The classic French baguette is engineered to go stale. Its iconic crackling crust and open, chewy crumb are the direct result of choices that shorten shelf life to a matter of hours. Bakers accept this loss because any attempt to extend freshness rewrites the bread’s structure and flavor.The formula is minimalist: wheat flour, water, salt, yeast. No added fat, emulsifier or sugar slows starch retr...More