Images courtesy of Boulangerie LE DARZ/Facebook
Baguettes typically come in long loaves, making it difficult for some to transport, cyclists and bikers especially.
A French baker looked to fix that problem with an innovative technique. Before baking, the baguette is folded in half to make a U-shape design, a design which seems like a simple idea but took a chance conversation to be developed.
Nicolas Le Darz, the owner of the Le Darz boulangerie (bakery) in Landerneau, France, initially made an attempt at baking a horseshoe-shaped loaf because his apprentice casually mentioned that his cyclist father found it hard to carry a baguette in his bag without leaving a pile of crumbs.
The new creation became a hit, and the bakery now makes 50 "biker-friendly baguettes" every day. Co-owner Muriel Le Darz says of the folded baguette, or baguette du motard, “My husband, [Nicolas Le Darz], who is a biker himself, was very taken by the idea. The advantages include that the baguette fits into a backpack and there are no crumbs to empty out. Also, it does not dry out.”
The loaves are also sold online, and cost slightly more than tradition baguettes. Le Darz says that for customers complaining about the price, “Imagine folding 100 sticks - it takes time!”
