Breads: France

If we scour around or explore, there are various types of breads in the world; each distinctive in its own way. Breads are a staple all around, be it conchas from Mexico or naan from India. They are consumed and enjoyed in various ways everywhere, especially France. The French have mastered the art of bread making, dating all the way back to the middle ages and the renaissance period. It holds utmost significance to the French people. It is said that during the French revolution, an average man ate about three pounds of bread per day. 

Since the, French breads have gained popularity to a great extent - from the creation of baguette to adaptation of different flours for bread making, the history of French breads is lengthy and filled with fascination. These breads have always been prepared with four ingredients - flour, water, yeast and salt. Inspite of using only four ingredients, the French have perfected the art of making breads. Ingredients like ascorbic acid and rye flour may also be used. By manipulating the proving time, techniques of kneading, the quantity of ingredients used, the French have baked some of the heartiest breads.

                                                                            Different varieties of French breads.

The concept of bread making in France has changed and adapted over the years. Although some local boulangeries use the traditional procedure for bread making, they have also adapted to the changes and developments taking place in all areas of the world, including bread making. Multigrain breads, acai powdered breads are just some examples.

So, what makes a good French bread? Well, the answer to that is simple - French breads are baked with steam, so as to control the temperature in the oven, making sure that the end result of the bread is a proper brown-yellow caramelized crust and the texture of the bread is chewy. 

A good French bread, say a baguette is expected to have a crispy crust, when you hold the baguette to your ear and squeeze it slightly, it should have a shattering sound, or a symphony of a crackle, says Eric Kayser, who is a French baker and food writer. 

Thirdly, the inside of the bread must have a rather cream colour indicating the pigmentation of the wheat. The bubbles or holes in the bread, be irregular, will tell you if the bread has fermented well. Finally, the smell of the bread. A baguette has an 'apricot-like' smell. Although Eric Kayser says a good baguette could smell like 200 different flavours, more than wine. 

Like it is mentioned earlier, that there are over 20 varieties of breads, let's talk about a few:

Fougasse: Originated from the southeastern region of France, known as Provence, fougasse is a herby, salty flatbread. It resembles a focaccia, although sometimes fougasse varieties have slashed patterns similar to ear of wheat. It can be enjoyed with cheese, like Roquefort and other ingredients like olives, thyme, dried tomatoes, etc.

Pain de Champagne: Popularly called the French sourdough, this bread is prepared throughout France and is found in many boulangeries. The bread is, although time consuming, made with whole wheat and rye, sometimes white flour too. Before baguettes became popular in the beginning of 20th century, people prepared huge loaves of pain de champagne in communal ovens and fed their families for days. 

                                                                                   Pain de Champagne - Country bread. 

Faluche du Nord:  Faluche du Nord is a traditional bread from the Nord-pas-de-Calais region of northern France and Tournai region of southern Belgium. It is a pale white bread that is soft and dense. The shape of this bread is neither round nor flat, it is more like a deflated soccer ball. This bread is usually eaten hot at breakfast, with jam or butter. It goes very well with some brie too. 

Pain Brie: A traditionally Normandy bread, pain brie has been around since the 14th century. The name of the bread comes from the pummeling the dough receives during the kneading process. Pain brie has a a tight crumb, slightly dense yet it has a soft and spongy texture. It is made with a high percentage of pate fermentee, which is a preferment. 

Pain d'Epi: The word 'epi' is used to describe a wheat stalk in french. Therefore, the bread is named as such because it is shaped in the form of stalk of wheat. It is a simple baguette that is slit and shaped like a wheat stalk. It is quite popular during dinner.

                                                                                       Pain d'Epi or wheat stalk bread

Apart from these breads, there are numerous French breads, for instance - pogne, pain aux noix, Pain complet, croissant, brioche, pain de seigle and countless more breads. So, to sum up everything that has been stared so far, the French have been baking breads since the middle ages. Throughout the years, the French have mastered the process of bread making. Breads are a staple in French households. Inspite of the advancement that has taken place in bread making, the traditional methods still continue in France, along side the new methods and adaptations. The process of French bread making uses 4 ingredients - flour, salt, water and yeast. Eventhough there are only 4 main ingredients, the French have managed to create some of the heartiest breads by manipulating the kneading process, proving time, etc. and they continue to do so. So, if you ever visit France, make sure try out their breads, as many as you can. 

Images given above are not mine; credits given to the respective owner/photographer of the images.

Copyrights Tanya Kumar, 2021.