Making the Perfect Baguette Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stick or baton or wand

A baguette is a traditional symbol of France. It is a long, thin type of bread which is distinguished by its long length and its crispy crust. It is usually 5-6cm in diameter (2-2.5 in) and it is usually around 65 cm or 25 inches long, but versions can be up to 1.0 m (39 inches long).

It has been known as the most popular bread in France since the 18th century (with some minor modifications since then), but it was not given the name "baguette', officially until 1920. The name means "wand," "baton" or "stick".

Because of its symbolism as a French icon, the baguette was added to the French Ministry of Culture's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018. In 2022, its recipe and associated culture were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The photo depicts a photo of the Louisiana Capitol in Baton Rouge.

Answer: Butter

In 1993, the French Parliament passed Le Décret Pain (The Bread Law). This decree demanded two things: It defined the ingredients of pain traditionnel français (traditional French bread) and where it could be made. That is, pain maison (homemade bread) must be "fully kneaded, shaped, and baked at their place of sale." Hence, the popularity of small boulangeries in every French town.

The traditional French baguette is made from wheat flour, water, baker's yeast (leavening agent), and salt. Small amounts (less than 2%) of broad bean flour, soya flour, and wheat malt flour, but no other ingredients, can be added.

The photo depicts a photo of a butter churn, a useless tool for making a baguette.

Answer: True

August Zang, an Austrian entrepreneur, introduced Vienna bread (pain viennois) and the croissant into France in the early 19th century. He also introduced steam ovens (sometimes called deck ovens) into France. These ovens are comprised of a combination of a traditional gas-fired oven and a brick oven. For baking baguettes, this oven is heated to 200°C and steam is injected during this time. This allows the crust to expand before setting (creates a lighter 'bubblier' loaf). It melts the glucose on the surface of the bread giving it a slight glaze, and also contributes to the crispiness of the crust. Incisions are made in the dough before baking to give the loaf its characteristic shape.

Because the finished loaves have minimal ingredients and a low moisture content, baguettes go stale quickly. It is not uncommon for the French to buy bread twice a day from their local boulangerie so they have fresh bread for every meal.

The photo depicts a photo of Zang's boulangerie in Paris.

Answer: French president

Almost 200 French bakers have competed in a national baguette making competition since 1994. Le Grand Prix de la Baguette comprises a 14 judge panel who judge the baked baguettes on five criteria: baking, appearance, smell, taste, and crumb. While the monetary prize is 4000 Euros, the bigger attraction for the competitors is that the winner gets to provide France's president with their daily bread for that year.

The photo depicts a photo of the Élysée Palace, the home of the French President.

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

Myths abound about the baguette, mainly because its origin and history and origins are unclear. There is no basis of fact that Napoleon ordered the baguette to be created to allow soldiers to easily carry bread with them. As the round shape of most breads occupied a lot of space, Bonaparte allegedly demanded that they be made into a stick shape with specific measurements so the bread could slide into the soldiers' uniform.

Another myth that is well-accepted is that baguettes were the "Bread of Equality" following a law made after the French Revolution that required a type of bread to be made accessible to the rich and poor. Another myth is that the bread was commissioned to be made for the massive number of workers who were employed to construct the Paris Metro in the early 1900s. As the workers, recruited from many areas of France, were prone to fighting because of regional tensions, the Metro authority demanded that local bakers produce a long bread that did not require a knife, therefore preventing violent fracas between crew members.

The photo depicts a metal bicorne hat, similar to the headwear favoured by Napoleon.

Answer: A law was passed in the 1920s prohibiting bakers from working between 10 pm and 4 am, hence reduced baking time demanded longer narrower loaves

A fact that is often thought to be a myth is that the baguette was created to ease the working conditions of bakers. Traditionally, boulangers worked through the night, working on breads that took hours to make due to the use of wild yeasts with long rising times. A law implemented in 1919 banned bakers from working overnight. This coincided with the advent of lévure chimique (industrial yeast), which allowed bakers a way to make bread in much less time. The baguette's elongated shape allowed for a baking time of only 20 minutes.

While baguettes are not a traditional Belgian bread name, Belgium has a long history of baking long, thin loaves similar to baguettes. Belgium did not need to import baguettes (and they would have become stale due to travel time regardless).

Answer: Ficelle

A loaf thinner than a baguette is called a 'ficelle' in France. Sometimes shorter baguettes are referred to as 'batons', meaning sticks. This variety is popular in the UK, where it is known as a 'French Stick'. Another tubular loaf made in France is called the 'flûte', which is known in the United States as a 'Parisienne'. It is about twice the size of the baguette.

In France, a short, rugby ball-shaped loaf is called a 'bâtard', meaning literally, 'bastard', though its etymology is unclear. A large pan loaf is called a 'miche' and a large round loaf is called a 'boule' (literally - a ball).

