From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
Also French stick. A long, stick-like French bread with a crisp crust and chewy interior, taking its name from the Latin baculum, meaning "stick", developed in the 1930s in Paris. The baguette's exceptional flavor comes from the soft French flour used to make it and the addition of very little yeast. The same dough recipe is used in France to make different shapes and sizes of breads, such as flûtes, ficelles, bâtards and petits pains.
