What's in a Baguette?

What’s in a baguette?Fonds de dotation EKIP

A baguette is made of wheat flour, water (650 g per 1 kg of flour)...

...salt (18 g), and yeast (12 g). 

It is free of fat, sugar, and additives.

Shape of the baguetteFonds de dotation EKIP

Did you know the baguette has several parts?

There's more to the baguette than a line...

Different BaguettesFonds de dotation EKIP

In the eighteenth century, the baguette was considered a free-form bread. Back then, the French baguette did not have a standard shape. A large variety of shapes and flavors could be made from the same dough.

Shape of the baguetteFonds de dotation EKIP

Let's zoom into a contemporary baguette!

The crumb

Cream-colored and sweet, the soft inside of a baguette features air pockets of different sizes.

The top

Cream-colored and sweet, the soft inside of the crust on top is rather thin. Its hue is golden, with hints of caramel.

The sole

This part gets its name from its position on the oven’s sole or hearth. Since it is in direct contact with the heat source, the bottom of the baguette forms a thicker crust than the top.

The slash design

The slash design on the top of the baguette comes from a cut into the dough prior to baking. It’s magical to watch as the cuts open into wider slashes in the early stages of baking.

The heel

The tip of the baguette, or heel, is crunchy and scrumptious. In French it is known as the croûton or the quignon.

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