boulangerie

A boulangerie is a bakery that mostly or only makes breads, especially French-style breads.

In France, where the word originated, a boulangerie can only hold that title if its bakers bake the bread on the premises, as opposed to selling bread baked elsewhere. Outside of France, bakeries are sometimes called boulangeries to suggest a French atmosphere or to indicate that they make French-style bread, such as baguettes.

Example: Visiting the local boulangerie to buy some freshly baked bread was a Sunday ritual for the family.

Boulangerie comes from the French boulanger, meaning “bread baker,” and the suffix –erie, which indicates a place of business. This suffix is found in a word for another type of French bakery, the patisserie, which specializes in French-style pastries and desserts.

While some bakeries sell both breads and pastries, bakeries in France often specialize as boulangeries or patisseries. When those names are used outside of France, the same separation often holds true. You can usually smell a true boulangerie even before you go inside, as the aroma of fresh loaves drifts from the ovens into the street. The image of a French person walking home with a baguette in their bag is a stereotype for a reason: fresh bread is a large part of the French diet and boulangeries are a big part of France’s food culture. Outside of France, a bakery called a boulangerie is the place to go if you’re looking for artisanal, French-style bread that’s higher in quality than the loaves you can get at the supermarket.

What are some other forms of boulangerie?

• boulangeries (plural)

What are some synonyms for boulangerie?

• bakery

What are some words that share a root or word element with boulangerie? 

• patisserie

What are some words that often get used in discussing boulangerie?

• bread 
• baker
• baguette
• loaf
• specialize
• artisanal

What are some words boulangerie may be commonly confused with?

• patisserie

Boulangeries are strongly associated with French culture. Outside of France, boulangeries are most popular in places with strong connections to France, such as New Orleans in the U.S. and Quebec, Canada.

A mate of mine once went into a Paris boulangerie and asked if they had any French bread…

— John Porter (@Pieandapint) February 11, 2020

I’d run off to France and live in an apartment above a boulangerie and cycle everywhere

— Chaffinch Helen Cement (@CementHelen) February 11, 2020

every day i get just a little bit closer to just absolutely losing it and buying a one-way ticket to southern france, where i would work in a local boulangerie with my pet cat

— rhys!!! (@ursleepybf) February 3, 2020

 

 

Is boulangerie used correctly in the following sentence?

Before coming over for dinner, my sister stopped at the boulangerie and picked up some fresh steaks.