Buying a fresh bread stick is a great luxury as far as I’m concerned. I know the French often eat theirs en route from the shop, but I like to get mine home in one piece. Given the mechanical properties and geometry of such bread, I rarely manage to arrive chez moi without snapping each loaf into at least two sections.
Today’s invention is therefore a simple protectif-de-pain. It takes the form of a long, thin foil bag, closed at one end. When the bread is inserted into the bag (which can be reused) a small hand-operated air pump (of the kind used to seal a half-consumed bottle of wine) is used to evacuate the bag. This is then knotted tightly and placed on sale in the usual way.
The partial vacuum within the bag allows external air pressure to rigidify the exterior foil skin, rendering it much more nearly impervious to collisions with the inside of the shopping trolley or car boot.
It also retains more moisture (and tasty smell) than any paper bag can, which adds value to the product in excess of the cost of the mass-produced bag.