None of these terms is legally defined or even defined in French dictionaries.

Answer: No

Perhaps nowhere else in the world is there the variety of sandwiches that is available in the US. Submarine sandwiches (subs) are very popular. These are elongated bread rolls split down the middle lengthwise and stuffed with every known foodstuff and combination to make a satisfying meal.

A hoagie or a hero roll is a long roll used in sandwiches named after the roll itself. Unlike baguettes, hoagie rolls have more ingredients, that can include flour, egg, milk, vegetable oil, salt, sugar and yeast. Perhaps the most famous American hoagie is the Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich.

Many American sandwiches specify French bread or French rolls. American French bread is a generic, broad term for a type of bread made in the U.S. that is inspired (but not copied) from French baking traditions. 'French bread' in the U.S. refers to a wide, soft-crusted loaf that's often used for sandwiches or French toast. While it draws inspiration from traditional French bread, it has been adapted to American tastes, resulting in a loaf quite different to bread found in a French bakery. American French bread loaves are typically wider and shorter, while baguettes are long and thin. The American version often has a softer crust, which makes it ideal for sandwich loaves or French toast. In contrast, baguettes have a chewy, crunchy crust from baking at high temperatures, with the dough placed directly on a baking stone for optimal crustiness and 'oven spring'.

A po' boy (pictured) is a sandwich originating in Louisiana. Traditionally, it consists of a variety of fillings, which can be ham, roast beef, and especially fried seafood such as shrimp, crawfish, fish, crab and oysters, on a New Orleans French bread roll cut horizontally. This 'po' boy bread' has a crisp crust and fluffy crumb, but it is not a baguette. It is made with less flour and more water than baguettes. This makes a wetter dough, resulting in a lighter, fluffier bread that is not as chewy as a baguette. Baguettes, whilst similar, are less than ideal for po'boys because of their larger air pockets and more open crumb structure.

Even the French Dip sandwich (thin roast beef slices dipped in cooking juices or served on the side for dipping) does not specify a baguette. It's often associated with the type of bread used, which is an (American-style) French roll. It may also have come from Philippe Mathieu, the owner of a restaurant in Los Angeles (one of two who claim to have invented the sandwich), as he was French. Also, there was a fashion term 'French dip' at the time, which referred to a dropped-waist dress style, which may have been a reference to the sandwich.

So while it appears there are plenty of sandwiches that specify 'French bread' or 'French roll', these refer to American adaptations of the French baguette rather than the strictly-defined French baguette.

Answer: Vietnam

French Indochina was a group of French dependent territories, including present-day Vietnam in Southeast Asia, from 1887 to 1954. During this colonisation era, the French taught the Vietnamese to bake bread as they did in France. The Vietnamese baguette is very similar to the French version, though it may include some rice flour, which is much cheaper than wheat flour in the region.

Bánh Mì (literally 'wheat bread') is a baguette with a thin, crispy crust and a fluffy texture. It is often split lengthways and filled with meat and similar ingredients to a submarine sandwich, and is served as a meal (pictured). Plain bánh mì (bánh mì không - 'plain bread') is also eaten as a staple food. Typical fillings include (but are not limited to) Vietnamese sausage, roast pork, coriander/cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and pickled daikon with condiments such as pâté, along with red chilli and mayonnaise. It is a popular street food in Vietnam.

With the fall of Saigon in 1975 and the mass emigration of Vietnamese to the United States, Canada, Australia, France, West Germany, and the United Kingdom, the Bánh Mì and other Vietnamese recipes followed, and in time these sandwiches became popular in these 'resettlement' countries.

Answer: Algeria

Algeria was ruled by France from 1830 until Algeria gained independence in a bloody war that lasted from 1954-1962. Contemporary Algerian culture is a mixture of modern Arabic infused with a French history. As such, it is not surprising that Algerians are big consumers of baguettes, even though flatbread and couscous are a large part of the daily Algerian diet. According to a 2022 World-Grain.com report, 49 million baguettes are consumed by the country's 38 million people every day. That is over one baguette per person per day. In France, the consumption is significantly lower, with the French estimates being somewhat less than one baguette a day.

Because of the extremely high annual wheat demand of about 193 kg per head of the population, Algeria is one of the world's biggest wheat importers due to its bread consumption. Most of this wheat is imported from France, but this needs to be supplemented with the importation of wheat from Ukraine, Mexico and Canada. This importation is controlled by the government, and top-quality flour that baguettes require is not always available. An Algerian baguette is lighter than the French equivalent and has a larger volume. The weight per baguette is about 250 grams in Algeria, but in France, the average weight is around 350 grams.

The photo depicts the Martyr's Monument in Algiers.