A baguette (French: stick) is a variety of bread distinguishable by its much greater length than width. A standard baguette is five or six centimeters wide and three or four centimeters tall, but can be up to a meter in length. It is also known in English as a French stick or a French loaf.
Shorter baguettes are very often used for sandwiches. These sandwich-sized loafs are sometimes known as demi-baguettes. Baguettes can also be sliced and are often served with paté or cheeses. As part of the traditional continental breakfast in France, slices of baguette are spread with jam and dunked in bowls of coffee or hot chocolate.
Baguettes are noted for their very crispy crust and slightly buttery taste.
Baguettes are seen as closely connected to France and especially to Paris, even though they are by far not the only kind of French bread. They are, however, available around the world.
In France, it is to be noted that not all long loaves are baguettes - for example, a standard thicker stick is a pain and a thinner loaf is a ficelle.
