Balthazar

Types of Baguettes

A fun fact about baguettes is that there are three types of baguettes: 

• regular baguette
• the baguette moulée
• baguette farinée

All three are similar in taste, but the key difference lies in the way they are baked. A regular baguette is your typical golden-brown French bread. This is the most common type you will find in bakeries. The baguette moulée translates to "molded bread" and is manufactured by industrial ovens. And the baguette farinée has its crust covered with flour before baking. One of the great features of a baguette is that, when baked right, no knife is needed. Simply tear the bread apart with your hands. Making for a fun eating experience.

And did you know that the shape of the baguette comes from bakers not wanting to get up early? To keep from overworking, the French government passes a law in 1920 that forbid bakers to start their shifts before 4 am or from working past 10 pm. This meant that bakers had to get creative since bread takes time to bake. The long, thin shape of the loaf exposes as much of the dough to heat as possible, which means it will bake faster in the over. This way, the bakery can pump out the same number of loaves and do so in less time.