Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 11, 2026

Boule (bread)

Boule, from French, meaning "ball", is a traditional shape of French bread resembling a squashed ball. A boule can be made using any type of flour and can be leavened with commercial yeast, chemical leavening, or even wild yeast (sourdough). The name of this rustic loaf shape is the reason the French call bread bakers "boulangers" and bread bakeries "boulangeries".

Last revised
Jun 11, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
136 w
Citations
3
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Boule
TypeBread shape
Place of originFrance

Boule, from French, meaning "ball", is a traditional shape of French bread resembling a squashed ball. A boule can be made using any type of flour and can be leavened with commercial yeast, chemical leavening, or even wild yeast (sourdough). The name of this rustic loaf shape is the reason the French call bread bakers "boulangers" and bread bakeries "boulangeries".1

Representation in art

Boule bread appears in certain Renaissance paintings by the Dutch painter Dieric Bouts.2 A representation of Boule bread can be appreciated in the still life works of the Spanish painter Luis Eugenio Meléndez (1716–1780), and also in the works of the French painter Jean-Baptiste Chardin.2

See also

See also

References

References

  1. "What is Boule Bread". bakesomebread.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  2. << Le pain et l'art >>, published on the site "lepain.ch".