Paris Par Thème

For French 107 : Advanced Oral Expression, our final project was “Paris Par Thème.” This project centered on choosing a "theme" we have noticed in Paris that we enjoyed and wanted to learn more about. While it was very open-ended, my partner and I had an idea in mind. Motivated by our love of food and fascination with the unique dining culture, we chose to research French bakeries. The guidelines for the project advised us to spend time and engage with our chosen subject; rather than solely eating several baguettes and croissants (which we did anyway), we decided to take a boulangerie tour.

Booked last-minute and not knowing what to expect, we took the metro to the 17th arrondissement. Little did we know that soon we would have one the most fun and educational experiences yet! When we arrived, we were informed that there was a scheduling error when I had booked the tour (uh oh), so for that reason they decided to give us a private tour! They whisked us away to the kitchen to get started.

Baguettes

The tour started with baguettes and began at their giant mixer. Our guide explained that for a baguette to be considered authentically French, it can only contain flour, water, salt, and yeast – no preservatives, no additional flavoring – nothing. These regulations on French bread aren’t new either; they have existed since the Napoleonic Decrees in the early 1800’s, which not only specified allowed ingredients, but exact measurements and weights of loaves so they could fit in the pockets of military uniforms with ease.

Interestingly enough, the flour in France is different than that of the United States. With a lower gluten content, French flour allows for the crust of baguettes to become crispier than their American counterparts. Next, the dough is mixed, portioned, and moved to the refrigerator to rest. The baker invited us to help with these steps!

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There are two types of baguettes: Classic and Traditional. The only differences lie in how long the dough rests in the refrigerator. Both use the same dough, but the classic stays for 2-3 hours whereas the traditional stays for an entire day. The longer time in the fridge causes the traditional baguette to be slightly more expensive, but has a crispy crust and more flavor than the classic. Once the dough is ready, it goes into the oven!

The ovens at boulangeries are “vapor ovens” which add water vapor to, again, help aid in a crispy crust. Basically, a crunchy, crispy golden-brown crust and a soft, fluffy interior is the goal when making baguettes. The recipe and process hasn't changed much over the years and remains a French favorite.

Croissants

Covered in flour and admiring the baker’s dexterity and skill in the preparation steps (I can assure you this is not an easy process!), we next switched to croissants. The dough for croissants is made early in the morning, so we didn’t get to help out with this, but we did learn a lot about their history. Croissants fall under the classification of “Viennoiseries” which are pastries made with butter. As you may have noticed, the name sounds awfully similar to “Vienna.” And you’re right! Croissants are not actually French. They were brought to France by Austrian queen Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI’s wife, who adored the chocolate croissants of her native country, which became very popular in France, too. However, these iconic French-but-not-really-French pastries do have an interesting legend of their origin.

Once upon a time, the Ottomans were invading the Austrian Empire. Their tactic? Tunneling under the city of Vienna and entering through bakeries. Bakers, noticing the intruders, alerted the queen who sent the military and stopped the attack. To commemorate their victory, the queen asked bakers to create a new pastry. They created the croissant, with it’s crescent shape emulating the moon on the Turkish flag as a constant reminder of their victory.

Whether this legend is true or not, it is clear that having fresh bread daily is very important to French culture. This boulangerie informed us that they sell around 400 baguettes a day, and some days up to 1000. This is from just one boulangerie, so that number times all boulangeries in Paris…that’s a lot of bread. One of the most basic staples of any French meal has such a distinct history, it’s no wonder that this country prides itself on its rich and extensive culture.