Baguettes are a notable component of the French culinary scene.
Now, French bakers have achieved the record for the longest baguette ever made.
At 140.53 meters long (461 feet), it surpasses the previous Italian record of 132.62 meters (435 feet 1 inch), held for almost five years, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The long loaf was publicly unveiled on Sunday during the Suresnes Baguette Show at the Terrasse du Fécheray viewing platform in the western French suburban commune of Suresnes, near Paris.
According to Reuters, a Guinness World Records (GWR) judge was there to approve the record. CNN has contacted GWR.
A team of 18 bakers began preparing the dough at 3 a.m. local time before supervising the baking process starting at 5 a.m., according to a Suresnes press release. A mobile oven was specially designed for the occasion.
Once the bread was baked, part of the baguette was cut, spread with Nutella and shared with the audience. Another part was given to the local youth association Celije so that it could distribute it that same night among the homeless, according to the statement.
“Suresnes is proud to witness this record for the longest baguette in the world, which celebrates a national symbol of our gastronomy and the artisans who perpetuate its know-how,” Suresnes Mayor Guillaume Boudy said in the statement.
“I congratulate the Southern bakers who participated in the making of the baguette and who maintain the tradition of sharing, essential for the coexistence of our city,” added Boudy.
Guinness Book of Records adjudicator Joanne Brent stands near the baguette during her inspection of the attempt. (Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via CNN Newsource)
Dominique Anract, president of the French National Confederation of Boulangerie and Pastry, said in the statement that it “required about 10 hours of work,” adding: “A record for the longest handmade baguette requires true collective sporting spirit, and In this year of the Olympic Games, bravo to all our artisan bakers.
The baguette (a long, thin, crusty loaf with shallow cuts) is one of the most popular breads in the world.
According to official French government specifications, traditional French baguettes are composed solely of white flour, water, yeast, and salt, have five blade strokes, and measure approximately 60 centimeters (23.6 in) long and 5 to 6 centimeters ( 2 to 2.4 inches) long. broad.
French baguettes were granted special protection status in 2022. The “artisan know-how and culture of the baguette” were officially recognized on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The attempt to break the record for the longest baguette in the world was to pay tribute to that recognized heritage and culture, according to the Suresnes statement.