lifestyle.
No one really knows who invented the modern baguette, but the man who invented the croissant, Viennese-born baker August Zang, is said to have facilitated bread-making by installing France’s first steam oven, which allowed loaves to be baked provided A crispy crust and a fluffy center, at Boulangerie Viennoise at 92 rue de Richelieu in Paris in 1839.
Later, in the 1920s, a law was passed that prohibited bakers from doing anything before 4 am. Because the long, thin baguette could be prepared and baked more quickly than larger loaves, it was the only bread that bakers could prepare in time for breakfast.
A fact: Baguette is an Austrian invention, not French
One of the most interesting facts about the baguette is that it is said to have been imported into France from Vienna. Its invention is attributed to an Austrian baker named August Zang, who introduced Viennese steam cooking to Paris in 1839.
A traditional French baguette is made with a light yeast dough that is kneaded and folded, the surface is cut off, and then placed in a basket covered with canapés or cloth to rise, then It is baked in a special oven or placed inside a perforated baguette. Templates
There have also been a number of baguette spin-offs, including a thinner tube-shaped loaf called a flute and a thinner variant called a fisselle. There is also a short and fat version of the baguette known as a baton.
Used to signify Frenchness in countless films, the breadstick has starred alongside cinematic idols from Brigitte Bardot to Gerard Depardieu and Liam Neeson. However, unlike many actors, this culinary star of French kitchens never goes out of style.
Not all long breads are baguettes
Not all long breads are baguettes. The rugby ball-shaped bread is B-as-ta-rd, literally H-ra-m-z-ade. In English, it is called “torpedo bread”. A flute, another tube-shaped bread about twice the size of a baguette, is known in the United States as a “Parisian.”
Law: There is a law about how to prepare this bread
In 1993, the French government passed a law called the Décret Pain or French Bread Law. This law states that traditional baguette bread must be made with four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. They must also be strictly manufactured in the place where they are sold. This is one of the most interesting facts about food in France that you’d think was just made up.
Baguettes have different names depending on the size
The thinner bread is called ficelle, from the French word for “string”. There is also that short baguette that is sometimes called a baton. However, both are not formally defined. In mainstream dictionaries, they’re just baguettes.
Baguette is a versatile bread
Baguettes can be eaten alone or with balsamic vinegar or olive oil. You can combine a baguette with other ingredients to make bruschetta with tomatoes and basil. It can also be made into garlic bread, while stale baguettes become croutons. In Vietnam, they use all kinds of meat and vegetables to match the baguette bread.
320 baguettes per second
Probably the most surprising baguette fact is that the French eat 320 baguettes per second. That’s about half a baguette a day that the average French person eats. That’s less than the one whole baguette the French ate in the 1970s, and far less than the more than three baguettes in the 1900s.
The shape of the baguette is very important to create a thick crust
During the baking process, the shape of the baguette allows the maximum amount of dough to be directly exposed to heat. This process creates a thick baguette crust.
Baguettes are steamed for a light and fluffy interior
Before the outside of a baguette becomes crusty and crispy, the bread is steamed in an oven at a temperature of at least 205°C (400°F). This makes the interior of the baguette light and fluffy.
Source: https://journeytofrance.com/facts-about-baguettes/
Source:https://www.completefrance.com/living-in-france/french-baguette-history-of-an-icon-6305582/