Ancient Roots, Ever-Growing Branches

Long before France was France, bread sustained communities across the region. The Gauls baked hearty loaves in clay ovens, creating traditions that would echo through centuries. But French bread as we know it today is not a museum piece frozen in time—it's a living tradition, constantly evolving through the contributions of countless bakers from every walk of life.

In medieval times, bread guilds controlled production with iron fists, dictating who could bake and how. Yet even then, innovation crept in through the margins. Marie Rouanet, a widow in 13th-century Lyon, defied guild restrictions to open her own bakery, passing techniques to her daughters that would influence regional baking for generations. Her story, recovered from dusty archives, reminds us that women have always been part of this narrative, even when official histories tried to erase them.