A Guide to Different Types of Bread

It’s estimated that bread has been around for thousands of years, and nowadays it comes in several different shapes and sizes. With so many kinds of bread out there, it’s guaranteed you’ll find your favorite kind.

5-Minute Crafts created a guide to showcase the various bread types.

1. White bread

Known as “sandwich bread” or “sandwich loaf” in the United States, this bread type is normally considered to be less nutritionally dense as it’s made from wheat flour, from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed.

2. Brown bread

Also referred to as wheat bread, brown bread is made with considerable amounts of whole grain flour (typically wheat) and, at times, dark-colored ingredients like coffee or molasses. In certain regions of the US, brown bread is used to complement white bread. And in New England and the Maritimes, this bread is made with molasses.

3. Whole wheat bread

Whole wheat bread is another type of brown bread, and is produced using flour that is partly or fully milled from whole or almost-whole wheat grains. It’s also commonly known as whole grain bread or whole meal bread.

4. Rye bread

Made out of various proportions of flour from rye grain, this bread can be light or dark in color. It’s also thicker than bread produced using wheat flour, has more fiber, and has a stronger flavor than white bread.

5. Hot dog bun

This soft, smooth bun and its shape is produced specifically to go with a sausage. It originated in the United States and is dressed typically with condiments like ketchup, mustard, and relish.

6. Pita bread

Pita is a type of flatbread that originated in the Middle East. Made with wheat flour and yeast, this bread is cooked at very high temperatures, allowing the water in the dough to turn into steam. This helps in the formation of a large air bubble in the bread’s center, the “pocket.”

7. Baguette

Originated in France, this long, thin, crispy bread is produced mostly from basic lean dough. Baguettes are also commonly referred to as “French bread” and standard baguettes are made with baker’s yeast.

8. Bagel

Bagels came from the Jewish communities of Poland. This dense and chewy bread is firstly hand-formed into a ring shape from yeasted wheat dough, boiled for a short time in water, and then baked. They also often have seeds and salt on top, and can be made from whole-grain or rye.

9. Tortilla

One of the oldest bread types, tortillas are thin flatbreads used in numerous Mexican dishes, including tacos and burritos. This bread was originally made from masa (a dough that comes from corn and goes through several processing steps) but now it’s also made from wheat flour and is essential in Meso-American cuisine.

10. Sourdough

This type of bread is created by fermenting dough with yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The fermentation process produces lactic acid, which gives the bread that particular sour taste while also improving its shelf life.

11. Brioche

Another bread type that originated in France, brioche is made similarly to normal bread but with the addition of butter, eggs, sugar, and liquid (water, milk, cream, and sometimes brandy). It’s light but features a golden crust, and is a great option for breakfast, desserts, or just as a snack.

12. Breadsticks

Breadsticks, grissini, grissino, or dipping sticks, are thought to have originated in 1643 in Italy. They’re dry, crispy baked bread and usually pencil-shaped.