Bâtards

The classic bâtard is a torpedo-shaped loaf—sort of halfway between a boule and a baguette. To make shaping the dough into a bâtard easier, first stretch the dough into an oval and let it rest, covered with a moist towel or plastic wrap, for 20 minutes before shaping it further. Then fold the sides into the center and press along the center as illustrated here.