French baguette

Keep it in a paper bag or bread bin at room temperature and eat it on the day you buy it; the crust softens in a sealed plastic bag. For longer storage, freeze it rather than refrigerating it, which makes bread go stale faster.

Yes. Freeze it whole or in portions in a tightly wrapped bag; slices are handy if you want to toast only what you need. Thaw at room temperature, or warm it straight from frozen in a 180 °C oven for about 8–10 minutes.

Briefly wet the crust under a running tap, then heat the baguette in a 180 °C oven for 5–8 minutes. Eat it soon after warming: this restores the crust temporarily, but won’t make stale bread keep fresh.

Use slices for cheese, pâté or soup, or split a piece for a sandwich with ham, cheese and salad. It is also the classic bread for garlic bread: spread with garlic butter and bake until crisp and golden.

The diagonal cuts, called scores, let the dough expand as it bakes and help create its characteristic ridged crust. Bakers usually make them just before baking with a very sharp blade.

A piece about 10 cm long is roughly 50 g and provides 144 kcal. The actual weight varies with the loaf’s thickness and how much crust it has.

The mixed-grain baguette has more, with 6.5 g per 100 g compared with 2.7 g in a French baguette. Its grains and seeds also give it a denser texture.

Cut the bread into cubes, toss with a little olive oil, and bake on a tray at 180 °C for 10–15 minutes, turning once, until crisp. They’re useful for salads and soups, especially when the baguette is a day or two old.