French vs. Italian Bread: What’s the Difference?
What do the French and Italian cuisines have in common? You guessed it: bread.
Both France and Italy specialize in the bread-making process. However, French and Italian breads are very different from each other. Let’s explore these differences in this blog.
First Impressions
What’s the first thing you notice when you see a loaf of bread? Its shape and size, of course! When it comes to distinguishing between French and Italian loaves of bread, you can clearly identify the two types after a single glance if you know what to look for.
French and Italian loaves are noticeably different in their appearances. The shapes and sizes of these loaves symbolize the two countries’ culture and heritage and thus, have unique features. Take the French baguette, for instance. It comes in a long and thin form and has rounded edges. In contrast, the Italian focaccia bread is baked in a flat and round shop. The stark differences in the appearance of French and Italian bread reflect the types of foods they’re usually served with and how they’re intended to be consumed.
Sweet or Savory?
French bread is typically sweeter and often served with breakfast foods. For instance, the French brioche is typically paired with eggs, bacon, or sweet toppings. Oh, and let’s not forget about the ever-popular brioche French toast! The dough for French bread is enriched with copious amounts of unsalted butter and eggs which brings out its sweetness.
On the other hand, Italian bread is usually on the savory side and paired with tomatoes, cheese, and pork. The famous Carasau bread, for instance, is commonly eaten with lunchtime meals.
While most of the ingredients used to create French and Italian loaves of bread are more or less the same, there are a few items that add to the uniqueness of each bread type. French bread usually combines flour, water, yeast, and salt, and is free of fat. Italian bread tends to include olive oil, herbs, and milk that add to its distinctive taste and texture.
The Baking Process
Finally, there’s a stark difference in the way Italian and French loaves of bread are baked. The former is often prepared inside a flat stone oven. Alternately, wood-fire or stone ovens may be used to bake Italian flatbreads to give them their signature aroma and smoky flavour.
French loaves are usually prepared using electric convection deck ovens. This helps create a softer and less chewy texture as compared to Italian bread loaves. It also makes them perfect for sandwiches.
If you’ve never tried a baguette sandwich before, you’re missing out! Our African sandwich shop in Montreal offers some of the yummiest French-inspired African sandwiches in town.
Check out our menu here and order your choice of baguette sandwich.
FAQs
French bread usually combines flour, water, yeast, and salt, and is free of fat. Italian bread tends to include olive oil, herbs, and milk that add to its distinctive taste and texture.
What is the difference between a French baguette and a classic baguette? ›
Baguette or pain courant, which is what we typically call “French bread,” would be more of a commercial style (cottony texture and yeasted) whereas baguette de tradition would be more of the long-fermented style.
What is the Italian version of the French baguette? ›
Pane Francese simply means “French bread”. An Italian version of the baguette, it is a slightly flatter long loaf with irregular holes in its interior and moist crumb. It is creamy tasting and soft textured because of the olive oil added to the dough.
What's the difference between a French baguette and a sourdough baguette? ›
Traditional baguettes are made with commercial yeast as the leavening agent. However, sourdough baguettes use active sourdough starter (which contains wild yeast) as the leavening agent.
What is so special about French baguette? ›
Baguettes are not only delicious, but dependable
This is because the French bread law (yes, there's actually a law) states that traditional baguettes can only be made with four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. This means there can't be too many unpleasant surprises.
Is a French baguette hard or soft? ›
French baguette is to be considered white Bread
A baguette is made of wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water. It is characterized by the crisp and crunchy crust but is soft inside. Baguette is widely known for its taste and texture; it is usually baked in a stone oven.
What kind of bread is Panera baguette? ›
Panera French Baguette offers a wealth of meal preparations, from appetizers and sandwiches to the ideal pairing for a soup or salad. Scored and baked to perfection, this French bread baguette has a thin crust. Available as a whole loaf, this dairy free bread is vegetarian.
What bread is closest to a baguette? ›
Ficelle – a type of French bread loaf, made with yeast and similar to a baguette but much thinner.
What is pizza on a baguette called? ›
In an Italian restaurant, they might be called "bruschetta", especially in the bread is grilled before toppings are added. The picture looks like it has a bit too many toppings to be bruschetta. "French bread pizza" is another one, but I can't tell 100% from the picture if the bread could pass for a baguette or not.
What is the end of a French baguette called? ›
Look like a local and eat the end of the baguette on the way home from the bakery, it's called le quignon, the heel.
Filone. Another Tuscan bread on the list, the filone is similar to the famous French baguette in shape. Its name comes from the word filo which means line – referring to the shape of the bread. Made with flour, olive oil, yeast, water, and salt, filone has a hard crispy crust and a light airy crumb inside.
Is ciabatta the same as baguette? ›
Both use flour, water, yeast, and salt, but ciabatta uses a much higher hydration dough and olive oil to ensure elasticity. The breads look completely different in shape and are named after the appearance of their loaves.
What is the difference between French bread and Italian bread and baguette? ›
Italian bread often contains a bit of milk or olive oil, and sometimes a bit of sugar. French bread tends to be longer and narrower. Italian bread loaves tend to be shorter and plumper. French bread tends to be hard and crusty on the outside, with a light and soft crumb.
What is a Louisiana baguette? ›
This thin-crusted variety of French Bread—more commonly known as the Baguette, Po' Boy Loaf or Sunday Cap Bread—is fundamental to the New Orleans gastronomy. Each version of the French bread is slightly different. The baguette is the traditional 18-inch loaf that is served in many New Orleans restaurants.
What is an Italian baguette called? ›
Filone. Another Tuscan bread on the list, the filone is similar to the famous French baguette in shape. Its name comes from the word filo which means line – referring to the shape of the bread. Made with flour, olive oil, yeast, water, and salt, filone has a hard crispy crust and a light airy crumb inside.
What are the two types of baguettes? ›
Of the four main types of baguettes — baguette ordinaire, baguette moulée (moulded baguette), baguette farinée (floured baguette), and baguette de tradition (traditional baguette) — the baguette de tradition is the true artisanal loaf, calling on the skills of the baker as outlined in the Bread Law.
What is the difference between French and Italian? ›
Italian pronunciation is more sharp and defined, and you use intonation and hand gestures for emphasis. French pronunciation is more fluid, and it features distinct nasal sounds and lots of vowel clusters. French is a little more straightforward when it comes to rules for plural forms, however.
What are the characteristics of a French baguette? ›
The baguette is recognisable by its long, narrow shape, a golden, crispy, shiny crust and its distinctive scoring, the baker's signature. The crumb can vary according to the production method used.
