Some say Napoleon Bonaparte in essence created the French baguette in order to allow soldiers to more easily be able to carry bread with them. … Switching from the round loaf to the previously less-common, slender shape of the baguette solved the problem, because it could be prepared and baked much more quickly.

Why are baguettes that shape?

Some say Napoleon Bonaparte in essence created the French baguette in order to allow soldiers to more easily be able to carry bread with them. … Switching from the round loaf to the previously less-common, slender shape of the baguette solved the problem, because it could be prepared and baked much more quickly.

Why are my baguettes flat?

When yeast is active in your dough it eats away at starches and sugars and releases gasses. These gasses are then trapped inside your dough by the gluten mesh that has been created. If your gluten mesh is not fully developed it will not be able to supposer those gasses and thus resulting in a flat or collapsed bread.