French Bakers Win World Record For Creating Longest Baguette, Reclaim Title From Italy

A team of 18 bakers recently came together to make the longest baguette in the world. Their attempt is being celebrated as a moment of pride for France, as the country reclaims this title from Italy. As per Guinness World Records (GWR), the previous record was set in June 2019 by Croce Rossa Italiana in Como, Italy. Back then, the record-making loaf measured a staggering 132.62 metres (435 ft 1 in). On May 5, 2024, a group of French bakers won the title when they created a baguette measuring 140.53 metres (461 ft).

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The event took place during the Suresnes Baguette Show held at the commune of Suresnes, near Paris. According to The Guardian, a statement publicising the event detailed what the bakers would have to do: "The dough will be kneaded, shaped on site, and then baked in front of the public in a rolling oven under a tent... It will be made according to the rules of the art, with wheat flour, water, yeast and salt as the only ingredients." It also specified that the baguette would have to be at least 5 centimetres thick throughout its length in order to qualify.

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As per a Suresnes press release, the traditional process of making the baguette began at 3 a.m. local time. The team of bakers started supervising at 5 a.m. A mobile oven was designed especially for this attempt. After the baguette was ready, its length was measured and a representative of GWR made the official announcement in the early evening. Later, part of the bread was cut into smaller pieces, topped with Nutella and distributed to the public. The remainder was given to homeless people.

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Dominique Anract, president of the French National Confederation of Boulangerie and Patisserie, said, "A record for the longest handmade baguette requires true collective sportsmanship, and in this year of the Olympic Games, bravo to all our artisan bakers," reported CNN.

In 2022, the "artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread" was inscribed in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

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