La Baguette, UNESCO World Heritage?
Analog B&W scans
©GildasdeLaMonneraye2020
©GildasdeLaMonneraye2020
La Baguette, Patrimoine Mondial de l'UNESCO?
Il existe des termes qui expriment si bien son origine qui n’est nul besoin de le traduire dans d’autres langues (ex: Hamburger, Pizza, Baguette…). La “Baguette” est emblématique de la France , et, est un des symboles forts de cette France à l’étranger. Les étrangers ne brossent-ils pas le portrait du français avec sa baguette sous le bras? Force est de reconnaitre que ce cliché est bien réel, pour preuve 6 milliards de baguettes en France sortent chaque année des fournils! Le voeu du président de la Confédération Nationale de la Boulangerie Pâtisserie Française (CNPBF), Mr Dominique Anract, avec le soutien appuyé de Mr Emmanuel Macron, Président de la République Française, est que la baguette soit reconnue et inscrite au Patrimoine mondial immatériel de l’humanité par l’UNESCO. La baguette est une affaire d’état en France! Toutefois, au-delà de la baguette elle-même, c’est de nouveau le travail des artisans-boulangers qui pourrait être valorisé par cette reconnaissance de l’UNESCO. L’inscription au patrimoine mondial permettra de protéger la recette traditionnelle et de pérenniser ce savoir-faire. Depuis 1998 avec la Loi Raffarin (ancien premier ministre sous la présidence de Mr Jacques Chirac), la France a reconnu l’identité spécifique de l’artisan-boulanger pour la qualité artisanale et l’authenticité de son produit. La baguette est loin d’être en danger en France mais les habitudes des consommateurs ont évolué. Il était devenu urgent de différencier la fabrication artisanale face à un produit d’origine industrielle qui prend de plus en plus de parts de marché. Les boulangeries artisanales sont essentiellement de petites entreprises familiales qui se transmettent généralement de génération en génération. En France, elles sont bien plus qu’un lieu de vente, elles ont bien souvent un rôle socioculturel. En zone rurale, par exemple, elles peuvent être le seul commerce existant et par conséquent un atout de proximité et de survie pour le village. Les jeunes viennent également faire leurs armes auprès des Maîtres boulangers ce qui est primordial pour la transmission du savoir-faire et ainsi espérer préserver la tradition de ce commerce à taille humaine. A l’image de la boulangerie artisanale tenue par la famille Eveno, située à Questembert, petite ville de Bretagne où cette série photographique met en lumière le travail de ces boulangers au fournil lors d’un cycle de fabrication de la baguette traditionnelle - du pétrissage à la cuisson. Bertrand Eveno, le fils, aidé de son apprenti compose la baguette avec l’exigence de la qualité et un respect de la méthode traditionnelle. Farine, eau, sel et levure, une simplicité trompeuse puisque cela demande une précision et une maîtrise absolue. Verrons-nous la baguette obtenir ces lettres de noblesse à l’échelle mondiale? Quoi qu’il en soit, elle les a déjà dans le coeur des français. Par Gildas de la Monneraye |
La Baguette, UNESCO World Heritage?
There are words that express its origin so well that there is no need to translate it in other languages (i.e Hamburger, Pizza, Baguette…). The "Baguette" is emblematic in France, and is an undeniable symbol of that France abroad. Do we not caricature the frenchman with a baguette under his arm? Admittedly this cliché is very true; each year 6 billion baguettes in France come out of deck ovens! The president’s will of the National Confederation of French Pastry Bakery (CNPBF), Mr Dominique Anract, with the significant support of Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, is that the baguette be inscribed on the UNESCO list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The baguette is an affair of state in France! However, beyond the baguette itself, the UNESCO recognition may, even more, enhance the status of the bakers and his work. The inscription on that UNESCO list will ensure better protection of the traditional recipe and perpetuate this savoir-faire. Since 1998 with the Raffarin Act (former Prime Minister under Mr Jacques Chirac presidency), France has recognized the specific identity of the baker for the authenticity and the artisanal quality of his product. The consumer habits have evolved so it was urgent to label artisanal making products from bakery factory origin products which gain more and more market shares. Bakeries are essentially small family businesses that are usually transmitted from generation to the other. In France, they are much more than a common store, they often have a socio-cultural role. In rural areas, for instance, they can be the only existing store and turn out therefore to be a proximity asset and a question of survival for the village. The apprentices also start out with the Maîtres Boulangers which is necessary for the transmission of the know-how and in this way aspire to maintain the tradition of this activity on a human scale. Here, about the artisanal bakery run by the Eveno family, located in Questembert, a small town in Brittany where this photographic series highlights the work of these bakers in the bakehouse during a cycle of making the traditional baguette - from kneading to baking. Bertrand Eveno, the son, assisted by his apprentice compose the baguette with the requirement of quality and the respect for the traditional method of working. Wheat flour, water, salt and yeast, a deceptive easiness since it demands accurate and complete skills. Would we see the baguette getting the supreme world distinction? Whatever happens, it has already got it in the heart of the French people. By Gildas de la Monneraye |
CAPTION:
Image 1: The dough kneading. Bertrand Eveno, baker, adds water little by little.
