Jessica Johanson - Easy Baking: 50 Quick And Easy Bread Recipes For Beginners. The Complete Homemade Pastry Bible

Table of contents

What kind of bread exists?

Bread an everyday staple for tons of meals that have recorded throughout history as a prominent part in every cuisine and one of the first human-made foods. During the time bread has gone through massive change, but with the same basic process. It is made with different kinds of flour and water and uses the process of baking.

Homemade bread is simple; it just needs flour, water, salt, yeast, and baking soda, fat and any other ingredients to enhance or add more flavors such as herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. However, commercial bread has additional ingredients that improve its taste, nutrition, color, texture, and shelf life.

There are lots of bread. Why? Because bread is life. Below, learn about the types of bread exist and what makes them unique.

Arepa

A round and flat cornmeal patty that is baked, fried or cooked on charcoal in Colombia and Venezuela. It is served with fillings like beans, ham, cheese, shredded beef, scrambled eggs, avocado, and chicken salad. To prepare arepa bread, special corn flour is required which is turned into a dough using a pinch of salt and water.

Baguette

A very popular French bread, Baguette is long tube-like shaped bread with a soft interior and crunchy crust. Baguette is used for preparing a variety of sandwiches.

Bagel

Originated in Poland, Bagel is now a famous bread in many parts of the world. This bread is first rolled, cooked in boiling water for a short time and then bake. It comes in a variety of flavors such as chocolate, raisins, cinnamon with added sugar, blueberry, onion, salmon, cheese and many more. They are a heart-healthy choice to a filling breakfast, quick snack, or comforting lunch.

Breadstick

Breadstick is available in nearly every country in the world. A long and thin piece of bread that is baked for a long time makes a crispy breadstick. The baking time varies with the length of a breadstick.

Challah

This is a traditional Jewish bread. The dough is first braided and then baked, thus giving this bread a unique appearance. It is prepared with flour, yeast, honey, and eggs and has a sweet taste.

Chapati

Chapati is a popular bread in Asian regions such as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. They are made with wheat flour and toasted over a griddle pan instead of being baked. Chapati can be eaten as it is or with cooked vegetables and meat dishes and lentil soups. Although chapati is made without oil, they are sometimes buttered such as parathas.

Ciabatta

Ciabatta is an Italian bread, and thus, its crust and texture vary slightly throughout the regions of Italy. However, the essential ingredients are the same that are wheat flour, yeast, salt, and water. Ciabatta is used for paninis and Italian sandwiches.

Cornbread

Cornbread is prepared with grounded corn, egg, and buttermilk. Thus, due to grounded corn or cornmeal gives this dense and crumbly bread a cake-like taste and texture.

Croissant

A crescent moon shaped like French roll that is incredibly buttery, flaky, and very rich. They are traditionally a breakfast pastry and therefore, commonly served with coffee in many European countries.

Crackers

Small segments of baked bread made crackers. They are baked by preparing a mixture of flour, salt, and water. The main difference between crackers and bread is that crackers dont have any leavening agent. They come in countless flavors today and serve as an appetizer or a snack with dip.

Crouton

When a very crunchy bread is divided into small pieces, the pieces are called croutons. To make croutons super crunchy, the dough is baked twice, then cut into small cubes and seasoned with spices and herbs. They are used to garnish salads and soups.

Damper

A bush bread which is cooked over hot coals but can also be baked. It is made with basic ingredients for bread such as flour, salt, water, and baking soda and sometimes uses milk as well. It is a traditional bread in Australia and is served with cooked and dried meat dishes and stews.

English Muffins

A small and round yeast-leavened bread which is prepared by toasting dough on a griddle pan. It is usually sliced horizontally, toasted and serve during teatime. It can also spread with butter and make excellent breakfast sandwiches.

Focaccia

A relatively flat brad which is not kneaded before it is baked. But dont take Focaccia entirely as a flatbread because yeast is present in its dough which causes it to rise slightly. It is rich in flavor and retained a lot of moisture as the bread is brushed with lots of oil before baking. And, after baking, Focaccia is often seasoned with salt or other ingredients like olives.

Fruit bread

Just like the name suggests, this bread has fruit as one of its ingredients, for example, banana bread. Moreover, it can be also prepared with dried fruits and nuts. Due to its sweet taste and bring baked in a pan rather than a loaf pan, this bread is much like a cake.

Hot cross bun

A hot cross bun is a sweet and small round roll that comes with a cross shape on top of the dough. It is made with yeast and raisins and garnished with icing after baking. It is traditional bun and is served on the Christians Good Friday.

Naan

It is a middle eastern leavened bread, mostly found in the south, west and central Asian countries. It is similar to pita bread but without a picket and baked in a clay oven. Naan is served with extra toppings such as cheese, butter, minced meat, or spiced vegetables.

Paratha

Paratha is a layered flatbread which is made by combining whole wheat flour, salt, and water or milk and then fried in oil, butter or clarified butter. It is popular in India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Burma. Parathas are often stuffed with spiced vegetables like potatoes, onion, cabbage, and eggs.

Rye bread

It is made from rye flour and bread flour thats why this bread comes in different density, amount of fiber, and colors from light to dark. And due to ryes flavor, this bread has strong flavor than that traditional whole wheat bread.

Scone

Scone is a quick bread which is dense and dry and has a hard crust. It is prepared from the combination of flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, eggs, and milk. This bread is often flavored with fruits like berries or raisins and is eaten with honey, butter, and cream.

Soda bread

It is traditional bread in Ireland which is made with flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. It is often flavored with raisins or nuts and is soft, leavened, sweet with a light texture.

Tortilla

A soft and thin bread which is used in many Mexican dishes such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and wraps. Tortilla bread is segmented into small pieces which are seasoned with salt and spices, then deep-fried or baked in oven crisp and served as tortilla chips.

Whole-Wheat Bread

This bread is made from the flour of wheat grains with germ and bran. Hence, unlike white bread, this bead has more fiber and nutrient per slice. It is an excellent choice of sandwiches.

How is bread formed?

Bread is made by baking a mixture of flour, salt, yeast, water, and other ingredients. The basic process to form a dough or a stiff paste, followed by baking of dough in an oven or on griddle into a loaf.