Types of Bread (Ultimate Guide)
Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that types of bread are on my mind a lot.
By that I mean that I love bread and I’m overjoyed that the world possesses so many different kinds of breads.
Firstly, there is always something new and different to try bread-wise in a new country during my travels.
Most importantly, here in the Middle East I love going to the bakery to buy pita or taboon bread first thing in the morning.
Moreover, there is nothing like the experience of freshly baked bread right out of the oven.
Thirdly, from rye bread to a loaf filled with dried fruit, to a soda bread, they all bring something to the table.
Types of Bread
Baguette
Country of Origin: France
This is a long bread with a crispy crust and soft inside. The word baguette means stick or baton and is a good description for the bread. This white bread is also simply known as French Bread. In France, the dimensions and parameters of the baguette is carefully controlled to conform to a certain government set standard.
Best for: sandwiches, and dipping
Brioche
Country of Origin: France
An enriched white flour dough that is often sweetened with a little bit of sugar. This bread can have a bit of a pastry look and flaky feel. Most importantly this is chiefly due to the butter that is used in its production.
Best for: french toast, as buns, and for butter
Challah
Country of Origin: Middle East
Containing butter and egg, challah bread is an ancient variety that derived its name from the practice of ritual. Originally made for Jewish communities for their rituals it was a name given to different kinds of bread from Yemen to Syria. Therefore, today Jewish families would bake challah in their homes.
Best for: to celebrate the Jewish sabbath
Ciabatta
Country of Origin: Italy
Translated as slipper, ciabatta is named after its shape which can resemble the footwear. It is an elongated, flattish bread that kind of dips in the middle. However, in Italy there are several versions of this bread depending on the region. My favorite is topped with sesame seeds.
Best for: dipping
Cornbread
Country of Origin: United States
Native Americans produced the first types of this bread. It was therefore then adopted by European settlers who began to use the flour to make European style breads. Often baked as muffins or cooked in a skillet, cornbread has a somewhat sweet flavor and crumbly texture.
Best for: eating with butter
Focaccia
Country of Origin: Italy
A flatbread similar to pizza dough, it is baked most commonly with olive oil and salt on the top of the dough. Firstly, this yeast bread is distinguishable by the divots in the top where the dough is pressed down by fingers, it is a very popular bread. Secondly this flatbread does not come with toppings.
Best for: as a side, or for sandwiches
Pita Bread
Country of Origin: Fertile Crescent
Originally developed by the Natufian people who made a flatbread that developed into the pita we know today. Known the world-over for the pocket in the center, due to being baked at a high temperature. Therefore great for making sandwiches.
Best for: dipping, sandwiches
Rye Bread
Country of Origin: Central Asia
Rye is a kind of grass that can grow in cooler climates and less than ideal soil. This is mainly why it became popular in European countries. Rye has a stronger flavor than wheat and is substantially more chewy. Moreover, often rye flour is mixed with wheat flour when making the modern rye loaf. Therefore this gives it the flavor of rye but with many characteristics of wheat bread.
Best for: eating with butter, sandwiches
Sourdough
Country of Origin: Ancient Egypt
Sourdough bread is the oldest form of leavened bread. The yeast is acquired from the air around the flour and water mixture, and any other wild yeast in the grain. This wild yeast develops and feeds on the sugars in the flour producing a gas byproduct that in turn raises the dough. In conclusion, the use of a starter and long fermentation time give this loaf a very distinctive slightly sour flavor.
Best for: toast and butter, sandwiches
Whole Wheat
Country of Origin: Fertile Crescent
All of the earliest breads were whole wheat incorporating the whole grain with very little removed. However, technically when wheat flour contains the bran, germ and endosperm of the wheat kernel then the bread that is produced is a whole wheat bread.
Best for: eating with butter, sandwiches
