The long, thin distinctive shape of a baguette (or French stick), makes it one of the most widely-recognised types of bread in the world. This traditional French loaf is usually made with yeast and wheat flour and has a soft, open, slightly chewy interior surrounded by a crispy brown crust.
This same dough can also be used to create variations in the shape of the bread including split rolls (pistolets) and pain d'epi, with a shape that resembles an ear of wheat. There are also a number of breads with the same baguette shape, but with a different length or thickness. These include: bātarde (slightly shorter and wider), batons (slightly shorter), demi-baguettes (half the length) and ficelles (the same length, but with half the diameter).
Baguettes may be served and eaten in a wide variety of ways. For example:
- Split horizontally, buttered and filled with sweet or savoury fillings
- Sliced vertically and topped with cheese for the traditional accompaniment to French onion soup
- Split horizontally, topped with cheese and cooked under a grill until golden brown
- Cut into chunks and served with a selection of cheeses and fruits
Baguettes do not keep fresh for very long and so are best eaten on the day they are made or bought.
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