What could be more traditionally French than the baguette, that long slender loaf of bread that has become an instantly recognized symbol of France? At any hour of the day, on the streets of any village, town, or city, you are likely to see the French strolling along with one of these elongated loaves tucked under their arm. That’s because this ubiquitous bread can accompany their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The baguette is thought as to have come from France, but it actually came from Vienna. The word “baguette” simply means wand, baton, or stick and refers to the shape of the bread. This term became attached to the thin, round sticks of bread we know today, in the early 20th century.
French traditions say that bread may only contain the following four things: flour, water, yeast and salt. Anything containing more than those things must not be called bread. A baguette is about 5 to 6 centimeters (2–2 1⁄2 inches) and a usual length of about 65 cm (26 in), although a baguette can be up to 1 m (39 in) long. Such a baguette usually weighs about 250 grams (8 3⁄4 oz). It is common to dip the bread into olive oil when it is eaten.
