In the UK we like our bread but sadly we are terribly accepting of mediocre and bland options. The French have a completely different attitude towards bread, and France is worth visiting just for the experience of freshly baked bread. While the variety of bread on offer here has grown significantly in recent times, it’s still a far cry from what you can find in even your average small town in rural France.

Visit a supermarket in the UK and your choices often vary greatly between slices of wholemeal bread and slices of white bread. You can find slices of white bread that have no crust and whole wheat bread without a crust, then of course there are the thick slices, the thin slices, and the medium slices, not to mention the tall loaves and square loaves. But ultimately, it all comes down to blandness, and frankly, even the ducks are getting sick of it.

So here’s a guide to French bread, not only so you know what to look for and what to look out for when buying bread in France, but also to give you an idea of ​​what to look for if you’re lucky enough. stumble upon a bakery in the UK.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of French bread? If you’re like most people, then of course it’s the traditional baguette. The word baguette translated literally means ‘stick’ and of course, as everyone knows, a baguette is a loaf of bread, usually weighing around half a pound (or 250 grams if you like modern things!) The baguette Baked is one of the most tempting around, and the sound of the crust crunching when you crack it open is enough to make anyone instantly hungry. But when looking for a baguette, keep in mind that there are four main types.

The first type of baguette is the traditional half-pound stick we’re all familiar with, but what you might also come across are molded baguettes. These are made in industrial bread ovens and can be easily spotted as they tend to have flatter bottoms that bear the imprint of the lattice pattern of the oven base. These breadsticks are known locally as “moulded baguette”, literally “moulded baguette”.

A third type of baguette that you may come across is paler in color than normal baguettes, because they are coated with a fine flour before baking. These are known as ‘floured baguette’ or ‘floured baguette’. The last type of baguette you will come across are the really huge ‘flutes’, which are twice the length of a normal baguette. You’ll find all baguettes to be a lot, although molded ones generally have a slightly thinner crust.

But as well as baguettes, there’s a huge range of other types of bread, and a few are worth trying as the range is quite different to your average UK supermarket. For example, you can find a ficelle, which is a long and very thin bread. Don’t wait to eat them too long, though, as the thin crust means the inside of the loaf tends to dry out more quickly than other breads. It is better to buy it and eat it almost immediately.

If you want a bread that’s likely to keep a little longer, look up ‘country bread’. No, this does not contain champagne or alcohol of any kind! It is country bread, and it usually incorporates French ingredients such as wheat flour or rye flour, which tends to keep the bread fresh for longer. A bastard is a normal half-length loaf, which is useful if you don’t need as much bread.

Just a word of warning though, if you buy bread in France, remember that many of the bakeries will be closed for a couple of hours at noon. If you haven’t bought bread for your lunch by around 12:30, you’ll probably have to wait!