10 Classic French Breads You’ll Find in Boulangeries Across France

5 min read

Buying authentic bread is a must when you visit France. Here is a guide to the top 10 classic French breads to buy from the boulangerie.

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1. Une baguette2. Une baguette tradition3. Une flûte4. Une ficelle5. Un pain de campagne6. Un pain de mie7. Un pain aux céréales8. Un pain complet9. Un pain de seigle10. Une fougasse

Bread is one of the first things that come to mind when you think about typical French food. Most French people eat bread every day and almost at every meal, from breakfast to apéro and dinner. Therefore, you will find bakeries everywhere across the country, including in tiny villages.

Your trip to France would not be complete without trying some delicious French breads from the local boulangerie!

Quick Background on French Bread

Take note that not every place selling pain (bread) may call itself a boulangerie. French consumer law reserves that name for businesses that knead, ferment, shape and bake their bread on the premises, without freezing the dough or bread. Separately, the 1993 Décret Pain regulates bread sold as pain de tradition française.

In order to receive the title of boulangerie, bakeries must obey a set of rules:

• the bread must be made on the premises, from fermentation to the sale to the consumer, and should never be frozen.
• Bread labeled pain de tradition française must contain no additives; that particular restriction does not apply to every bread sold in a boulangerie.

Any place that doesn’t respect these regulations is merely a dépôt de pain.

Each bakery offers dozens of types of breads of all sizes and shapes to choose from. Some of them are specific to the store you are visiting or the region you are in.

Some bakeries don’t hesitate to add spices, olives, bacon, dried herbs, or cheese for a unique twist. Others are classic choices that can be found in most boulangeries, no matter where you are.

Here are some of the most common ones: you can’t go wrong with any of these French breads we lined up for you! And remember: to find the best boulangerie, look for the longest waiting line outside.

1. Une baguette

La baguette is the best-known French bread. It is about 65 to 70 cm long and weighs 250 grams. If you think it might be too much before it goes stale (usually within 24 hours), ask for a half loaf: une demi-baguette.

You can find it everywhere, from boulangeries to supermarkets.

2. Une baguette tradition

Slightly more expensive than the regular baguette, the traditional baguette has a darker crust and is fermented longer than the regular baguette.

Under the 1993 decree, pain de tradition française is based on wheat flour, water and salt, fermented with baker’s yeast, sourdough starter (levain), or both. The decree also permits small proportions of bean, soy and malted-wheat flour.

3. Une flûte

Depending on the area you are visiting, une flûte is either bigger (about 400 grams) or smaller (about 100 grams) than the typical baguette. It can be confusing!

See also:

How to Read a French Menu and Order Food Like the French

A Guide to French Food Habits

4. Une ficelle

Une ficelle (which translates as “string”) is a smaller, skinnier version of the baguette. It is an excellent choice if you like the crust or if you don’t want to order a bigger bread.

5. Un pain de campagne

The baguette did not become the typical French bread until the 1920s. Before that time, bread was shaped in a large, almost round loaf instead of the skinnier baguette you are familiar with. Therefore, it stayed fresh longer.

You can still buy that type of bread nowadays under the name of “country bread.” Most boulangeries will slice it for you if you ask.

You can sometimes find it under a different name: un pain boule (a ball bread), which recalls the round breads behind the older word from which boulanger developed. It is sometimes made with natural leavening instead of commercial yeast, which gives it a taste similar to American sourdough bread.

6. Un pain de mie

Not a fan of the thick, crispy crust French bread is known for? You can ask for a pain de mie, which is similar to the sandwich bread you can find across the United States.

In France, it is usually only used to make toast or sandwiches. It is often sold sliced.

7. Un pain aux céréales

A cereal bread uses different types of flour besides the usual wheat. Each boulangerie has its own recipe, but it is often made using a blend of corn, barley, rye, oat, millet, and so on.

Some bakeries also add seeds like sunflower, sesame, poppy, flax, etc.

8. Un pain complet

Wholemeal bread has the reputation of being healthier than regular, refined flour bread. It is often denser and darker than other types of bread.

9. Un pain de seigle

Rye bread is typically served with oysters. It is darker than regular bread and is made of rye and wheat flour.

10. Une fougasse

Originally from Provence, fougasses can now be found everywhere in France. It is not unlike Italian focaccia, with a thinner, lighter crust than French bread, and it is flatter than regular bread.

Many boulangeries shape it in beautiful, flower-like forms and add different ingredients to the dough like olive oil, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.

Hope this article helped you discover the different types of French bread and their names.