Pistolet (bread)

The pistolet (literally "little pistol") is a typical Belgian variety of bread consisting of a small and round bread roll.

The crust is usually hard and crispy, while the inside of the roll is soft.

To make the bread roll, the dough must rise for 12 hours, and is also manipulated with a small stick. The bread should be light, airy and delicate on the inside, with a crisp crust. The pistolet roll is filled with a typical selection of meats, cheeses and condiments, which may include: cervelas sausages, boudin sausages, Ardennes ham, the Plattekaas cheese of Walschot, Ghent mustard, pickles, mayonnaise, local shrimp, farm butter, Red Flanders beef, kipkap (a kind of head pressed jelly), potjesvlees (meat in gelatin), Pipe d’Ardennes sausages, Bloempanch (black sausage obtained from pig blood), Herve raw milk cheese, and more. It might also be eaten with butter and jam for weekend breakfasts.

While most people in Belgium are familiar with this puffy roll with a slit down the middle and characteristic crisp crust, the truth is that it did not always have this form. The pistolet evolved over several centuries.

In 1852, French poet Gérard de Nerval extolled the pistolet roll of Brussels in his writing. Today, however, while similar breads can be found commonly, only a few bakers in Brussels still make the pistolet according to tradition, with the long rising time and filled with local ingredients.