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Le
Croissant
The first production of a Croissant dates back to 1683.
That year, Austria was under siege by the Turkish Empire.
In Vienna, the Turkish assailant found that time was slipping
past and decided to dig an underground tunnel to enter
the city. The Vienna bakers, the majority of whom worked
underground, heard noises and called in the army. The
Turks were discovered and retreated.
The bakers were thanked and honoured and they decided
to make bread in the shape of a crescent moon (the symbol
of the Turkish flag) and the croissant was born. One hundred
years later, Marie Antoinette (Austrian Princess who married
Louis XVI), introduced the croissant to the French Aristocrats.
It was only at the start of this century that the butter
puff croissant was created, and became the French national
product in 1920.
The
History of Bread
Did you know that bread is 8,000 years old?! The Egyptians
used to mix the ingredients with their feet. Greeks and
Romans soon followed suit. For a long time, bread was
the main food for the common people. It was also a Holy
food and was respected by all religions. If bread was
not available, it was a sign that starvation was coming
and was often followed by illness, disease and rebellion.
Today with the wide choice of food on offer, bread has
become a commodity product, and most of the time is only
used as a support to the main food, e.g. soup, stew etc.
With the evolution of farming and bakery techniques, industrial
bread was born. At first the quality was very poor. However,
as the years went by, the equipment and knowledge progressed
to reach a standard of good quality. We are now entering
an era where factories are looking to manufacture bread
which was made by hand 60 years ago, but using a fully
automated process.
Think
you know your Focaccia?
The word "Focaccia" is derived from the Latin work "Focus"
which means "hearth". This simple flat bread, shaped as
a rustic slab or round, was named in the days when it
was baked by Etruscans on a hot stove over the embers
of a fire in Northern Italy. The more traditional version
of Focaccia, flavoured with olive oil, salt and herbs,
comes from Genoa in Italy.
A simple loaf of Focaccia can turn into a feast when served
as an antipasti with Italian salami, a bowl of home made
Italian vinegar, olive oil dressing and extra sea salt
to sprinkle over the bread. To serve Italian style, dip
chunks of the bread in the dressing or into fruity olive
oil.
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Source: The federation of bakers website -
www.bakersfederation.org.uk
- The term "bakers dozen" arose when bakers started
giving away an extra loaf with every dozen purchased
to make sure the total weight of bread sold complied
with the strict Weights and Measures Regulations which
came into force at the time. Since then, the number
thirteen has been referred to as "a baker's dozen".
- Bread provides more protein, iron, B vitamins and
complex carbohydrates per penny than any other food.
- Bread contains very little fat and virtually no sugar.
- The sandwich commemorates the Earl of Sandwich - a
famous gambler whose logic was that a slice of meat
between two slices of bread could be eaten without having
to leave the gaming table for a meal!
- The workers who built the pyramids of Egypt were paid
in bread.
- The Great Fire of London started in a baker's shop.
- There are two contenders for the title of the patron
saint of bakers. The Master Bakers' church in London
is dedicated to St. Clements, the fourth pope, whose
feast day is 29 November. However, the Church officially
acknowledges St. Honorius whose feast day is celebrated
on 30 September.
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