France: Baguettes and Boulangeries
Breads are an integral part of France’s culinary heritage and this is reflected in the fact that every town and village has a boulangerie! The French consume bread daily and they prefer to buy it fresh from their favourite boulangerie (French for bakery). People queueing up outside their neighbourhood bakeries to buy bread is a common sight in Paris.
And when French bread is talked about, the first name that comes to the mind is a baguette. It is a staple in all French kitchens and people eat it at any time – at breakfast, with soups or stews at lunch and dinner, or as a snack. And they say – There’s a french loaf that’s perfect for every occasion!
Boulangeries too have strict rules to follow and to be able to call themselves so, bread has to be baked on site. Nothing can beat the smell of fresh bread being baked when you enter a boulangerie! People have their favourite bakeries and they are a part of their daily lives.
Owing to enthusiastic bakers innovating all the time, there are a lot of different types of breads found across France. Breads are long and thin, or short and round, crisp or chewy, plain, multi-grained, herbed or sweet! Though the four basic ingredients are the same, i.e. water, flour, yeast and salt, the French have mastered the art of creating artisanal breads that vary widely in taste and texture. There are regional varieties too.
Some popular breads are listed here:
The Baguette is the most popular French bread. It is said to have become popular in the 19th century and got the present specifications in 1920. This long, thin stick of bread is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. It now comes in many varieties, but the authentic Baguette must be made by hand, sold in the same bakery in which it’s made, and only made from water, flour, salt and yeast. It should be between 55-65 cm long and weigh 250-300 gms!
The story goes that the Baguette was invented by Napoleon’s bakers, who were looking for a bread that would be easy for soldiers to carry with them. Another one claims that it was designed this way in the 1920s to avoid bread tax !
Nowadays there are many varieties of baguettes available such as the traditional one, with grains, the whole wheat variety, with seeds and a half sized one (demi baguette).
Brioche is a sweet bread and hence it is available in boulangeries as well as pâtisseries. It is a rich, soft bread enriched with eggs, butter and sugar, in addition to flour, salt and yeast. It is a great accompaniment with both savoury and sweet foods. Brioche is baked in various shapes, like a regular loaf, a braided loaf or as buns. Brioche is versatile enough to be eaten as a French toast, as a burger bun or in a bread and custard pudding.
Pain de Campagne or country bread is a traditional crusty bread, baked as an oval or round shaped loaf. It is made from a mixture of plain, whole wheat and sometimes rye flours and a sourdough starter. A hard crust and a dense, chewy interior makes it ideal for pairing with soups and stews or for making an open faced sandwich. The slightly sour flavour and the texture make it a popular bread and it is made all over France.
Fougasse is like the Italian Focaccia, a kind of flatbread. The shape is distinctive, most often looking like an ear of wheat. The ingredients sometimes consist of olives, cheese, herbs and garlic. The crust is lighter than a typical French bread. Fougasse originated in Provence, in the south of France, but is popular in the whole country. It is a great accompaniment to a number of dishes, both savoury and sweet.
Boule means ‘ball’ in French, giving this bread its name. Boule is round from the top and flat from the bottom. It is made from the standard four ingredients, but there are a lot of variations available too, like a sourdough boule or a multigrain boule. It’s very popular as it can be easily used in many ways, such as in a sandwich, as an appetizer with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or as a side dish to the main meal. The top of the bread is crusty but the inside is soft.
Pain aux noix means bread with nuts, typically walnuts. Some bakers use hazelnuts too and some add spices and honey. The whole wheat flour and the nuts give the bread a distinctive texture and flavour. Pain aux noix goes well with cheese. So, it is often served with wine and charcuterie boards.
Pain d’épices:
Pain d’épices means ‘spiced bread’ in French, so called because of the spices used to make it. Rye flour is added to plain flour and honey is added along with brown sugar, making it a slightly sweet bread. A blend of warm spices such as cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, ginger and cloves give the bread its complex flavour and aroma. Pain d’épices is easy to make since it requires no kneading and resting. It is eaten for breakfast, as a snack or as an appetizer with cheese.
Boulangeries:
A boulangerie is like an institution that is part of French culture and tradition. There are numerous boulangeries across the whole country, at nearly every street corner, in every village, town and city. Each one makes the bread at its own premises as per the rule. There are many variations too as per Boulanger's creativity. Some boulangeries also keep pastries, making them boulangerie- pâttiserie.
This unique French culinary practice brings so much joy to the lives of the people, proving true the proverb ‘happiness is in small things’.
Some popular boulangeries in Paris:
So, this culinary journey is all about French breads and the boulangeries in France.
