French Baguette

CONTENT:A bit of history

Making process

WHAT MEANS « BAGUETTE » ? In the French language, the word has long been applied to many elongated objects : Is it a…

Baguette magique ? magic wand

Baguette chinoise ? chopsticks

Baguette dechef d’orchestre ?conductor's baton

THE FRENCH BAGUETTE French baguette is a long thin bread, distinguishable by its length and crisp crust. A standard baguette has a diameter of about 5 or 6 centimetres and a usual length of 65 centimetres. It usually weighs about 250 g.

The baguette is often considered as one of the symbols of French culture.

BAGUETTE’S HISTORY The word itself was not used to refer to a type of bread until 1920, but what you know now as « baguette » existed well before that…

At last, in October 1920, a law prevented bakers from working before 4am, making it impossible for them to make the traditional round loaf in time for customers' breakfasts. The baguette would have solved the problem because it could be prepared and baked much more rapidly.

Some say it is a napoleonian invention, because it was easier for soldiers to carry bread in their pants...

Others say that it appeared during the building of the underground in Paris : to avoid fights between workers, it was less dangerous to have a bread easy to cut without a knife !

It might even be the invention of an Austrian officer, August Zang, who introduced the first steam oven, the pain viennois and the croissant in Paris in about 1830…

HOW DO FRENCH PEOPLE EAT BAGUETTES ?

Baguettes are very often used for sandwiches(usually submarine

sandwich type, but also panini)

Baguettes are often sliced and served with pâté or

cheese

As part of the traditional continental breakfast in France, slices of baguette are spread with butter and jam, and

dunked in bowls of coffee or hot chocolate

INGREDIENTSThe "baguette de tradition française" is made from :

WATER

BAKER’S YEAST

COMMON SALT

WHEAT FLOUR

The “baguette de tradition française” is required by law to avoid preservatives. As a result, bread goes stale within 24 hours, thus baking baguettes is a daily occurrence !

Wheat flour contains mostly carbohydrates (STARCH) and proteins (GLUTEN)

A microscopic fungus named Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is very fond of wheat starch !

fresh yeast

Mixing and Kneading

« Pointage »First Fermentation

Dividing and Shaping

« Apprêt »Second fermentation

Scratching

Baking

THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF MAKING BREAD PROCESS

Step 1: Kneading

• Ingredients are put in the kneading machine.

• The baker makes the dough by mixing the ingredients in the machine to form a

homogeneous and elastic dough,

due to the specific properties of the gluten (elastic flour proteins).

• The kneading lasts 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2 : « Pointage » = first fermentationThe dough rests in a container during 2 hours at 25°C. During this stage :

ContainerDough Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast

Small bud

- Enzymes (amylases) cut the big molecules of starch in small molecules of glucose ; - Saccharomyces cerevisiae begins to turn glucose into alcohol and carbon dioxyde :

- Gluten « imprisones »the gas obtained (CO2), so the dough

Glucose CO2 + Ethanol

blows up.

10 µm

Step 3 : Dividing and Shaping

This operation consists in dividing the block of dough in different parts called « pâtons ».

A « pâton » is the amount of dough necessary for the preparation of one baguette (one baguette = 250 g).

A machine can be used for this step.It also permits to give the specific baguette shape.

Step 4 : « Apprêt » = Second fermentation

Saccharomyces cerevisiae continues to produce CO2 and ethanol at 25°C.

During 1 to 3 hours, the dough blows up until it reaches its final volume.

After a 20 minute rest, the second fermentation can start :

Step 5 : Scratching

The baker makes thin shallow marks on the surface of the dough.

Don't you find it nicer like that ?

Moreover, gas and ethanol can now get out of the dough during the baking !

Step 6 : Baking

The bread is released from the oven.

It's placed on a wheeled baker's rack to cool and evaporate all water to stay crunchy.

Dough is put into the oven preheated at 250-280°C.

Baking time runs from 20 to 30 minutes.

When the bread's surface is golden, it’s ready !

And now...

Go to the bakery !!!