Recipes Infobase

Bread

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods, dating back to the Neolithic era, and is referred to colloquially as the "Staff of life". The development of leavened bread can probably also be traced to prehistoric times. Bread is now a the staple food in Europe, European-derived cultures such as the Americas, and the Middle East/North Africa, prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and frequently additional ingredients.

White bread is made from flour containing only the central core of the grain (endosperm).

Brown bread is made with endosperm and 10% bran. It can also refer to white bread with added colouring (often caramel colouring) to make it 'brown'; commonly labeled in America as "Wheat" bread (as opposed to "Whole Wheat" bread.)

Wholemeal bread contains the whole of the wheat grain (endosperm and bran). It is also referred to as 'whole grain' or 'whole wheat' bread, especially in North America.
Wheat germ bread has added wheat germ for flavoring.
Whole grain bread can refer to the same as 'wholemeal bread', or to white bread with added whole grains to increase its fibre content (i.e. as in "60% whole grain bread").
Roti is a whole wheat based bread eaten in South Asia. Chapatti is a larger variant of Roti. Naan is a leavened equivalent to these.
Granary bread is bread made using flaked malted wheat grains malt. Trademarked to Hovis, it is made from white or brown flour and flaked malted wheat grains. The standard malting process is modified to maximise maltose / sugar content but minimise residual alpha amylase content. Other flavour components are imparted from partial fermentation due to the particular malting process used and to Maillard reactions on flaking / toasting.
Rye bread is made with flour from rye grain of variable levels. It is higher in fiber than many common types of bread and is often darker in color and stronger in flavor. In Scandinavia, Germany, Finland, the Baltic States, and Russia, rye is a popular type of bread.
Unleavened Bread or Matzah used for the Jewish feast of Passover, does not include yeast, thus it does not rise.
Sourdough bread is made with a starter.
Whole-grain non-wheat breads are under development by Researchers at the US Agricultural Research Service who are inventing new whole-grain oat and barley breads that offer more antioxidants and fibers than traditional whole-grain breads.

Fresh bread is prized for its taste, aroma, quality, appearance and texture. Retaining its freshness is important to keep it appetizing. Bread that has stiffened or dried past its prime is said to be stale. Modern bread is sometimes wrapped in paper or plastic film, or stored in a container such as a breadbox to reduce drying. Bread that is kept in warm, moist environments is prone to the growth of mold. Bread kept at low temperatures, in a refrigerator for example, will develop mold growth more slowly than bread kept at room temperature, but will turn stale quickly due to retrogradation.

Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed, fried, or baked on an unoiled skillet. It may be leavened or unleavened. Salt, fat and leavening agents such as yeast and baking soda are common ingredients, though bread may contain other ingredients, such as milk, egg, sugar, spice, fruit (such as raisins), vegetables (such as onion), nuts (such as walnuts) or seeds (such as poppy seeds).

The Crumb is the name for the soft, inner part of bread by bakers and other culinary professionals. It is not to be confused with small bits of bread that often fall off, called crumbs. The outer hard portion of bread is called the crust.