French Classics
Rustic Tourte de Meule
A true taste of the French countryside. The Tourte de Meule is a traditional sourdough loaf made with stone-ground flour, prized for its thick, chewy crust, moist open crumb, and wonderfully complex flavor. This recipe guides you through creating this masterpiece at home.
The History of the Tourte de Meule
The name “Tourte de Meule” already reveals the heart of this bread. It literally translates to “millstone loaf.” This name is a tribute to the traditional method used to produce the flour for this bread: it is slowly ground between two heavy millstones.
In contrast to modern, industrially produced flour, stone-ground flour (often classified as T80 in France) retains a larger portion of the grain, including the bran and the germ. The result is a flour that is richer in nutrients, minerals, and, above all, flavor. It gives the bread its characteristic cream-colored crumb and a deep, nutty taste rarely found in mass-produced products.
The Tourte de Meule is a classic “Pain de Campagne” (country bread) and a symbol of France’s honest, rural baking tradition. Each loaf is a piece of history—a simple yet perfect bread made from just four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and time.