BATARD
/ TORPEDO
Batard literally means “bastard”, in the USA we call it torpedo, since the shape of the bread resembles a torpedo. To my knowledge batard bread is pretty much a baguette, but shorter, wider and most of the time a little thinner crust, which makes the bread a touch softer. It mainly refers to the shape of the bread.
I remember when we went to the Alsace to get some baguettes, often my parents ended up with batard as well, since they bought a lot of bread for the holidays and my mom would freeze it. Those trips were always fun, because you cross the border and there is a whole different culture, yet the Alsace and Baden/ Markgräflerland have some similarities as well.
Over time I learned that there are different version of baguettes and batards. When I was teaching yoga in the Provence the boulangerie offered 4-6 different baguettes/batards. Some with seeds and some with whole wheat or other grains in it and some are sourdough based.
The Bäckerei Vogelfrei version is a sourdough bread with white wheat flour, rye flour, whole wheat flour and spelt flour in it. It is a little bit hardier, and has a good crunch to the crust, yet it is soft and chewy inside. The flavor is more complex, you can taste the earthiness of the rye, mixed with the nut flavor of the spelt and whole wheat flour and when chewing a little bit more you still get the light sweetness of wheat. It is a great bread and very versatile. Great with soups, excellent with cheese and sausage or simply with some butter!
Ingredients
Organic white wheat flour, organic whole wheat flour, organic whole spelt flour, organic dark rye flour, organic gluten flour, sourdough, water and salt.
