PARIS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - French retailer Leclerc on Tuesday said it was freezing the price of the country's staple bread loaf, the baguette, for at least four months as he warned about soaring inflation.

"We commit to freezing the price of the 250-gram baguette at 0.29 euros for at least 4 months," Michel-Edouard Leclerc, head of the company, told RMC radio.

Blaming higher commodity and energy prices, Leclerc reiterated his forecast for 4% inflation this year.

"Inflation is back and Leclerc must try to prevent the rise being passed on to consumers," Leclerc said.

He promised tough discussions with suppliers in order to keep the price of other basic foodstuffs in check.

Leclerc heads Les Centres E. Leclerc, a cooperative association of about 600 retailers, which competes against Carrefour and Casino. Its low-price policy has helped it become France's biggest food retailer by market share. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Richard Lough)