Image 2: The dough kneading. Always better to feel by hand how the dough texture is after adding water and deciding to stop the process or let it longer kneading
Image 3: Hands in the kneading machine, Bertrand meticulously controls all steps and in same time gives instructions to his apprentice.
Images 4, 5 & 6: Bertrand cuts an accurate amount of dough from the main one and put it into a plastic basin. Then the dough will raise due to the yeast effect.
Image 7: Bertrand cuts in portion the dough and weighs them to be all the same. The apprentice takes the plastic basin which contains the dough portion to let it raising.
Images 8 till 12: Once the dough raised enough, the baker shapes it in its well-known form, long and thin. It's extremely important that they have the same exact weight (250 grams) which define the loaf of bread category. With a sort of shaver, Bertrand makes a delicate cut on the top of the shaped dough. They are placed in rows on a flour-impregnated towel, called a couche.
Image 13: The apprentice is preparing the couche onto the table placed in front the deck oven.
Image 14: Deck oven uses steam injection to create the proper baguette. the steam allows the crust. The oven is typically heated to well over 200 °C.
Images 15 & 16: The apprentice puts the breads in the deck oven using his wooden peel and Image 17: he puts them out
Image 18: Bertrand, the baker, satisfied of the cooking, looks on the baguettes with favour.
Image 19: The baguettes are now almost ready. They will need to cool a bit because it won't be healthy to be eaten right after taking them out the deck oven.
Image 20: The apprentice brings the baguettes to the bakery store to be sell to customers.
INFO Boulangerie Pâtisserie Artisanale EVENO
Image 1: The dough kneading. Bertrand Eveno, baker, adds water little by little.
Image 2: The dough kneading. Always better to feel by hand how the dough texture is after adding water and deciding to stop the process or let it longer kneading
Image 3: Hands in the kneading machine, Bertrand meticulously controls all steps and in same time gives instructions to his apprentice.
Images 4, 5 & 6: Bertrand cuts an accurate amount of dough from the main one and put it into a plastic basin. Then the dough will raise due to the yeast effect.
Image 7: Bertrand cuts in portion the dough and weighs them to be all the same. The apprentice takes the plastic basin which contains the dough portion to let it raising.
Images 8 till 12: Once the dough raised enough, the baker shapes it in its well-known form, long and thin. It's extremely important that they have the same exact weight (250 grams) which define the loaf of bread category. With a sort of shaver, Bertrand makes a delicate cut on the top of the shaped dough. They are placed in rows on a flour-impregnated towel, called a couche.
Image 13: The apprentice is preparing the couche onto the table placed in front the deck oven.
Image 14: Deck oven uses steam injection to create the proper baguette. the steam allows the crust. The oven is typically heated to well over 200 °C.
Images 15 & 16: The apprentice puts the breads in the deck oven using his wooden peel and Image 17: he puts them out
Image 18: Bertrand, the baker, satisfied of the cooking, looks on the baguettes with favour.
Image 19: The baguettes are now almost ready. They will need to cool a bit because it won't be healthy to be eaten right after taking them out the deck oven.
Image 20: The apprentice brings the baguettes to the bakery store to be sell to customers.
INFO Boulangerie Pâtisserie Artisanale EVENO