For centuries, French villages had communal ovens where the townsfolk would bring their dough to be baked, and the loaves weighed from 1.5 to 5.5 kilograms (3–12 lb).

In order to produce a lighter, less chewy bread, the whole wheat flour was sifted or bolted using mesh or cloth.

With the rise of commercial yeast at the turn of the 20th century, pain de campagne fell out of favor in French cities, where it was replaced by the baguette.

[2] However, with the rise of artisan breads in the 1970s,[3] pain de campagne has been growing in popularity, both in Europe and the US.

Today pain de campagne is still made in France, and is enjoying a growing appreciation in the United States and the UK.